Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Majuro

For one person, living is cheaper in Majuro: $2,127 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. The total is higher in Noumea despite lower rent and utilities.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Majuro
Learn more

Majuro Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Majuro

🇲🇭 Marshall Islands

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Majuro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Noumea and in Majuro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,410 per month in Noumea vs $2,127 in Majuro, rent included.

Noumea $2,410
Majuro $2,127

A couple spends around $3,800 per month in Noumea vs $2,970 in Majuro, rent included.

Noumea $3,800
Majuro $2,970

A family of three spends $5,190 per month in Noumea vs $3,812 in Majuro, rent included.

Noumea $5,190
Majuro $3,812

Noumea costs about 13% more than Majuro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Noumea and Majuro sit above the global median – Noumea by 80%, Majuro by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

$9.92 $9.92

110.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 CFPF 12.1K

$29.92 $29.92

279.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

$10.56 $10.56

31.16%

Cappuccino

$4.68 CFPF 498

$4.35 $4.35

7.59%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 CFPF 214

$1.79 $1.79

12.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$2.02 $2.02

-37.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

$4.48 $4.48

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CFPF 773

$5.14 $5.14

41.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 125

$2.23 $2.23

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CFPF 381

$3.44 $3.44

4.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

$1.77 $1.77

22.03%

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

$5.14 $5.14

19.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

$30.83 $30.83

-2.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

$11.07 $11.07

149.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

$18.03 $18.03

56.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 487

$4.28 $4.28

7.01%

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

$7.14 $7.14

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

$8.93 $8.93

-29.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 849

$12.84 $12.84

-37.85%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 CFPF 591

$5.16 $5.16

7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CFPF 411

$5.60 $5.60

-31.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.04 CFPF 430

$3.79 $3.79

6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

$1.88 $1.88

-20.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

$5.98 $5.98

225.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

$9.99 $9.99

70.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CFPF 491

$2.91 $2.91

58.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 CFPF 741

$2.68 $2.68

159.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 119

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

$5.11 $5.11

319.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 CFPF 174

$1.77 $1.77

-7.91%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

$25.1K $25.1K

29.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

$34.8K $34.8K

7.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$205 CFPF 21.8K

$252 $252

-18.86%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

$37.28 $37.28

18.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

$80.2 $80.2

-40.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

$37.80 $37.80

28.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.25 CFPF 878

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 CFPF 1,517

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$759 CFPF 80.8K

$148 $148

411.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

$2,635 $2,635

253.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.9K

$70.8 $70.8

57.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

$40.02 $40.02

62.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CFPF 10.7K

$30.23 $30.23

231.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$247 CFPF 26.3K

$50.1 $50.1

393.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 80.9K

$790 $790

-3.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$883 $883

-13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

$1,334 $1,334

13.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

$1,262 $1,262

6.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,777 CFPF 508.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CFPF 367.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 CFPF 290.1K

$1,007 $1,007

170.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Majuro: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$761 31.9%

Majuro

$883 41.2% 16% $122

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$646 * 27.1%

Majuro

$540 * 25.2% 16.4% $106

Eating Out

Noumea

$340 14.2%

Majuro

$211 9.9% 37.9% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$297 12.4%

Majuro

$370 17.3% 24.5% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$236 9.9%

Majuro

$86 4% 63.5% $150

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$77 3.2%

Majuro

$38 * 1.8% 50.9% $39

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Majuro

$14 * 0.7% 53.8% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $761 in Noumea versus $790 in Majuro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 171% higher in Noumea, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $114 in Noumea versus $30.00 in Majuro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $646 vs $540 – making Majuro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇲🇭 Majuro

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

1 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

26,000 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Noumea Majuro 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Majuro

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Noumea vs Majuro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Noumea is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,614 per month in Noumea and $3,190 in Majuro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Majuro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,410 in Noumea and $2,127 in Majuro. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $759 per month in Noumea and $148 in Majuro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Majuro, where all-in costs run around $2,127, than in Noumea at $2,410. In Majuro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Noumea it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Majuro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Majuro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Noumea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.