Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Masterton

For one person, living is cheaper in Masterton: $832 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Masterton
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Masterton Living Index

Jump to prices

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Masterton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Masterton

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 Masterton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $832 in Masterton.

Noumea $2,391
Masterton $832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $1,432 in Masterton.

Noumea $3,791
Masterton $1,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $2,032 in Masterton.

Noumea $5,191
Masterton $2,032

Living in Noumea is roughly 187% more expensive than in Masterton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 77% above, Masterton is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$9.54 NZ$16.88

116.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$64.9 NZ$115

71.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.56 NZ$15.14

66.94%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.18 NZ$5.62

41.51%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-4.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.09 NZ$1.93

16.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$3.89 NZ$6.88

138.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$3.28 NZ$5.79

114.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.42 NZ$2.51

-14.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$2.21 NZ$3.91

58.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.03 NZ$1.82

113.59%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$6.32 NZ$11.17

-4.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$8.29 NZ$14.65

256.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$9.48 NZ$16.76

199.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$15.18 NZ$26.85

87.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.18 NZ$3.85

115.60%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$1.71 NZ$3.02

319.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$2.98 NZ$5.27

102.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$4.58 NZ$8.11

78.82%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$1.53 NZ$2.71

253.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.08 NZ$1.90

236.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$1.70 NZ$3.00

139.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$0.52 NZ$0.92

188.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$19.51 NZ$34.50

-2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$11.21 NZ$19.83

51.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$0.85 NZ$1.50

582.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 NZ$2.02

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$2.23 NZ$3.94

105.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$1.81 NZ$3.20

279.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.75 NZ$3.09

-36.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$34.16 NZ$60.4

-37.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.77 NZ$3.12

-10.73%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$22.0K NZ$39.0K

46.06%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

49.26%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$55.0 NZ$97.3

265.15%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$29.34 NZ$51.9

46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$52.8 NZ$93.3

-7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$41.79 NZ$73.9

19.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

$8.51 NZ$15.06

1.06%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$9.68 NZ$17.12

43.70%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$1,056 NZ$1,868

-27.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$12.7K NZ$22.5K

-27.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$55.6 NZ$98.3

93.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$27.59 NZ$48.79

134.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$102 NZ$181

-5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$142 NZ$251

75.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,002 NZ$1,773

49.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$2,327 NZ$4,115

14.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.39

-41.93%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Masterton: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Masterton

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Masterton

$288 34.7% 55.6% $360

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Masterton

$179 21.5% 46.7% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Masterton

$137 16.5% 53.2% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Masterton

$147 17.7% 36.7% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Masterton

$61 7.4% 21.3% $17

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Masterton

$19 * 2.3% 36.8% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

Noumea pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $111 in Noumea vs $65.0 in Masterton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $288 per month, with Masterton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Masterton

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

26,800

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Noumea Masterton 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Masterton

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 Masterton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Masterton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 187% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 14% higher in Noumea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Noumea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,391 per month in Noumea versus $832 in Masterton – a 187% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $832 in Masterton versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Masterton but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Masterton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Masterton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Noumea, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Noumea and Masterton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Masterton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.