Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Mata Utu

For one person, living is cheaper in Noumea: $2,410 a month against $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Mata Utu

🇼🇫 Wallis and Futuna

$5,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Mata Utu

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

A single person spends $2,410 per month in Noumea vs $5,241 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Noumea $2,410
Mata Utu $5,241

A couple spends around $3,800 per month in Noumea vs $6,656 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Noumea $3,800
Mata Utu $6,656

A family of three spends $5,190 per month in Noumea vs $8,071 in Mata Utu, rent included.

Noumea $5,190
Mata Utu $8,071

Noumea is about 54% cheaper than Mata Utu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Noumea and Mata Utu sit above the global median – Noumea by 80%, Mata Utu by 291%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

$11.06 CFPF 1,176

88.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 CFPF 12.1K

$111 CFPF 11.8K

2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

Cappuccino

$4.68 CFPF 498

$7.68 CFPF 817

-39.06%

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

$2.01 CFPF 214

$5.73 CFPF 610

-64.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$3.29 CFPF 350

-61.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CFPF 773

$5.55 CFPF 590

30.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 125

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CFPF 381

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 487

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 849

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 CFPF 591

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CFPF 411

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.04 CFPF 430

$11.17 CFPF 1,189

-63.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

$4.43 CFPF 471

-66.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

$16.77 CFPF 1,784

16.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

$16.69 CFPF 1,776

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CFPF 491

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 CFPF 741

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 119

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 CFPF 174

$1.83 CFPF 194

-10.93%

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

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

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

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

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

$205 CFPF 21.8K

$145 CFPF 15.4K

41.34%

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

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

$112 CFPF 12.0K

-60.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

$3,335 CFPF 354.8K

-98.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

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

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.9K

$220 CFPF 23.4K

-49.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

$91.5 CFPF 9,736

-29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CFPF 10.7K

$228 CFPF 24.3K

-56.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$247 CFPF 26.3K

$283 CFPF 30.1K

-12.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 80.9K

$898 CFPF 95.5K

-15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$913 CFPF 97.1K

-16.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

$2,238 CFPF 238.1K

-32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

$2,282 CFPF 242.8K

-40.87%

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

$3,338 CFPF 355.2K

-18.34%

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 Mata Utu: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$761 31.9%

Mata Utu

–

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$646 * 27.1%

Mata Utu

–

Eating Out

Noumea

$340 14.2%

Mata Utu

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$297 12.4%

Mata Utu

–

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$236 9.9%

Mata Utu

–

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$77 3.2%

Mata Utu

–

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Mata Utu

–

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 $898 in Mata Utu. 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 22% higher in Mata Utu, 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 $111 in Mata Utu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $646 vs $131 – making Mata Utu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇼🇫 Mata Utu

🕒 Local time

18:11 6:11 PM

19:11 7:11 PM

1 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

1,200 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Noumea Mata Utu 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Mata Utu

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 Mata Utu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,410 in Noumea, $5,241 in Mata Utu – roughly 118% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,614 per month in Noumea and $7,862 in Mata Utu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $114 in Noumea and $111 in Mata Utu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,410 in Noumea and $5,241 in Mata Utu. That's a gap of about 118%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Noumea, where all-in costs run around $2,410, than in Mata Utu at $5,241. In Noumea it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mata Utu it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Noumea has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,410 in Noumea to $5,241 in Mata Utu. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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