Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Nelson

For one person, living is cheaper in Nelson: $1,833 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Nelson
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Nelson Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Nelson

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,833

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Nelson

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,833 in Nelson.

Noumea $2,391
Nelson $1,833

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,842 in Nelson.

Noumea $3,791
Nelson $2,842

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $3,852 in Nelson.

Noumea $5,191
Nelson $3,852

Living in Noumea is roughly 30% more expensive than in Nelson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 77% above, Nelson 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$13.86 NZ$24.51

48.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$64.6 NZ$114

72.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.53 NZ$15.08

67.53%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.24 NZ$5.74

38.89%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$1.72 NZ$3.04

11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.65 NZ$2.91

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$7.13 NZ$12.61

30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$5.53 NZ$9.79

27.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.90 NZ$3.36

-35.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$2.05 NZ$3.63

70.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.83 NZ$3.24

20.22%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$5.70 NZ$10.08

5.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$9.09 NZ$16.08

225.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$7.34 NZ$12.98

287.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$13.70 NZ$24.22

107.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$3.08 NZ$5.45

52.60%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.19 NZ$3.88

227.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$3.06 NZ$5.41

97.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$5.61 NZ$9.92

45.99%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$2.05 NZ$3.63

163.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.28 NZ$2.27

183.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$1.97 NZ$3.48

106.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$1.01 NZ$1.79

48.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$24.79 NZ$43.85

-22.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$9.44 NZ$16.69

79.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$3.06 NZ$5.41

89.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 NZ$4.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$2.22 NZ$3.92

106.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$1.82 NZ$3.21

277.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-37.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$33.41 NZ$59.1

-35.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-1.86%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$17.1K NZ$30.2K

88.45%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$21.9K NZ$38.7K

69.13%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$131 NZ$231

53.94%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$32.95 NZ$58.3

30.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$41.79 NZ$73.9

17.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$99.3 NZ$176

-49.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

$33.61 NZ$59.4

-74.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$11.01 NZ$19.48

26.34%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$440 NZ$777

73.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$12.7K NZ$22.4K

-27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$52.4 NZ$92.6

104.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$27.78 NZ$49.13

132.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$101 NZ$179

-4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$138 NZ$245

79.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$1,000 NZ$1,769

-24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$795 NZ$1,406

-2.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,704 NZ$3,014

-12.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,456 NZ$2,574

-6.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$1,374 NZ$2,430

236.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$827 NZ$1,462

321.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$2,017 NZ$3,568

31.98%

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 Nelson: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Nelson

$795 43.4% 2.8% $22

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Nelson

$312 17% 51.9% $336

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Nelson

$236 12.9% 29.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Nelson

$205 11.2% 29.9% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Nelson

$144 7.9% 38.2% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Nelson

$121 6.6% 56.1% $44

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Nelson

$20 * 1.1% 36.4% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $751 in Noumea and $1,000 in Nelson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 32% 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 Nelson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $312 per month, with Nelson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Nelson

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

11:42 11:42 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

51,100

💱 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

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Between locations

Noumea Nelson 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Nelson

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 Nelson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nelson wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Noumea. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nelson the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% higher in Noumea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $751 in Noumea versus $1,000 in Nelson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $440 in Nelson. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nelson – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,833 in Nelson versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nelson but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Nelson the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nelson delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,833 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nelson hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Noumea and Nelson 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 Nelson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.