Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Oamaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Oamaru: $1,769 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Oamaru
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Oamaru Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Oamaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Oamaru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,769 in Oamaru.

Noumea $2,391
Oamaru $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,802 in Oamaru.

Noumea $3,791
Oamaru $2,802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $3,834 in Oamaru.

Noumea $5,191
Oamaru $3,834

Living in Noumea is roughly 35% more expensive than in Oamaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 77% above, Oamaru 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$13.87 NZ$24.53

48.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$67.7 NZ$120

64.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$9.18 NZ$16.23

55.66%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.30 NZ$5.84

36.36%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.33 NZ$4.12

-17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.78 NZ$3.14

-28.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$6.58 NZ$11.63

41.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$6.91 NZ$12.22

1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.67 NZ$2.94

-26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$1.28 NZ$2.27

173.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.50 NZ$2.65

46.67%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$5.48 NZ$9.70

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$7.26 NZ$12.83

307.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$8.87 NZ$15.69

220.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$13.60 NZ$24.04

109.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.39 NZ$4.22

96.65%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.02 NZ$3.58

255.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$2.69 NZ$4.76

124.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$2.97 NZ$5.25

175.76%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$1.50 NZ$2.65

260.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.33 NZ$2.35

172.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$2.06 NZ$3.64

97.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$0.70 NZ$1.24

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$24.24 NZ$42.87

-21.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$5.44 NZ$9.63

211.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$3.37 NZ$5.96

72.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NZ$7.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$1.49 NZ$2.64

208.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 NZ$157

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$2.55 NZ$4.52

169.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.70 NZ$3.00

-34.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$27.87 NZ$49.29

-23.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.58 NZ$2.79

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$25.2K NZ$44.6K

27.53%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$23.9K NZ$42.2K

55.23%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$158 NZ$279

27.27%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$19.36 NZ$34.24

121.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$45.43 NZ$80.3

7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$39.08 NZ$69.1

27.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$9.98 NZ$17.65

39.38%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$668 NZ$1,181

14.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

-57.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$56.4 NZ$99.7

90.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$16.83 NZ$29.77

284.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$44.83 NZ$79.3

116.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$50.3 NZ$88.9

394.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$973 NZ$1,720

-22.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$790 NZ$1,398

-2.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,725 NZ$3,051

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,631 NZ$2,884

-16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$4,751 NZ$8,403

-2.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$3,236 NZ$5,724

7.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$1,926 NZ$3,405

38.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.91

-47.04%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Oamaru: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Oamaru

$790 44.7% 2.2% $17

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Oamaru

$274 15.5% 57.7% $374

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Oamaru

$241 13.6% 28% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Oamaru

$223 12.6% 24% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Oamaru

$76 4.3% 67.5% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Oamaru

$59 3.3% 24% $19

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Oamaru

$106 6% 245% $75

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 $973 in Oamaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 38% 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 $68.0 in Oamaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $274 per month, with Oamaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Oamaru

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

16:22 4:22 PM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

13,850

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Oamaru 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Oamaru

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 Oamaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oamaru is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $973 in Oamaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $668 in Oamaru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Oamaru – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,769 in Oamaru versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Oamaru but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Oamaru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oamaru 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 Oamaru 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 Oamaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.