Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Paihia

For one person, living is cheaper in Paihia: $1,878 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Paihia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,878 in Paihia.

Noumea $2,391
Paihia $1,878

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,919 in Paihia.

Noumea $3,791
Paihia $2,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $3,960 in Paihia.

Noumea $5,191
Paihia $3,960

Living in Noumea is roughly 27% more expensive than in Paihia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 77% above, Paihia 39% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$13.79 NZ$24.39

49.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$33.24 NZ$58.8

235.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.35 NZ$14.77

71.14%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.31 NZ$5.86

35.95%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$1.92 NZ$3.40

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.80 NZ$3.18

-29.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$6.68 NZ$11.81

38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$6.63 NZ$11.72

6.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.86 NZ$3.29

-34.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$2.24 NZ$3.96

56.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.89 NZ$3.34

16.40%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$6.39 NZ$11.29

-5.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$8.42 NZ$14.89

251.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$9.68 NZ$17.13

193.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$17.32 NZ$30.63

64.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.83 NZ$5.00

66.08%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.11 NZ$3.74

240.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$3.01 NZ$5.33

100.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$5.68 NZ$10.05

44.19%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$2.08 NZ$3.67

160.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.53 NZ$2.70

137.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$1.99 NZ$3.52

104.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$1.04 NZ$1.83

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$27.24 NZ$48.17

-29.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$10.39 NZ$18.37

62.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$2.73 NZ$4.82

112.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$1.60 NZ$2.82

186.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 NZ$145

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$1.70 NZ$3.01

304.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$2.00 NZ$3.54

-44.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$31.30 NZ$55.4

-31.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.87 NZ$3.30

-15.51%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

26.01%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

65.62%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$184 NZ$325

9.50%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$26.10 NZ$46.16

64.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$50.5 NZ$89.4

-3.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$33.25 NZ$58.8

50.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$12.74 NZ$22.53

9.18%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$1,097 NZ$1,939

-30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

-52.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$77.9 NZ$138

37.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$39.32 NZ$69.5

64.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$91.0 NZ$161

6.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$108 NZ$192

129.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$939 NZ$1,660

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$742 NZ$1,311

4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,802 NZ$3,187

-17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,607 NZ$2,843

-15.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$4,161 NZ$7,359

11.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$3,605 NZ$6,376

-3.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.37

-41.71%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Paihia

$742 39.5% 4.1% $32

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Paihia

$338 18% 47.9% $311

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Paihia

$237 12.6% 29.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Paihia

$260 13.9% 11.2% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Paihia

$143 7.6% 38.8% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Paihia

$59 3.1% 24.4% $19

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Paihia

$100 5.3% 226% $69

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 $939 in Paihia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $111 in Noumea vs $33.00 in Paihia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $338 per month, with Paihia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Paihia

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

1,800

💱 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

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Between locations

Noumea Paihia 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Paihia

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 Paihia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paihia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,587 in Noumea and $2,816 in Paihia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $751 in Noumea versus $939 in Paihia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $1,097 in Paihia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Paihia – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,878 in Paihia versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Paihia but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Paihia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Paihia 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 Paihia 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 Paihia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.