Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,361 in Noumea versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Noumea versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,032 in Noumea versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Noumea is roughly 87% more expensive than Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 76% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.44 CFPF 1,475

$4.70 ฿153

207.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 CFPF 9,996

$45.37 ฿1,482

115.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.38 CFPF 1,469

$8.43 ฿275

70.58%

Cappuccino

$5.78 CFPF 591

$2.93 ฿95.6

97.27%

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

$2.39 CFPF 244

$0.69 ฿22.40

246.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 CFPF 109

$0.37 ฿11.99

189.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.12 CFPF 1,136

$2.41 ฿78.6

361.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 CFPF 765

$3.72 ฿122

101.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 120

$2.23 ฿72.9

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CFPF 309

$1.83 ฿59.8

65.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 CFPF 194

$2.17 ฿70.8

-12.44%

Eggs

$5.51 CFPF 563

$2.21 ฿72.3

149.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.74 CFPF 1,914

$19.74 ฿645

-5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.41 CFPF 2,289

$3.63 ฿119

517.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.25 CFPF 2,682

$13.53 ฿442

94.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.20 CFPF 429

$3.28 ฿107

28.05%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 733

$1.61 ฿52.6

345.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 CFPF 690

$2.41 ฿78.6

180.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.48 CFPF 764

$2.08 ฿68.1

259.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 CFPF 379

$1.53 ฿49.93

142.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 CFPF 332

$1.48 ฿48.36

119.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 CFPF 302

$0.99 ฿32.29

197.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CFPF 154

$0.51 ฿16.67

196.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 CFPF 2,098

$4.41 ฿144

365.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.71 CFPF 1,809

$19.38 ฿633

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.39 CFPF 551

$1.78 ฿58.1

202.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CFPF 637

$2.71 ฿88.6

130.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 CFPF 290

$1.37 ฿44.79

107.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CFPF 6,482

$11.39 ฿372

457.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 CFPF 553

$3.02 ฿98.6

79.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.00 CFPF 102

$0.99 ฿32.48

1.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.54 CFPF 2,507

$14.10 ฿461

74.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 CFPF 171

$1.36 ฿44.51

23.53%

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

$34.7K CFPF 3.5M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

22.88%

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

$39.6K CFPF 4.0M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

20.25%

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

$208 CFPF 21.2K

$122 ฿3,975

70.81%

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

$39.94 CFPF 4,079

$13.57 ฿443

194.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 CFPF 5,742

$18.31 ฿598

206.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 CFPF 6,150

$60.2 ฿1,967

-0.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.64 CFPF 780

$17.14 ฿560

-55.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CFPF 1,337

$8.69 ฿284

50.52%

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

$788 CFPF 80.5K

$693 ฿22.6K

13.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.4K

$59.5 ฿1,944

86.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.8 CFPF 5,905

$34.77 ฿1,136

66.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 CFPF 12.8K

$115 ฿3,743

9.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$245 CFPF 25.0K

$83.3 ฿2,720

194.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$785 CFPF 80.2K

$613 ฿20.0K

27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 CFPF 82.0K

$437 ฿14.3K

83.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CFPF 166.4K

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-22.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CFPF 137.0K

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-11.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,878 CFPF 498.3K

$3,749 ฿122.5K

30.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,524 CFPF 360.0K

$2,616 ฿85.4K

34.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,780 CFPF 284.0K

$508 ฿16.6K

447.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.33

5.33

-56.29%

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

Last update for Noumea: May 31, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $785 in Noumea and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 447% 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: $98.0 in Noumea vs $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $570 vs $293 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Noumea pays 447% more on average, 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: $785 in Noumea versus $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Noumea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $98.0 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,265 in Phuket versus $2,361 in Noumea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket 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 Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.