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: $2,390 in Noumea versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,715 in Noumea versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,040 in Noumea versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Noumea is roughly 91% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 79% above, Phuket is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.65 CFPF 1,524

$4.55 ฿153

221.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 CFPF 10.1K

$46.18 ฿1,554

110.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.64 CFPF 1,523

$8.84 ฿298

65.61%

Cappuccino

$5.98 CFPF 622

$3.06 ฿103

95.42%

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

$2.45 CFPF 255

$0.73 ฿24.42

235.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 CFPF 115

$0.40 ฿13.40

175.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.29 CFPF 1,174

$2.43 ฿81.8

364.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 CFPF 798

$3.78 ฿127

102.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 CFPF 128

$2.26 ฿76.0

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 CFPF 320

$1.81 ฿60.9

70.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 CFPF 206

$2.25 ฿75.8

-12.00%

Eggs

$5.76 CFPF 599

$2.25 ฿75.6

156.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.01 CFPF 1,978

$19.51 ฿656

-2.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$22.21 CFPF 2,311

$3.65 ฿123

508.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.41 CFPF 2,644

$13.05 ฿439

94.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 CFPF 450

$3.23 ฿109

34.06%

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 758

$1.62 ฿54.4

350.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.63 CFPF 690

$2.38 ฿80.2

178.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 CFPF 738

$2.03 ฿68.2

249.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.82 CFPF 397

$1.53 ฿51.6

149.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 CFPF 345

$1.50 ฿50.5

120.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 CFPF 308

$0.98 ฿32.93

202.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 156

$0.52 ฿17.40

188.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.47 CFPF 2,130

$4.44 ฿149

361.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.10 CFPF 1,779

$18.32 ฿616

-6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.21 CFPF 542

$1.86 ฿62.7

180.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 CFPF 658

$2.68 ฿90.2

135.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 CFPF 304

$1.41 ฿47.49

107.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.5 CFPF 6,606

$11.70 ฿394

442.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 CFPF 559

$3.11 ฿105

72.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 CFPF 105

$1.04 ฿35.08

-2.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 CFPF 2,589

$14.11 ฿475

76.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 CFPF 167

$1.31 ฿44.13

22.90%

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

$34.4K CFPF 3.6M

$27.8K ฿936.0K

23.58%

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

$39.5K CFPF 4.1M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

18.84%

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

$208 CFPF 21.6K

$122 ฿4,120

69.71%

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

$40.53 CFPF 4,217

$13.59 ฿457

198.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 CFPF 6,033

$18.70 ฿629

210.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.8 CFPF 6,429

$60.5 ฿2,035

2.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.85 CFPF 817

$16.98 ฿572

-53.77%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 CFPF 1,329

$9.07 ฿305

40.79%

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

$783 CFPF 81.5K

$706 ฿23.8K

10.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 CFPF 11.8K

$58.6 ฿1,970

92.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 CFPF 5,935

$35.36 ฿1,190

61.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 CFPF 13.1K

$115 ฿3,885

8.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$238 CFPF 24.8K

$83.7 ฿2,818

184.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 CFPF 83.8K

$626 ฿21.1K

28.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$794 CFPF 82.6K

$445 ฿15.0K

78.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CFPF 165.5K

$2,040 ฿68.7K

-22.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,335 CFPF 138.9K

$1,492 ฿50.2K

-10.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,854 CFPF 505.0K

$3,483 ฿117.2K

39.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,511 CFPF 365.4K

$2,577 ฿86.7K

36.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,719 CFPF 282.9K

$500 ฿16.8K

443.95%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Noumea and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 444% 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: $97.0 in Noumea vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $289 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 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 444% 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: $805 in Noumea versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% 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 $46.00 versus $97.0 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,250 in Phuket versus $2,390 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 91% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.