Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Phuket

For one person, living is cheaper in Phuket: $1,207 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Phuket
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Phuket Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Phuket

🇹🇭 Thailand

$1,207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Phuket

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,207 in Phuket.

Noumea $2,391
Phuket $1,207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,037 in Phuket.

Noumea $3,791
Phuket $2,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $2,867 in Phuket.

Noumea $5,191
Phuket $2,867

Living in Noumea is roughly 98% more expensive than in Phuket, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 77% above, Phuket is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$4.58 ฿153

350.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$32.48 ฿1,086

242.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.55 ฿286

67.13%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$2.72 ฿91.0

65.44%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$0.94 ฿31.25

104.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$0.49 ฿16.39

159.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$2.59 ฿86.6

258.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$3.83 ฿128

83.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.74 ฿58.1

-29.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$1.43 ฿47.82

144.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.53 ฿51.0

43.79%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$2.17 ฿72.7

177.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$19.15 ฿640

54.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$3.30 ฿110

761.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$11.14 ฿372

155.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.95 ฿98.5

59.32%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$1.68 ฿56.1

327.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$2.30 ฿76.8

162.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$2.13 ฿71.3

284.51%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$1.53 ฿51.1

253.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.36 ฿45.55

166.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$1.12 ฿37.44

263.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$0.55 ฿18.24

172.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$4.26 ฿142

348.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$18.19 ฿608

-6.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$1.74 ฿58.2

233.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ฿93.3

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$2.22 ฿74.1

106.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.06 ฿737

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$2.91 ฿97.3

136.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.01 ฿33.79

9.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$3.83 ฿128

460.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.49 ฿49.85

6.04%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$26.7K ฿891.6K

20.68%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$26.7K ฿892.7K

38.73%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$99.4 ฿3,321

102.21%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$11.28 ฿377

280.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$17.36 ฿580

182.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$52.3 ฿1,747

-4.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

$10.85 ฿362

-20.74%

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$7.57 ฿253

83.75%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$558 ฿18.7K

36.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$11.5K ฿383.9K

-19.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$62.9 ฿2,102

70.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$28.58 ฿955

126.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$96.1 ฿3,213

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$88.1 ฿2,943

182.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$729 ฿24.4K

2.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$460 ฿15.4K

68.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$2,096 ฿70.0K

-28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,222 ฿40.8K

11.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$3,459 ฿115.6K

33.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$2,489 ฿83.2K

40.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$493 ฿16.5K

440.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.57

-43.81%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Phuket: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Phuket

$460 38.1% 40.5% $313

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Phuket

$268 22.2% 58.7% $381

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Phuket

$121 10.1% 63.8% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Phuket

$128 10.6% 56.3% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Phuket

$124 10.3% 46.8% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Phuket

$67 5.6% 13.3% $10

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Phuket

$39 3.2% 26.4% $8.1

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 $729 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 440% 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 $32.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $268 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇹🇭 Phuket

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

4 h behind Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

79,308

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to XPF – CFP Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 CFP Franc (Fr)

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Noumea Phuket 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Phuket

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 440% 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 $729 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $558 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,207 in Phuket versus $2,391 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 98% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.