Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Queenstown

For one person, living costs are similar in Noumea and in Queenstown: $2,410 and $2,380 a month, rent and utilities included.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Queenstown
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Queenstown Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Queenstown

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Queenstown

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Noumea versus $2,380 in Queenstown.

Noumea $2,410
Queenstown $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Noumea versus $3,738 in Queenstown.

Noumea $3,800
Queenstown $3,738

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,190 in Noumea versus $5,096 in Queenstown.

Noumea $5,190
Queenstown $5,096

Living in Noumea is roughly 1% more expensive than in Queenstown, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 80% above, Queenstown 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.86 CFPF 2,222

$14.19 NZ$25.28

47.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 CFPF 12.1K

$61.4 NZ$109

85.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,475

$9.19 NZ$16.38

50.71%

Cappuccino

$4.68 CFPF 499

$3.13 NZ$5.57

49.52%

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

$2.01 CFPF 214

$2.02 NZ$3.61

-0.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 136

$2.00 NZ$3.57

-36.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 CFPF 1,012

$6.80 NZ$12.11

39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CFPF 774

$6.26 NZ$11.16

15.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 125

$2.15 NZ$3.82

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CFPF 381

$1.94 NZ$3.46

84.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

$1.71 NZ$3.04

26.32%

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

$5.67 NZ$10.10

8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,218

$8.10 NZ$14.43

272.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,945

$9.89 NZ$17.62

179.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,002

$15.72 NZ$28.02

79.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 488

$2.87 NZ$5.11

59.58%

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

$2.25 NZ$4.01

224.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

$3.68 NZ$6.55

70.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 850

$5.27 NZ$9.38

51.42%

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 CFPF 591

$3.41 NZ$6.08

62.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CFPF 411

$1.84 NZ$3.28

109.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.04 CFPF 431

$2.35 NZ$4.18

71.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

$1.89 NZ$3.37

-20.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,072

$27.36 NZ$48.75

-28.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 CFPF 1,814

$8.90 NZ$15.85

91.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

$4.44 NZ$7.91

24.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 NZ$11.40

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CFPF 492

$1.44 NZ$2.56

220.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$119 NZ$212

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 CFPF 741

$2.59 NZ$4.61

168.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 119

$1.87 NZ$3.32

-40.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CFPF 2,286

$29.12 NZ$51.9

-26.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 CFPF 174

$1.72 NZ$3.06

-5.23%

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

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

$24.9K NZ$44.4K

30.51%

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

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

$23.2K NZ$41.4K

60.39%

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

$205 CFPF 21.8K

$112 NZ$199

82.91%

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

$44.24 CFPF 4,711

$28.02 NZ$49.93

57.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 CFPF 5,122

$51.5 NZ$91.8

-6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 CFPF 5,163

$54.3 NZ$96.8

-10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.25 CFPF 879

$26.80 NZ$47.75

-69.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 CFPF 1,518

$10.41 NZ$18.54

36.98%

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

$759 CFPF 80.8K

$973 NZ$1,734

-21.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,318 CFPF 992.3K

$7,592 NZ$13.5K

22.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.9K

$58.2 NZ$104

91.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 CFPF 6,918

$45.11 NZ$80.4

44.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CFPF 10.7K

$90.3 NZ$161

10.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$247 CFPF 26.3K

$136 NZ$242

81.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$1,512 NZ$2,693

-49.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$1,270 NZ$2,263

-40.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CFPF 161.9K

$2,853 NZ$5,084

-46.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CFPF 143.7K

$2,522 NZ$4,493

-46.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,777 CFPF 508.8K

$7,599 NZ$13.5K

-37.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CFPF 367.7K

$5,285 NZ$9,417

-34.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 CFPF 290.3K

$3,052 NZ$5,438

-10.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

6.12

-48.86%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Queenstown: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$761 31.9%

Queenstown

$1.3K 52.5% 66.9% $509

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$646 * 27.1%

Queenstown

$359 14.8% 44.4% $287

Eating Out

Noumea

$340 14.2%

Queenstown

$241 10% 29% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$297 12.4%

Queenstown

$191 7.9% 35.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$236 9.9%

Queenstown

$148 6.1% 37% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$77 3.2%

Queenstown

$75 3.1% 2.4% $1.8

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Queenstown

$137 5.7% 341% $106

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 $761 in Noumea and $1,512 in Queenstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queenstown pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $114 in Noumea vs $61.0 in Queenstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $359 per month, with Queenstown cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Queenstown

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

23:22 11:22 PM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

15,450

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.501 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.501 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Noumea Queenstown 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Queenstown

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 Queenstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queenstown is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Queenstown. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $761 in Noumea versus $1,512 in Queenstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $759 in Noumea versus $973 in Queenstown. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Queenstown – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $114 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,380 in Queenstown versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Queenstown but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Queenstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Queenstown 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 Queenstown 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 Queenstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.