Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Rolleston

For one person, living is cheaper in Rolleston: $1,142 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Rolleston
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Rolleston Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Rolleston

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Rolleston

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,142 in Rolleston.

Noumea $2,391
Rolleston $1,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,160 in Rolleston.

Noumea $3,791
Rolleston $2,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $3,178 in Rolleston.

Noumea $5,191
Rolleston $3,178

Living in Noumea is roughly 109% more expensive than in Rolleston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 77% above, Rolleston is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$14.22 NZ$25.14

44.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$68.1 NZ$120

63.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.79 NZ$15.54

62.57%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.28 NZ$5.81

37.20%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.13 NZ$3.77

-9.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.76 NZ$3.12

-27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$6.62 NZ$11.70

40.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$6.18 NZ$10.93

13.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.65 NZ$2.92

-26.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$1.81 NZ$3.19

93.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.50 NZ$2.66

46.67%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$5.66 NZ$10.02

6.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$7.09 NZ$12.53

316.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$9.38 NZ$16.58

202.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$13.71 NZ$24.25

107.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.57 NZ$4.55

82.88%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.32 NZ$4.11

209.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$2.73 NZ$4.82

121.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$5.10 NZ$9.01

60.59%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$1.79 NZ$3.16

202.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.45 NZ$2.57

150.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$2.29 NZ$4.05

77.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$0.59 NZ$1.05

154.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$23.39 NZ$41.36

-18.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$8.16 NZ$14.43

107.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$3.33 NZ$5.89

74.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.83

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$1.14 NZ$2.02

302.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$2.44 NZ$4.32

181.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.71 NZ$3.02

-35.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$27.51 NZ$48.65

-22.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.74 NZ$3.07

-9.20%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$24.8K NZ$43.8K

29.89%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$24.0K NZ$42.5K

54.37%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$108 NZ$191

85.92%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$22.38 NZ$39.58

91.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$45.15 NZ$79.9

8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$10.08 NZ$17.82

38.00%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$341 NZ$602

123.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$6,755 NZ$11.9K

36.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$57.5 NZ$102

86.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$35.21 NZ$62.3

83.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$89.5 NZ$158

8.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$122 NZ$215

104.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$278 NZ$491

170.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$254 NZ$449

204.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,025 NZ$1,813

45.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,082 NZ$1,914

25.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$2,022 NZ$3,576

128.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$1,805 NZ$3,192

93.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

$4,358 NZ$7,707

-38.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.91

-47.04%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rolleston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Rolleston

$254 22.2% 67.2% $519

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Rolleston

$300 26.3% 53.8% $349

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Rolleston

$241 21.1% 28.2% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Rolleston

$176 15.4% 40% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Rolleston

$137 12% 41.3% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Rolleston

$20 * 1.8% 74.1% $58

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Rolleston

$16 * 1.4% 49.4% $15

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 $278 in Rolleston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rolleston pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $111 in Noumea vs $68.0 in Rolleston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $300 per month, with Rolleston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Rolleston

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

20:20 8:20 PM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

28,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Rolleston 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Rolleston

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 Rolleston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rolleston is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Rolleston. 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: $751 in Noumea versus $278 in Rolleston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $341 in Rolleston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rolleston – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,142 in Rolleston versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rolleston but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Rolleston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rolleston 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 Rolleston 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 Rolleston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.