Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Thames

For one person, living is cheaper in Thames: $1,966 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. The total is higher in Noumea despite lower rent and utilities.

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Thames
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Thames Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Thames

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Thames

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,391 in Noumea versus $1,966 in Thames.

Noumea $2,391
Thames $1,966

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,791 in Noumea versus $2,999 in Thames.

Noumea $3,791
Thames $2,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,191 in Noumea versus $4,032 in Thames.

Noumea $5,191
Thames $4,032

Living in Noumea is roughly 22% more expensive than in Thames, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noumea 77% above, Thames 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

$13.93 NZ$24.63

47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 CFPF 11.8K

$68.4 NZ$121

62.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

$8.89 NZ$15.72

60.74%

Cappuccino

$4.50 CFPF 477

$3.42 NZ$6.06

31.58%

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

$1.92 CFPF 203

$2.02 NZ$3.57

-4.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

$1.74 NZ$3.08

-27.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 CFPF 982

$6.88 NZ$12.16

34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 CFPF 745

$6.73 NZ$11.90

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CFPF 129

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-34.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 CFPF 370

$2.22 NZ$3.93

57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 CFPF 233

$1.79 NZ$3.16

22.91%

Eggs

$6.02 CFPF 637

$6.20 NZ$10.97

-2.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

$8.79 NZ$15.55

236.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

$9.68 NZ$17.11

193.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

$16.82 NZ$29.74

69.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 CFPF 497

$2.80 NZ$4.95

67.86%

Banana (1kg)

$7.18 CFPF 759

$2.16 NZ$3.82

232.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.04 CFPF 639

$2.91 NZ$5.14

107.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.19 CFPF 866

$5.75 NZ$10.17

42.43%

Potato (1kg)

$5.41 CFPF 572

$2.13 NZ$3.77

153.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 CFPF 384

$1.52 NZ$2.69

138.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.07 CFPF 430

$1.98 NZ$3.50

105.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 158

$1.04 NZ$1.84

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

$26.57 NZ$46.99

-28.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

$10.25 NZ$18.12

65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.80 CFPF 614

$2.84 NZ$5.02

104.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 NZ$5.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CFPF 486

$1.45 NZ$2.56

216.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.4 NZ$133

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 CFPF 726

$2.30 NZ$4.06

198.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 117

$1.92 NZ$3.40

-42.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

$32.20 NZ$56.9

-33.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 CFPF 167

$1.87 NZ$3.31

-15.51%

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

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

$25.1K NZ$44.5K

28.03%

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

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

$21.7K NZ$38.4K

70.84%

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

$201 CFPF 21.3K

$183 NZ$324

9.52%

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

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

$26.20 NZ$46.33

63.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

$50.7 NZ$89.6

-3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

$41.84 NZ$74.0

19.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

$13.10 NZ$23.17

6.18%

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

$762 CFPF 80.6K

$1,135 NZ$2,007

-32.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

$19.2K NZ$34.0K

-51.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CFPF 11.4K

$79.2 NZ$140

35.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

$39.93 NZ$70.6

61.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

$92.3 NZ$163

5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$249 CFPF 26.3K

$111 NZ$197

123.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$751 CFPF 79.4K

$930 NZ$1,645

-19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 CFPF 81.8K

$821 NZ$1,451

-5.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

$1,484 NZ$2,624

0.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

$1,486 NZ$2,629

-8.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

$4,552 NZ$8,050

1.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

$3,773 NZ$6,673

-7.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

5.37

-41.71%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Last update for Thames: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$773 32.3%

Thames

$821 41.7% 6.1% $47

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$648 * 27.1%

Thames

$337 17.1% 48.1% $312

Eating Out

Noumea

$335 14%

Thames

$242 12.3% 27.8% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$293 12.3%

Thames

$260 13.2% 11.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$233 9.7%

Thames

$145 7.4% 37.6% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$78 3.3%

Thames

$68 3.5% 12.5% $9.7

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Thames

$93 4.7% 203% $62

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 $930 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $111 in Noumea vs $68.0 in Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $648 vs $337 per month, with Thames cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇿 Thames

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

07:52 7:52 AM

2 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

7,500

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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 Thames 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Thames

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 Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thames is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,587 in Noumea and $2,949 in Thames to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $751 in Noumea versus $930 in Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $762 in Noumea versus $1,135 in Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thames – 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 $1,966 in Thames versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thames but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Thames the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thames 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 Thames 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 Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.