Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noumea and Yaren

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaren: $531 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Yaren
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Yaren Living Index

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Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Yaren

🇳🇷 Nauru

$531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Noumea and in Yaren

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Noumea versus $531 in Yaren.

Noumea $2,410
Yaren $531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Noumea versus $2,918 in Yaren.

Noumea $3,800
Yaren $2,918

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,190 in Noumea versus $5,305 in Yaren.

Noumea $5,190
Yaren $5,305

Living in Noumea is roughly 354% more expensive than in Yaren, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Noumea is 80% above, Yaren is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.86 CFPF 2,222

$10.72 A$15.34

94.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 CFPF 12.1K

$24.65 A$35.28

361.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,475

Cappuccino

$4.68 CFPF 499

$3.52 A$5.04

32.95%

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

$2.01 CFPF 214

$1.03 A$1.47

95.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 136

$1.07 A$1.54

18.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 CFPF 1,012

$7.08 A$10.13

34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CFPF 774

$5.00 A$7.15

45.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 125

$3.10 A$4.44

-62.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CFPF 381

$1.74 A$2.49

105.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,945

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,002

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 488

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 850

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 CFPF 591

$3.41 A$4.88

62.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CFPF 411

$3.45 A$4.94

11.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.04 CFPF 431

$3.52 A$5.04

14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,072

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 CFPF 1,814

$17.72 A$25.36

-3.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CFPF 492

$1.43 A$2.04

223.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 A$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 CFPF 741

$7.01 A$10.03

-0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 119

$3.55 A$5.08

-68.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CFPF 2,286

$42.35 A$60.6

-49.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 CFPF 174

$1.70 A$2.43

-4.12%

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

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

$34.8K A$49.7K

-6.44%

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

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

$10.4K A$14.9K

257.83%

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

$205 CFPF 21.8K

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

$44.24 CFPF 4,711

$7.00 A$10.01

532.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 CFPF 5,122

$27.63 A$39.54

74.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 CFPF 5,163

$0.01 A$0.02

484700.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.25 CFPF 879

$13.90 A$19.90

-40.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 CFPF 1,518

$7.17 A$10.26

98.88%

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

$759 CFPF 80.8K

$347 A$497

118.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,318 CFPF 992.3K

$10.6K A$15.1K

-11.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.9K

$14.17 A$20.28

686.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 CFPF 6,918

$10.66 A$15.25

509.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CFPF 10.7K

$34.98 A$50.1

186.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$247 CFPF 26.3K

$69.6 A$99.6

254.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

$2,828 A$4,047

-73.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CFPF 161.9K

$5,101 A$7,300

-70.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CFPF 143.7K

$4,267 A$6,107

-68.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,777 CFPF 508.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CFPF 367.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 CFPF 290.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

-21.75%

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

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Last update for Yaren: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Noumea

$761 31.9%

Yaren

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Noumea

$646 * 27.1%

Yaren

$115 * 22.1% 82.2% $531

Eating Out

Noumea

$340 14.2%

Yaren

$182 * 34.8% 46.5% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noumea

$297 12.4%

Yaren

$35 * 6.6% 88.3% $262

Clothing & Footwear

Noumea

$236 9.9%

Yaren

$58 11.2% 75.3% $177

Sport & Entertainment

Noumea

$77 3.2%

Yaren

$14 2.8% 81.4% $63

Getting Around

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Yaren

$118 22.6% 280% $87

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 $2,828 in Yaren. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $114 in Noumea vs $25.00 in Yaren for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $115 per month, with Yaren cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇨 Noumea

🇳🇷 Yaren

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

1 h ahead of Noumea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,386 Capital

1,100 Capital

💱 Currency

CFP Franc XPF Fr

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

USD to XPF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Noumea Yaren 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Noumea
Yaren

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 Yaren: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaren is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 354% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,614 in Noumea and $796 in Yaren 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: $761 in Noumea versus $2,828 in Yaren. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $759 in Noumea versus $347 in Yaren. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Yaren – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $114 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Yaren versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaren but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Yaren the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yaren 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 Yaren 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 Yaren gentler on the wallet – expenses run 354% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.