Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paihia and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Paihia: $1,878 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Paihia
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Paihia Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

Jump to prices

Paihia

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,878

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Paihia and in Noumea

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Paihia and in Noumea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,878 in Paihia versus $2,391 in Noumea.

Paihia $1,878
Noumea $2,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,919 in Paihia versus $3,791 in Noumea.

Paihia $2,919
Noumea $3,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,960 in Paihia versus $5,191 in Noumea.

Paihia $3,960
Noumea $5,191

Living in Paihia costs roughly 21% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paihia 39% above, Noumea 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.79 NZ$24.39

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

-33.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 NZ$58.8

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-70.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 NZ$14.77

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

-41.57%

Cappuccino

$3.31 NZ$5.86

$4.50 CFPF 477

-26.44%

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

$1.92 NZ$3.40

$1.92 CFPF 203

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$1.27 CFPF 135

41.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.81

$9.28 CFPF 982

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.63 NZ$11.72

$7.04 CFPF 745

-5.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 NZ$3.29

$1.22 CFPF 129

52.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 NZ$3.96

$3.50 CFPF 370

-36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.34

$2.20 CFPF 233

-14.09%

Eggs

$6.39 NZ$11.29

$6.02 CFPF 637

6.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.42 NZ$14.89

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

-71.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 NZ$17.13

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

-65.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 NZ$30.63

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

-39.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 NZ$5.00

$4.70 CFPF 497

-39.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.74

$7.18 CFPF 759

-70.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NZ$5.33

$6.04 CFPF 639

-50.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 NZ$10.05

$8.19 CFPF 866

-30.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.67

$5.41 CFPF 572

-61.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 NZ$2.70

$3.63 CFPF 384

-57.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.52

$4.07 CFPF 430

-51.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 NZ$1.83

$1.50 CFPF 158

-30.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$27.24 NZ$48.17

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

42.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 NZ$18.37

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

-38.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 NZ$4.82

$5.80 CFPF 614

-52.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 NZ$5.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$4.59 CFPF 486

-65.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 NZ$145

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$6.87 CFPF 726

-75.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NZ$3.54

$1.11 CFPF 117

80.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.30 NZ$55.4

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

45.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$1.58 CFPF 167

18.35%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

-20.64%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

-39.62%

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

$184 NZ$325

$201 CFPF 21.3K

-8.68%

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

$26.10 NZ$46.16

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

-39.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 NZ$89.4

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.25 NZ$58.8

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

-33.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 CFPF 910

Cinema Ticket

$12.74 NZ$22.53

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

-8.41%

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

$1,097 NZ$1,939

$762 CFPF 80.6K

43.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K NZ$34.3K

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

109.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 NZ$138

$107 CFPF 11.4K

-27.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.32 NZ$69.5

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

-39.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

-6.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 NZ$192

$249 CFPF 26.3K

-56.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 NZ$1,660

$751 CFPF 79.4K

25.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$742 NZ$1,311

$773 CFPF 81.8K

-4.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 NZ$3,187

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

20.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 NZ$2,843

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

18.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,161 NZ$7,359

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

-9.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,605 NZ$6,376

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

3.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

3.13

71.57%

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

Last update for Paihia: October 13, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paihia

$742 39.5%

Noumea

$773 32.3% 4.3% $32

Groceries & Markets

Paihia

$338 18%

Noumea

$648 * 27.1% 92% $311

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paihia

$260 13.9%

Noumea

$293 12.3% 12.6% $33

Eating Out

Paihia

$237 12.6%

Noumea

$335 14% 41.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Paihia

$143 7.6%

Noumea

$233 9.7% 63.5% $90

Getting Around

Paihia

$100 5.3%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 69.3% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Paihia

$59 3.1%

Noumea

$78 3.3% 32.4% $19

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 $939 in Paihia and $751 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Paihia vs $111 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $648 per month, with Paihia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Paihia

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

10:07 10:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

2 h behind Paihia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.45 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Paihia Noumea 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Paihia
Noumea

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

Paihia vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paihia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,816 in Paihia and $3,587 in Noumea 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: $939 in Paihia versus $751 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,097 in Paihia versus $762 in Noumea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Paihia – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,878 in Paihia versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Paihia but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Paihia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Paihia 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, Paihia and Noumea 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 Paihia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.