Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,391 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North and in Noumea actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,391 in Noumea.

Palmerston North $1,562
Noumea $2,391

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $3,791 in Noumea.

Palmerston North $2,537
Noumea $3,791

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $5,191 in Noumea.

Palmerston North $3,511
Noumea $5,191

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 35% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 16% above, Noumea 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$20.61 CFPF 2,180

-34.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$111 CFPF 11.8K

-42.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$14.29 CFPF 1,512

-38.42%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$4.50 CFPF 477

-30.44%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$1.92 CFPF 203

22.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$1.27 CFPF 135

32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$9.28 CFPF 982

-30.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$7.04 CFPF 745

-7.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.22 CFPF 129

50.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$3.50 CFPF 370

-38.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$2.20 CFPF 233

-37.73%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$6.02 CFPF 637

-19.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$29.56 CFPF 3,128

-78.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$28.42 CFPF 3,007

-66.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$28.43 CFPF 3,007

-62.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$4.70 CFPF 497

-45.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$7.18 CFPF 759

-68.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$6.04 CFPF 639

-61.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$8.19 CFPF 866

-32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$5.41 CFPF 572

-73.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$3.63 CFPF 384

-76.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$4.07 CFPF 430

-57.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$1.50 CFPF 158

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$19.12 CFPF 2,023

15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$16.93 CFPF 1,792

-53.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$5.80 CFPF 614

-54.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$4.59 CFPF 486

-14.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$6.87 CFPF 726

-72.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.11 CFPF 117

60.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$21.45 CFPF 2,269

-22.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$1.58 CFPF 167

3.80%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$32.2K CFPF 3.4M

-33.02%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$37.1K CFPF 3.9M

-35.44%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$201 CFPF 21.3K

-66.05%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$42.95 CFPF 4,544

-25.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$49.00 CFPF 5,185

-29.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$49.91 CFPF 5,280

-56.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$8.60 CFPF 910

63.72%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$13.91 CFPF 1,472

-16.61%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$762 CFPF 80.6K

35.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$9,253 CFPF 978.9K

-7.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$107 CFPF 11.4K

-35.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$64.7 CFPF 6,844

-57.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$96.9 CFPF 10.3K

-14.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$249 CFPF 26.3K

-66.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$751 CFPF 79.4K

20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$773 CFPF 81.8K

-17.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$1,494 CFPF 158.1K

6.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$1,359 CFPF 143.7K

-3.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$4,622 CFPF 489.0K

-56.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$3,488 CFPF 369.1K

-47.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$2,663 CFPF 281.7K

-6.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.13

72.20%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: October 12, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Noumea

$773 32.3% 21.1% $135

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Noumea

$648 * 27.1% 129% $365

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Noumea

$335 14% 43.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Noumea

$293 12.3% 117% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Noumea

$233 9.7% 97% $115

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 71.7% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Noumea

$78 3.3% 72.7% $33

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 $906 in Palmerston North and $751 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 7% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $111 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $648 per month, with Palmerston North cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

2 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

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

Palmerston North Noumea 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

Palmerston North vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palmerston North is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Noumea. 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: $906 in Palmerston North versus $751 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,034 in Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $111 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,391 in Noumea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.