Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Noumea Cost of Living Comparison Between Phuket and Noumea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,508 in Noumea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,054 in Phuket versus $3,888 in Noumea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Phuket versus $5,268 in Noumea.

Living in Phuket costs roughly 51% less than in Noumea, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Phuket is 10% below, Noumea is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.41 ฿147

$21.61 CFPF 2,228

-79.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.26 ฿1,077

$116 CFPF 11.9K

-72.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 ฿298

$14.80 CFPF 1,526

-39.66%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ฿96.6

$4.69 CFPF 484

-38.17%

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

$0.88 ฿29.38

$1.98 CFPF 204

-55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ฿16.06

$1.26 CFPF 130

-61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 ฿78.5

$9.57 CFPF 987

-75.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿124

$7.72 CFPF 796

-51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 ฿62.3

$1.21 CFPF 125

54.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 ฿48.94

$3.61 CFPF 373

-59.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 ฿51.8

$2.23 CFPF 230

-30.49%

Eggs

$2.10 ฿70.1

$6.38 CFPF 657

-67.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.59 ฿654

$30.21 CFPF 3,114

-35.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.42 ฿114

$29.56 CFPF 3,048

-88.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.38 ฿380

$29.16 CFPF 3,006

-60.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 ฿99.6

$4.86 CFPF 501

-38.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ฿56.2

$7.35 CFPF 758

-77.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ฿73.7

$6.14 CFPF 633

-64.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 ฿72.1

$8.41 CFPF 867

-74.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.9

$5.65 CFPF 582

-73.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 ฿44.67

$3.96 CFPF 409

-66.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ฿37.67

$4.27 CFPF 440

-73.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 ฿18.24

$1.54 CFPF 159

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 ฿142

$20.52 CFPF 2,116

-79.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.09 ฿637

$17.67 CFPF 1,822

8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿59.4

$5.73 CFPF 590

-68.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 ฿92.9

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 ฿74.4

$4.93 CFPF 508

-54.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.74 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 ฿101

$7.05 CFPF 727

-57.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ฿34.15

$1.15 CFPF 118

-11.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 ฿130

$21.49 CFPF 2,216

-81.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ฿49.77

$1.63 CFPF 168

-8.59%

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

$26.6K ฿887.3K

$33.7K CFPF 3.5M

-21.10%

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

$27.0K ฿902.2K

$38.4K CFPF 4.0M

-29.56%

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

$102 ฿3,420

$203 CFPF 20.9K

-49.47%

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

$11.33 ฿378

$44.20 CFPF 4,557

-74.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.40 ฿581

$51.0 CFPF 5,254

-65.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 ฿1,738

$51.7 CFPF 5,328

0.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 ฿370

$8.59 CFPF 886

28.87%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 ฿257

$14.80 CFPF 1,526

-48.04%

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

$561 ฿18.7K

$782 CFPF 80.6K

-28.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K ฿384.1K

$9,819 CFPF 1.0M

17.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 ฿2,104

$112 CFPF 11.5K

-43.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 ฿986

$67.2 CFPF 6,926

-56.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 ฿3,272

$103 CFPF 10.6K

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 ฿2,954

$255 CFPF 26.3K

-65.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$738 ฿24.6K

$769 CFPF 79.3K

-4.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 ฿16.1K

$799 CFPF 82.3K

-39.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 ฿70.3K

$1,600 CFPF 165.0K

31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 ฿40.9K

$1,380 CFPF 142.3K

-11.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,617 ฿120.7K

$4,898 CFPF 505.0K

-26.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,603 ฿86.9K

$3,528 CFPF 363.8K

-26.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$494 ฿16.5K

$2,765 CFPF 285.1K

-82.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

3.13

77.96%

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

Last update for Phuket: September 15, 2026

Last update for Noumea: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $738 in Phuket and $769 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Noumea pays 460% 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: $32.00 in Phuket vs $116 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $668 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

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

Phuket vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 460% 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: $738 in Phuket versus $769 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $561 in Phuket versus $782 in Noumea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Phuket – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $116 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,232 in Phuket versus $2,508 in Noumea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket 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, Phuket 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.