Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seoul and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Seoul: $1,822 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Seoul
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Seoul Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

Jump to prices

Seoul

🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,822

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,410 in Noumea.

Seoul $1,822
Noumea $2,410

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,847 in Seoul versus $3,800 in Noumea.

Seoul $2,847
Noumea $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,872 in Seoul versus $5,190 in Noumea.

Seoul $3,872
Noumea $5,190

Living in Seoul costs roughly 24% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seoul 36% above, Noumea 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 ₩12.2K

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.0 ₩90.0K

$114 CFPF 12.1K

-41.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 ₩9,964

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

-46.43%

Cappuccino

$4.08 ₩5,482

$4.68 CFPF 498

-12.82%

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

$1.60 ₩2,146

$2.01 CFPF 214

-20.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 ₩1,081

$1.27 CFPF 135

-37.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₩4,898

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

-61.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 ₩7,974

$7.26 CFPF 773

-18.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₩2,748

$1.17 CFPF 125

75.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.08 ₩4,139

$3.58 CFPF 381

-13.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.21 ₩5,659

$2.16 CFPF 230

94.91%

Eggs

$3.57 ₩4,795

$6.13 CFPF 653

-41.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.95 ₩24.1K

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

-40.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 ₩14.3K

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

-61.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.44 ₩35.5K

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

-6.21%

Apples (1kg)

$7.42 ₩9,969

$4.58 CFPF 487

62.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.53 ₩4,743

$7.29 CFPF 776

-51.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,884

$6.27 CFPF 668

-6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 ₩8,554

$7.98 CFPF 849

-20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 ₩5,040

$5.55 CFPF 591

-32.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 ₩3,345

$3.86 CFPF 411

-35.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 ₩3,920

$4.04 CFPF 430

-27.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,545

$1.50 CFPF 160

-23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 ₩4,418

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

-83.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.49 ₩24.8K

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

8.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₩3,064

$5.54 CFPF 590

-58.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 ₩4,408

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.14 ₩1,529

$4.62 CFPF 491

-75.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.47 ₩61.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 ₩4,674

$6.96 CFPF 741

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 ₩805

$1.11 CFPF 119

-45.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.70 ₩11.7K

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

-59.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₩2,008

$1.63 CFPF 174

-7.98%

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

$29.1K ₩39.1M

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

-10.46%

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

$28.2K ₩37.9M

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

-24.37%

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

$209 ₩280.5K

$205 CFPF 21.8K

2.11%

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

$35.13 ₩47.2K

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

-20.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 ₩28.4K

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

-55.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.3 ₩77.0K

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

18.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 ₩21.3K

$8.25 CFPF 878

92.61%

Cinema Ticket

$11.33 ₩15.2K

$14.26 CFPF 1,517

-20.55%

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

$1,902 ₩2.6M

$759 CFPF 80.8K

150.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K ₩30.2M

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

141.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩79.1K

$111 CFPF 11.9K

-47.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.12 ₩43.1K

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

-50.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ₩94.2K

$100 CFPF 10.7K

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 ₩110.8K

$247 CFPF 26.3K

-66.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₩1.2M

$761 CFPF 80.9K

16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 ₩837.5K

$761 CFPF 81.0K

-18.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 ₩3.3M

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

64.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 ₩1.7M

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

-5.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$29.8K ₩40.1M

$4,777 CFPF 508.3K

524.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K ₩15.9M

$3,453 CFPF 367.4K

243.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 ₩4.9M

$2,726 CFPF 290.1K

33.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.08

3.13

30.35%

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

Last update for Seoul: October 4, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seoul

$624 34.7%

Noumea

$761 31.9% 22% $137

Groceries & Markets

Seoul

$479 26.7%

Noumea

$646 * 27.1% 34.9% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seoul

$265 14.8%

Noumea

$297 12.4% 12% $32

Eating Out

Seoul

$184 10.2%

Noumea

$340 14.2% 84.9% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Seoul

$110 6.1%

Noumea

$236 9.9% 115% $126

Sport & Entertainment

Seoul

$80 4.5%

Noumea

$77 3.2% 3.8% $3

Getting Around

Seoul

$57 3.1%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 45.1% $26

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 $885 in Seoul and $761 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seoul pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Seoul vs $114 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $479 vs $646 per month, with Seoul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇷 Seoul

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

21:15 9:15 PM

2 h ahead of Seoul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,509,458 Capital

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,343 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,505 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.64 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 106 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.39 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

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Seoul Noumea 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

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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

Seoul vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seoul is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Seoul, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $885 in Seoul versus $761 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Seoul versus $759 in Noumea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seoul – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $114 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,822 in Seoul versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Seoul but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Seoul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Seoul 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, Seoul 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 Seoul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.