Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and New Caledonia Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and New Caledonia

Name: New Caledonia
Address: NC

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,642 in United States versus $950 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,466 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in United States versus $1,982 in New Caledonia.

Living in United States is roughly 178% more expensive than in New Caledonia on average.

United States (98% above) and New Caledonia (29% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$14.42 CFPF 1,501

36.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$96.3 CFPF 10.0K

-21.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.57 $11.57

$14.50 CFPF 1,509

-20.21%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$5.87 CFPF 611

-11.07%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.49 CFPF 259

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.06 CFPF 111

94.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$11.02 CFPF 1,147

-46.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$7.63 CFPF 793

-6.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.17 CFPF 122

-6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.09 CFPF 321

15.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.90 CFPF 198

149.47%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$5.53 CFPF 576

-21.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$19.07 CFPF 1,985

-33.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$22.43 CFPF 2,334

-45.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$26.35 CFPF 2,741

-37.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$4.20 CFPF 437

22.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$7.33 CFPF 763

-76.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$6.68 CFPF 695

-33.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$7.37 CFPF 767

-34.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.73 CFPF 388

-21.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.30 CFPF 343

-6.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.88 CFPF 299

-22.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.53 CFPF 160

47.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$19.61 CFPF 2,041

-49.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$15.02 CFPF 1,563

1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$5.19 CFPF 540

-63.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 $3.58

$6.08 CFPF 632

-41.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.89 CFPF 301

-14.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$63.4 CFPF 6,598

1.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$5.40 CFPF 562

-30.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.00 CFPF 104

71.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.08 $30.08

$25.07 CFPF 2,608

19.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.69 CFPF 176

-43.20%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$34.0K CFPF 3.5M

-12.06%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$40.2K CFPF 4.2M

-35.01%

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

$210 $210

$206 CFPF 21.5K

1.82%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$40.45 CFPF 4,208

39.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$58.2 CFPF 6,054

25.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 $45.39

$61.1 CFPF 6,352

-25.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.60 $21.60

$7.55 CFPF 785

186.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.04 $14.04

$12.80 CFPF 1,331

9.69%

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

$1,377 $1,377

$793 CFPF 82.5K

73.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$111 CFPF 11.6K

-52.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.41 $42.41

$57.7 CFPF 6,005

-26.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$92.7 CFPF 9,645

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$243 CFPF 25.2K

-53.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$752 CFPF 78.2K

134.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 $1,462

$777 CFPF 80.9K

88.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,849 $2,849

$1,576 CFPF 163.9K

80.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,369 $2,369

$1,359 CFPF 141.4K

74.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,364 $3,364

$4,769 CFPF 496.2K

-29.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$3,528 CFPF 367.1K

-24.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,378 $4,378

$2,756 CFPF 286.8K

58.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

2.33

179.40%

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

Last update for United States: July 12, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,635 in United States, $459 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $1,625 in Washington, MI vs $805 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $2,814 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 256% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 46% more in United States.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 60% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in New Caledonia.

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

United States vs New Caledonia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,195 per month in New Caledonia and $3,259 in United States, there's a 173% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in New Caledonia: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in New Caledonia across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In New Caledonia, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: New Caledonia wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.