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: $2,643 in United States versus $943 in New Caledonia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,857 in United States versus $1,462 in New Caledonia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,070 in United States versus $1,981 in New Caledonia.

Living in United States is roughly 180% more expensive than New Caledonia on average.

United States (97% above) and New Caledonia (30% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$14.73 CFPF 1,509

36.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 $76.0

$97.2 CFPF 9,965

-21.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 $11.42

$14.46 CFPF 1,482

-21.02%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$5.82 CFPF 596

-7.39%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$2.40 CFPF 246

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.11 CFPF 114

83.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$11.21 CFPF 1,149

-45.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$7.41 CFPF 760

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.24 CFPF 127

-16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.08 CFPF 316

18.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.92 CFPF 197

146.35%

Eggs

$4.38 $4.38

$5.72 CFPF 587

-23.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$19.00 CFPF 1,947

-32.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$22.36 CFPF 2,291

-44.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.41 $16.41

$25.54 CFPF 2,618

-35.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.21 CFPF 431

28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$7.19 CFPF 737

-77.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$6.84 CFPF 701

-32.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$7.37 CFPF 755

-33.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.89 CFPF 398

-24.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.25 CFPF 333

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.99 CFPF 306

-24.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.52 CFPF 156

51.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$19.29 CFPF 1,977

-48.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$15.34 CFPF 1,572

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$5.41 CFPF 554

-64.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$5.99 CFPF 614

-38.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.93 CFPF 301

-15.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 $64.8

$62.2 CFPF 6,377

4.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.84 $3.84

$5.36 CFPF 549

-28.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.01 CFPF 103

74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.58 $30.58

$25.33 CFPF 2,596

20.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.69 CFPF 173

-43.20%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$34.2K CFPF 3.5M

-10.83%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$39.3K CFPF 4.0M

-32.95%

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

$204 $204

$203 CFPF 20.8K

0.61%

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

$57.3 $57.3

$40.52 CFPF 4,153

41.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$56.8 CFPF 5,820

25.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.67 $46.67

$61.3 CFPF 6,283

-23.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.12 $22.12

$7.89 CFPF 809

180.35%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 $13.84

$12.90 CFPF 1,322

7.29%

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

$1,384 $1,384

$786 CFPF 80.6K

75.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K $22.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$111 CFPF 11.3K

-52.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 $43.17

$57.1 CFPF 5,857

-24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 $90.6

$92.9 CFPF 9,517

-2.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$243 CFPF 24.9K

-52.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$762 CFPF 78.1K

131.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$785 CFPF 80.5K

85.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,832 $2,832

$1,615 CFPF 165.6K

75.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 $2,411

$1,314 CFPF 134.7K

83.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$4,845 CFPF 496.6K

-32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,650 $2,650

$3,596 CFPF 368.6K

-26.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,379 $4,379

$2,822 CFPF 289.2K

55.18%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for New Caledonia: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,637 in United States, $458 in New Caledonia. Capital cities: $2,591 in Washington, DC vs $785 in Noumea.

National salary averages: $4,500 in United States, $2,889 in New Caledonia. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 257% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 43% more in United States.

Public transport is 19% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 56% higher in United States, giving New Caledonia stronger purchasing power.

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 $1,181 per month in New Caledonia and $3,212 in United States, there's a 172% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

New Caledonia is simply cheaper day-to-day: 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 beats 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 works in regional areas but 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.