Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vava'u and Noumea

116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Vava'u

🇹🇴 Tonga

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 CFPF 12.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

Cappuccino

$4.68 CFPF 498

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

$2.01 CFPF 214

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CFPF 135

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CFPF 773

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CFPF 125

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 CFPF 381

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 487

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 849

Potato (1kg)

$5.55 CFPF 591

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 CFPF 411

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.04 CFPF 430

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

Wine (Bottle)

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.62 CFPF 491

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.96 CFPF 741

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CFPF 119

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 CFPF 174

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

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

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

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

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

$205 CFPF 21.8K

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

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.25 CFPF 878

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 CFPF 1,517

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

$759 CFPF 80.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$111 CFPF 11.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CFPF 10.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$247 CFPF 26.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 80.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,777 CFPF 508.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CFPF 367.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 CFPF 290.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

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

Last update for Vava'u: 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

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$761 31.9%

Groceries & Markets

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$646 * 27.1%

Eating Out

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$340 14.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$297 12.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$236 9.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$77 3.2%

Getting Around

Vava'u

–

Noumea

$31 * 1.3%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Good to know

🇹🇴 Vava'u

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

14:42 2:42 PM

2 h behind Vava'u

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

501

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

Tongan Paʻanga TOP T$

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 TOP = 0.421 USD

1 TOP = 0.375 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to TOP – Tongan Paʻanga Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇴 Tongan Paʻanga (T$)

Tongan Paʻanga exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.38 TOP (1 TOP = 0.421 USD). 1 EUR = 2.67 TOP (1 TOP = 0.375 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 = 8.38 EUR).

USD to TOP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vava'u Noumea 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Vava'u
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

Vava'u vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For families, Vava'u 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, Vava'u 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.

It comes down to priorities – Vava'u wins on affordability, Noumea on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.