Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Noumea

For one person, living costs are similar in Wellington and in Noumea: $2,342 and $2,410 a month, rent and utilities included.

114

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,342

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,342 in Wellington versus $2,410 in Noumea.

Wellington $2,342
Noumea $2,410

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,316 in Wellington versus $3,800 in Noumea.

Wellington $3,316
Noumea $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,291 in Wellington versus $5,190 in Noumea.

Wellington $4,291
Noumea $5,190

Living in Wellington costs roughly 3% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 75% above, Noumea 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.89 NZ$24.77

$20.86 CFPF 2,220

-33.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 NZ$114

$114 CFPF 12.1K

-43.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 NZ$15.97

$13.85 CFPF 1,474

-35.38%

Cappuccino

$3.29 NZ$5.86

$4.68 CFPF 498

-29.70%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.20

$2.01 CFPF 214

16.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 NZ$2.98

$1.27 CFPF 135

31.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.24 NZ$12.91

$9.50 CFPF 1,011

-23.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.75 NZ$12.04

$7.26 CFPF 773

-7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 NZ$3.38

$1.17 CFPF 125

62.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 NZ$3.83

$3.58 CFPF 381

-39.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$2.16 CFPF 230

-15.74%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$12.00

$6.13 CFPF 653

9.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 NZ$16.15

$30.21 CFPF 3,215

-70.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 NZ$17.02

$27.65 CFPF 2,942

-65.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 NZ$27.29

$28.19 CFPF 3,000

-45.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 NZ$5.64

$4.58 CFPF 487

-31.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.98

$7.29 CFPF 776

-69.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.29

$6.27 CFPF 668

-52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.33 NZ$11.28

$7.98 CFPF 849

-20.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.67

$5.55 CFPF 591

-62.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$3.86 CFPF 411

-67.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 NZ$3.55

$4.04 CFPF 430

-50.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 NZ$2.13

$1.50 CFPF 160

-20.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.37 NZ$45.25

$19.46 CFPF 2,070

30.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.37 NZ$20.28

$17.03 CFPF 1,812

-33.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 NZ$5.66

$5.54 CFPF 590

-42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 NZ$4.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.89

$4.62 CFPF 491

-40.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 NZ$182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 NZ$3.24

$6.96 CFPF 741

-73.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.17

$1.11 CFPF 119

59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.17 NZ$59.2

$21.46 CFPF 2,284

54.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.27

$1.63 CFPF 174

12.27%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.7K

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

-21.18%

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

$25.4K NZ$45.3K

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

-31.81%

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

$199 NZ$354

$205 CFPF 21.8K

-2.84%

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

$32.79 NZ$58.5

$44.24 CFPF 4,707

-25.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.5 NZ$95.4

$48.09 CFPF 5,117

11.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.58 NZ$68.8

$48.48 CFPF 5,158

-20.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.40 NZ$29.25

$8.25 CFPF 878

98.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.14 NZ$21.66

$14.26 CFPF 1,517

-14.87%

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

$1,036 NZ$1,849

$759 CFPF 80.8K

36.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.9K

$9,318 CFPF 991.4K

38.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 NZ$140

$111 CFPF 11.9K

-29.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 NZ$50.4

$65.0 CFPF 6,912

-56.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NZ$184

$100 CFPF 10.7K

3.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 NZ$276

$247 CFPF 26.3K

-37.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 NZ$2,190

$761 CFPF 80.9K

61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 NZ$2,032

$761 CFPF 81.0K

49.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 NZ$3,873

$1,520 CFPF 161.7K

42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,670 NZ$2,978

$1,349 CFPF 143.6K

23.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,719 NZ$12.0K

$4,777 CFPF 508.3K

40.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,505 NZ$6,252

$3,453 CFPF 367.4K

1.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,818 NZ$5,027

$2,726 CFPF 290.1K

3.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

3.13

72.20%

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

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wellington

$1.1K 48.3%

Noumea

$761 31.9% 33.2% $379

Groceries & Markets

Wellington

$343 14.5%

Noumea

$646 * 27.1% 88.3% $303

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wellington

$285 12.1%

Noumea

$297 12.4% 4.2% $12

Eating Out

Wellington

$243 10.3%

Noumea

$340 14.2% 39.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Wellington

$164 7%

Noumea

$236 9.9% 43.5% $71

Getting Around

Wellington

$124 5.2%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 74.9% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Wellington

$63 2.7%

Noumea

$77 3.2% 22.5% $14

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 $1,228 in Wellington and $761 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Wellington vs $114 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $646 per month, with Wellington cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wellington

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

13:54 1:54 PM

2 h behind Wellington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

215,900 Capital

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.4 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 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 NZD in detail →

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Wellington Noumea 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Wellington
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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

Wellington vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Wellington, 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: $1,228 in Wellington versus $761 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,036 in Wellington 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 Wellington – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $114 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,342 in Wellington versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wellington but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Wellington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wellington 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, Wellington 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 Wellington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.