Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yaren and Noumea

For one person, living is cheaper in Yaren: $531 a month against $2,410 in Noumea, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Yaren
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Yaren Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Noumea
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Noumea Living Index

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Yaren

🇳🇷 Nauru

$531

/mo nomad

Noumea

🇳🇨 New Caledonia

$2,410

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $531 in Yaren versus $2,410 in Noumea.

Yaren $531
Noumea $2,410

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,918 in Yaren versus $3,800 in Noumea.

Yaren $2,918
Noumea $3,800

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,305 in Yaren versus $5,190 in Noumea.

Yaren $5,305
Noumea $5,190

Living in Yaren costs roughly 78% less than in Noumea, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Yaren is 60% below, Noumea is 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 A$15.34

$20.86 CFPF 2,222

-48.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.65 A$35.28

$114 CFPF 12.1K

-78.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.85 CFPF 1,475

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.04

$4.68 CFPF 499

-24.79%

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

$1.03 A$1.47

$2.01 CFPF 214

-48.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 A$1.54

$1.27 CFPF 136

-15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 A$10.13

$9.50 CFPF 1,012

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 A$7.15

$7.26 CFPF 774

-31.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 A$4.44

$1.17 CFPF 125

164.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 A$2.49

$3.58 CFPF 381

-51.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CFPF 230

Eggs

$6.13 CFPF 653

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.21 CFPF 3,218

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.65 CFPF 2,945

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$28.19 CFPF 3,002

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 CFPF 488

Banana (1kg)

$7.29 CFPF 776

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 CFPF 668

Tomato (1kg)

$7.98 CFPF 850

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 A$4.88

$5.55 CFPF 591

-38.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.94

$3.86 CFPF 411

-10.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.52 A$5.04

$4.04 CFPF 431

-12.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CFPF 160

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.46 CFPF 2,072

Wine (Bottle)

$17.72 A$25.36

$17.03 CFPF 1,814

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.54 CFPF 590

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 A$2.04

$4.62 CFPF 492

-69.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.2 A$125

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.01 A$10.03

$6.96 CFPF 741

0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.55 A$5.08

$1.11 CFPF 119

219.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.35 A$60.6

$21.46 CFPF 2,286

97.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.43

$1.63 CFPF 174

4.29%

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

$34.8K A$49.7K

$32.5K CFPF 3.5M

6.88%

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

$10.4K A$14.9K

$37.3K CFPF 4.0M

-72.05%

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)

$7.00 A$10.01

$44.24 CFPF 4,711

-84.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.63 A$39.54

$48.09 CFPF 5,122

-42.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$0.01 A$0.02

$48.48 CFPF 5,163

-99.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 A$19.90

$8.25 CFPF 879

68.48%

Cinema Ticket

$7.17 A$10.26

$14.26 CFPF 1,518

-49.72%

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

$347 A$497

$759 CFPF 80.8K

-54.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.6K A$15.1K

$9,318 CFPF 992.3K

13.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.17 A$20.28

$111 CFPF 11.9K

-87.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.66 A$15.25

$65.0 CFPF 6,918

-83.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$34.98 A$50.1

$100 CFPF 10.7K

-65.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 A$99.6

$247 CFPF 26.3K

-71.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,828 A$4,047

$761 CFPF 81.0K

271.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 CFPF 81.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,101 A$7,300

$1,520 CFPF 161.9K

235.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,267 A$6,107

$1,349 CFPF 143.7K

216.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,777 CFPF 508.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,453 CFPF 367.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,726 CFPF 290.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.13

27.80%

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

Last update for Yaren: October 4, 2026

Last update for Noumea: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Yaren

$182 * 34.8%

Noumea

$340 14.2% 86.9% $158

Getting Around

Yaren

$118 22.6%

Noumea

$31 * 1.3% 73.7% $87

Groceries & Markets

Yaren

$115 * 22.1%

Noumea

$646 * 27.1% 461% $531

Clothing & Footwear

Yaren

$58 11.2%

Noumea

$236 9.9% 305% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Yaren

$35 * 6.6%

Noumea

$297 12.4% 757% $262

Sport & Entertainment

Yaren

$14 2.8%

Noumea

$77 3.2% 437% $63

Accommodation & Living

Yaren

- * 0%

Noumea

$761 31.9%

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 $2,828 in Yaren and $761 in Noumea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $25.00 in Yaren vs $114 in Noumea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $115 vs $646 per month, with Yaren cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇷 Yaren

🇳🇨 Noumea

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h behind Yaren

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,100 Capital

91,386 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Yaren Noumea 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Yaren
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

Yaren vs Noumea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yaren is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 354% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $796 in Yaren and $3,614 in Noumea to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,828 in Yaren versus $761 in Noumea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $347 in Yaren 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 Yaren – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $114 in Noumea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $531 in Yaren versus $2,410 in Noumea, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Yaren but tight or insufficient in Noumea. The gap between the two cities makes Yaren the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Yaren 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, Yaren 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 Yaren gentler on the wallet – expenses run 354% less than in Noumea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.