The Costs of Accommodation in New Caledonia
New Caledonia boasts a huge range of accommodation options, from standard hotel rooms to tribal accommodation or gîtes (holiday home rentals).
Gîtes are usually privately owned and can sometimes work out cheaper than a hotel room per person (anywhere between 14,000 XPF and 40,000 XPF a night ). But they’re more likely to be further from the beach than the common Nouméa hotels - and are generally rented on a weekly basis.
Your accommodation is likely to take the biggest chunk of your holiday savings, so here’s a general breakdown of accommodation costs, depending on your budget:
- A budget hotel room: 9000-10,000 XPF per night
- Mid-range hotel room: 20,000-25,000 XPF per night
- Luxury hotel: 40,000 to 45,000 XPF per night
The Cost of Food in New Caledonia
This island country has earned the moniker Little France - and when you browse the food scene in Nouméa, you’ll understand why. There, you’ll find it all: freshly baked baguettes, cheese, foie gras, French wine.
Luckily for you, that means you can whip up delectable dishes after shopping at the local markets and supermarkets. A French baguette costs about 120 XPF while a ham sandwich might be about 400 XPF.
Dine out and you’ll need to put a little more money aside (but it’s worth it). Some of the average dining costs are as follows:
- A standard meal at an inexpensive restaurant: F2300-F3500
- A fine dining experience: at least F8000
- A cup of coffee: F450
- A beer: F800
The Costs of Transport in New Caledonia
If you want to make the most of your holiday travelling around the various islands, you’ll be looking at additional transport costs.
You’re likely to start your holiday on the island of Grande Terre, where the capital Nouméa is. The public bus from La Tontouta Airport into Nouméa costs about 300 XPF per person, cheaper than the standard 2500 XPF for the shuttle bus. Getting around town, you can expect to pay 250 XPF per bus trip or 600 XPF for a 2km taxi ride.
To travel further afield - to other islands - you’ll probably want to board a ferry. The main fast passenger ferry company that sails from Nouméa to Île des Pins (Isle of Pines) and the Loyalty Islands is Betico.
From Nouméa to Île des Pins, a journey of 2.5 hours, it costs around 5500 XPF per adult. Lifou to Noumea, a journey of about 5 hours, costs about 7750 XPF per adult.
The Costs of Activities in New Caledonia
On your holiday in New Caledonia, you might be planning nothing more than R&R - lounging on a daybed by your resort pool, interspersed with visits to the beach.
For the more intrepid, there’s plenty on offer, from activities that won’t cost anything at all (beach visits and explorations of Nouméa) to adventure tours and explorations further afield.
Some activities have entrance fees, among them:
- A standard ticket to the Aquarium des Lagoons: 1600 XPF per adult
- Entry to Blue River Park: 600 XPF per adult
- Entry to Zoological and Forest Park: 600 XPF per adult
- Tchou Tchou Train: 2500 XPF per adult for 2 hours
- A half-day snorkeling tour: starting from about 9000 XPF
