---
title: "Nouméa vs Port Vila for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/noumea-vs-port-vila
description: "Under balanced weights Nouméa edges it, 71 to 58, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Nouméa is stronger on climate, getting there & around; Port Vila on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.10.7 (2026-10-13)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Nouméa vs Port Vila for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Nouméa edges it, 71 to 58, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Nouméa is stronger on climate, getting there & around; Port Vila on safety. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | no data | no data | — |
| Safety | 67 | 89 | Port Vila |
| Healthcare | no data | 44 | — |
| Internet | 66 | no data | — |
| Visa ease | 61 | 52 | Nouméa |
| Getting there & around | 41 | 23 | Nouméa |
| Climate | 92 | 67 | Nouméa |
| Air quality | 100 | 100 | tie |
| Quality of life | no data | 28 | — |

## Cost

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | no data | no data | — |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | no data | 0.33 | — |
| Political stability (0–100) | 70.7 | 82.3 | Port Vila |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | no data | 52 | — |
| Life expectancy | no data | 66.3 yrs | — |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 31 Mbps | no data | — |
| Upload | 13.6 Mbps | no data | — |

## Visa

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 120 days | Port Vila |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | 120 days | Nouméa |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 120 days | Port Vila |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 14 | 6 | Nouméa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 2 | Nouméa |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 1 | Nouméa |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Nouméa | Port Vila | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 11 | 8 | Nouméa |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 3.9 µg/m³ | 4.1 µg/m³ | Nouméa |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Nouméa or Port Vila?

We lack a monthly cost figure for one of the two cities.

### Is Nouméa or Port Vila safer?

Port Vila scores higher on safety (89 vs 67), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Nouméa or Port Vila?

M-Lab has no reliable measurement for one of the two cities.

City pages: [Nouméa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/noumea) · [Port Vila](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/port-vila). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/noumea-vs-port-vila