Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Dunedin Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Dunedin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,892 in Dargaville versus $1,828 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,929 in Dargaville versus $2,783 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,966 in Dargaville versus $3,739 in Dunedin.

Living in Dargaville is roughly 4% more expensive than Dunedin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dargaville 41% above, Dunedin 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 NZ$25.83

$12.15 NZ$20.78

24.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 NZ$135

$73.5 NZ$126

7.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.60 NZ$16.41

$11.01 NZ$18.82

-12.81%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.88

$3.47 NZ$5.93

-0.86%

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

$2.33 NZ$3.99

$2.26 NZ$3.86

3.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.56

$2.09 NZ$3.57

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 NZ$12.17

$7.35 NZ$12.57

-3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 NZ$10.63

$6.13 NZ$10.49

1.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 NZ$3.22

$2.07 NZ$3.54

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 NZ$3.28

$1.90 NZ$3.24

1.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.16

$1.88 NZ$3.22

-1.60%

Eggs

$6.24 NZ$10.67

$5.63 NZ$9.62

10.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 NZ$13.89

$8.03 NZ$13.73

1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 NZ$16.75

$10.82 NZ$18.50

-9.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$21.70

$13.34 NZ$22.81

-4.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 NZ$4.74

$2.97 NZ$5.09

-6.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.75

$2.25 NZ$3.85

-2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 NZ$5.24

$3.45 NZ$5.90

-11.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 NZ$7.73

$4.54 NZ$7.76

-0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NZ$3.43

$1.98 NZ$3.38

1.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$2.07 NZ$3.54

-8.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 NZ$3.92

$2.58 NZ$4.42

-11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.97

$1.11 NZ$1.89

3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.50 NZ$41.89

$24.34 NZ$41.63

0.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 NZ$18.62

$9.09 NZ$15.55

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 NZ$4.40

$2.58 NZ$4.41

-0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 NZ$6.08

$3.64 NZ$6.22

-2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 NZ$3.66

$1.24 NZ$2.12

72.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 NZ$111

$72.3 NZ$124

-9.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 NZ$4.67

$6.14 NZ$10.50

-55.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.15 NZ$1.96

60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.55 NZ$60.8

$30.61 NZ$52.3

16.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.67 NZ$2.86

$1.64 NZ$2.81

1.83%

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

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

$19.7K NZ$33.6K

43.74%

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

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

$25.7K NZ$44.0K

-14.88%

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

$143 NZ$244

$100 NZ$171

42.24%

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

$36.09 NZ$61.7

$35.51 NZ$60.7

1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$89.1

$54.8 NZ$93.7

-4.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.59 NZ$62.6

$51.6 NZ$88.2

-29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.93 NZ$20.39

$5.88 NZ$10.06

102.89%

Cinema Ticket

$10.66 NZ$18.23

$9.49 NZ$16.23

12.33%

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

$734 NZ$1,255

$578 NZ$988

27.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

-1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.6 NZ$117

$67.3 NZ$115

1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.35 NZ$63.9

$34.61 NZ$59.2

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 NZ$161

$94.1 NZ$161

-0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$199

$123 NZ$211

-5.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 NZ$1,661

$887 NZ$1,517

9.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 NZ$1,317

$766 NZ$1,311

0.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,697

$1,499 NZ$2,564

5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NZ$2,431

$1,308 NZ$2,236

8.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,973 NZ$8,504

$2,907 NZ$4,971

71.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,049 NZ$5,213

$2,016 NZ$3,448

51.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,628 NZ$4,494

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

7.07

-4.67%

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

Last update for Dargaville: April 20, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Dargaville and $887 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79 in Dargaville vs $74 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $318 vs $325, with Dargaville cheaper for home cooking.

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

Dargaville vs Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dargaville and Dunedin differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,892 vs $1,828 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,839 in Dargaville and $2,742 in Dunedin 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: $972 in Dargaville versus $887 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $734 in Dargaville versus $578 in Dunedin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Dargaville pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,828 in Dunedin versus $1,892 in Dargaville, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Dargaville. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Dargaville and Dunedin 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.