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: $1,967 in Dargaville versus $1,894 in Dunedin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Dargaville versus $2,821 in Dunedin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,071 in Dargaville versus $3,748 in Dunedin.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dargaville 43% above, Dunedin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 NZ$25.52

$14.76 NZ$25.25

1.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 NZ$120

$65.9 NZ$113

6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 NZ$15.95

$11.94 NZ$20.43

-21.94%

Cappuccino

$3.38 NZ$5.78

$3.43 NZ$5.87

-1.46%

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

$2.24 NZ$3.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 NZ$3.20

$2.13 NZ$3.64

-12.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 NZ$11.37

$7.13 NZ$12.20

-6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 NZ$11.10

$6.59 NZ$11.27

-1.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 NZ$3.17

$2.25 NZ$3.86

-17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 NZ$3.43

$2.01 NZ$3.44

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.12

$1.85 NZ$3.17

-1.62%

Eggs

$6.04 NZ$10.32

$6.08 NZ$10.40

-0.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 NZ$14.53

$8.84 NZ$15.12

-3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.86 NZ$16.87

$10.11 NZ$17.30

-2.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 NZ$25.87

$17.31 NZ$29.61

-12.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 NZ$4.81

$3.16 NZ$5.40

-11.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.98

$2.47 NZ$4.22

-5.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 NZ$5.42

$3.32 NZ$5.67

-4.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.63 NZ$9.64

$5.18 NZ$8.86

8.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 NZ$3.75

$1.90 NZ$3.24

15.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 NZ$2.49

$1.94 NZ$3.32

-25.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 NZ$3.62

$2.49 NZ$4.25

-15.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NZ$1.92

$0.62 NZ$1.06

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.64 NZ$42.16

$22.05 NZ$37.72

11.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.53 NZ$16.30

$9.64 NZ$16.50

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 NZ$5.24

$3.40 NZ$5.82

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 NZ$5.69

$1.31 NZ$2.25

154.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 NZ$3.01

$1.15 NZ$1.97

53.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 NZ$150

$69.9 NZ$120

25.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 NZ$4.00

$5.92 NZ$10.13

-60.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 NZ$3.34

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.34 NZ$55.3

$28.99 NZ$49.59

11.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 NZ$3.06

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-2.72%

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

$26.2K NZ$44.8K

$26.9K NZ$45.9K

-2.50%

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

$24.5K NZ$41.9K

$26.0K NZ$44.5K

-5.92%

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

$117 NZ$200

$114 NZ$195

2.57%

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

$29.82 NZ$51.0

$30.01 NZ$51.3

-0.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 NZ$90.6

$54.0 NZ$92.4

-1.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 NZ$69.5

$50.5 NZ$86.3

-19.54%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 NZ$18.66

$10.63 NZ$18.18

2.63%

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

$728 NZ$1,245

$605 NZ$1,036

20.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K NZ$23.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 NZ$114

$60.6 NZ$104

9.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 NZ$63.8

$36.15 NZ$61.8

3.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 NZ$160

$94.3 NZ$161

-0.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$201

$143 NZ$244

-17.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 NZ$1,638

$902 NZ$1,544

6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$860 NZ$1,472

$775 NZ$1,327

10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 NZ$2,928

$1,578 NZ$2,700

8.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 NZ$2,651

$1,210 NZ$2,070

28.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,118 NZ$8,754

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,428 NZ$5,864

$2,365 NZ$4,045

44.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,559 NZ$4,377

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.07

-23.76%

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

Last update for Dargaville: September 5, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $957 in Dargaville and $902 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Dargaville vs $66.0 in Dunedin. Groceries flip the comparison at $332 vs $339, 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 ($1,967 vs $1,894 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,951 in Dargaville and $2,841 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: $957 in Dargaville versus $902 in Dunedin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $728 in Dargaville versus $605 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 $1,894 in Dunedin versus $1,967 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.