Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Dargaville: $2,134 a month against $2,313 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Dargaville
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Dargaville Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wellington
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Wellington Living Index

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Dargaville

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,134

/mo nomad

Wellington

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,313

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dargaville and in Wellington

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dargaville and in Wellington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,134 in Dargaville versus $2,313 in Wellington.

Dargaville $2,134
Wellington $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,019 in Dargaville versus $3,422 in Wellington.

Dargaville $3,019
Wellington $3,422

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,904 in Dargaville versus $4,530 in Wellington.

Dargaville $3,904
Wellington $4,530

Living in Dargaville costs roughly 8% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dargaville 57% above, Wellington 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.54 NZ$25.60

$14.02 NZ$24.68

3.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 NZ$121

$66.5 NZ$117

3.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 NZ$15.93

$9.23 NZ$16.24

-1.95%

Cappuccino

$3.69 NZ$6.50

$3.41 NZ$6.00

8.21%

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

$2.18 NZ$3.84

$2.43 NZ$4.28

-10.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.68

$1.69 NZ$2.98

23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 NZ$11.10

$7.48 NZ$13.17

-15.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 NZ$9.91

$6.74 NZ$11.87

-16.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 NZ$3.61

$1.95 NZ$3.44

5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 NZ$3.45

$2.25 NZ$3.97

-12.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.68

$1.85 NZ$3.26

-17.84%

Eggs

$6.70 NZ$11.79

$7.10 NZ$12.50

-5.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 NZ$14.95

$9.54 NZ$16.79

-11.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 NZ$18.43

$9.62 NZ$16.93

8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 NZ$22.34

$15.26 NZ$26.86

-16.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.66

$3.09 NZ$5.45

-14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.76

$2.15 NZ$3.79

-0.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.14

$3.08 NZ$5.42

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 NZ$10.32

$6.42 NZ$11.30

-8.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.04

$2.10 NZ$3.69

-17.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 NZ$2.43

$1.23 NZ$2.17

12.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 NZ$4.38

$2.01 NZ$3.54

23.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.07

$1.16 NZ$2.04

1.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.67 NZ$46.94

$25.37 NZ$44.65

5.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 NZ$18.03

$11.48 NZ$20.21

-10.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 NZ$5.32

$3.12 NZ$5.49

-3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 NZ$5.50

$2.89 NZ$5.08

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 NZ$3.33

$2.86 NZ$5.04

-33.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 NZ$203

$105 NZ$185

9.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 NZ$4.25

$1.88 NZ$3.31

28.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 NZ$3.18

$1.83 NZ$3.22

-1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.35 NZ$46.38

$34.31 NZ$60.4

-23.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 NZ$2.63

$1.84 NZ$3.24

-19.02%

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

$25.5K NZ$44.8K

$28.4K NZ$50.0K

-10.28%

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

$23.7K NZ$41.7K

$23.8K NZ$41.9K

-0.40%

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

$128 NZ$225

$201 NZ$353

-36.22%

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

$29.15 NZ$51.3

$33.35 NZ$58.7

-12.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 NZ$90.3

$53.7 NZ$94.4

-4.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.91 NZ$68.5

$35.87 NZ$63.1

8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.18 NZ$28.48

Cinema Ticket

$11.48 NZ$20.20

$11.78 NZ$20.74

-2.55%

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

$659 NZ$1,159

$1,065 NZ$1,874

-38.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K NZ$25.7K

$13.3K NZ$23.4K

10.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$119

$80.4 NZ$142

-16.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.09 NZ$68.8

$28.04 NZ$49.35

39.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 NZ$160

$102 NZ$179

-10.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 NZ$203

$154 NZ$271

-25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 NZ$1,981

$1,143 NZ$2,011

-1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 NZ$1,780

$1,078 NZ$1,898

-6.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 NZ$2,471

$2,057 NZ$3,620

-31.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 NZ$2,379

$1,814 NZ$3,192

-25.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,216 NZ$7,421

$6,594 NZ$11.6K

-36.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,111 NZ$5,475

$3,655 NZ$6,432

-14.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 NZ$4,902

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.83

5.39

8.16%

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

Last update for Dargaville: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dargaville

$1K 47.4%

Wellington

$1.1K 46.6% 6.6% $67

Groceries & Markets

Dargaville

$330 15.5%

Wellington

$348 15.1% 5.6% $18

Eating Out

Dargaville

$248 11.6%

Wellington

$248 10.7% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dargaville

$209 9.8%

Wellington

$288 12.4% 38% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Dargaville

$141 6.6%

Wellington

$164 7.1% 16.5% $23

Getting Around

Dargaville

$134 6.3%

Wellington

$127 5.5% 5.2% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Dargaville

$62 2.9%

Wellington

$59 2.6% 3.9% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Dargaville and $1,143 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Dargaville vs $66 in Wellington. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $348, with Dargaville cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Dargaville

🇳🇿 Wellington

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

Same time as Dargaville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,600

215,900 Capital

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Dargaville Wellington 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dargaville
Wellington

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

Dargaville vs Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dargaville and Wellington differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,134 vs $2,313 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,201 in Dargaville and $3,470 in Wellington 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: $1,125 in Dargaville versus $1,143 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $659 in Dargaville versus $1,065 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Dargaville gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Wellington are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.