Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Wellington Cost of Living Comparison Between Dargaville and Wellington

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,848 in Dargaville versus $2,281 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,896 in Dargaville versus $3,530 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,944 in Dargaville versus $4,780 in Wellington.

Living in Dargaville costs roughly 19% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dargaville 38% above, Wellington 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 NZ$26.38

$17.23 NZ$29.83

-11.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.3 NZ$136

$85.4 NZ$148

-8.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.75 NZ$16.88

$9.39 NZ$16.26

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$5.96

$3.65 NZ$6.33

-5.75%

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

$2.35 NZ$4.08

$2.49 NZ$4.31

-5.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.59

$2.11 NZ$3.66

-1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 NZ$12.78

$7.35 NZ$12.74

0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.46 NZ$11.18

$7.12 NZ$12.33

-9.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.25

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NZ$3.30

$2.03 NZ$3.52

-6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.20

$1.91 NZ$3.30

-3.14%

Eggs

$6.32 NZ$10.94

$6.91 NZ$11.97

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 NZ$14.04

$8.26 NZ$14.29

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 NZ$17.01

$10.90 NZ$18.88

-9.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 NZ$22.50

$12.85 NZ$22.26

1.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 NZ$4.67

$3.07 NZ$5.31

-12.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 NZ$3.82

$2.23 NZ$3.86

-1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.20

$3.08 NZ$5.33

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 NZ$8.19

$4.81 NZ$8.33

-1.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NZ$3.57

$2.07 NZ$3.58

-0.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.39

$1.66 NZ$2.87

18.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.90

$2.24 NZ$3.88

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.92

$1.26 NZ$2.18

-11.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.73 NZ$41.09

$26.73 NZ$46.28

-11.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.16 NZ$15.87

$11.17 NZ$19.34

-17.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 NZ$4.34

$3.66 NZ$6.33

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 NZ$6.25

$3.22 NZ$5.58

12.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 NZ$3.74

$2.74 NZ$4.75

-21.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.7 NZ$110

$106 NZ$183

-39.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 NZ$4.56

$2.79 NZ$4.83

-5.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 NZ$3.23

$1.77 NZ$3.07

5.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.79 NZ$60.2

$60.1 NZ$104

-42.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.87

$1.66 NZ$2.88

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

$28.3K NZ$49.0K

$32.8K NZ$56.8K

-13.76%

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

$22.3K NZ$38.6K

$25.4K NZ$44.0K

-12.39%

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

$141 NZ$245

$156 NZ$271

-9.61%

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

$35.39 NZ$61.3

$33.30 NZ$57.7

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 NZ$90.2

$51.2 NZ$88.6

1.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.13 NZ$64.3

$36.21 NZ$62.7

2.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 NZ$21.05

$20.87 NZ$36.13

-41.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 NZ$18.92

$12.16 NZ$21.06

-10.20%

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

$752 NZ$1,302

$791 NZ$1,369

-4.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$21.1K

$12.5K NZ$21.7K

-2.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 NZ$118

$72.0 NZ$125

-5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.02 NZ$64.1

$52.6 NZ$91.0

-29.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 NZ$165

$120 NZ$207

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$201

$141 NZ$245

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$988 NZ$1,711

$1,295 NZ$2,242

-23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$786 NZ$1,360

$1,091 NZ$1,890

-28.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NZ$2,730

$2,137 NZ$3,701

-26.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 NZ$2,460

$1,919 NZ$3,323

-25.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,321 NZ$7,482

$7,057 NZ$12.2K

-38.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,177 NZ$5,500

$3,779 NZ$6,543

-15.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,742 NZ$4,748

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

6.94

-2.88%

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

Last update for Dargaville: July 20, 2026

Last update for Wellington: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $988 in Dargaville and $1,295 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Dargaville vs $85.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $338 per month, with Dargaville cheaper across the board.

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 23% in total monthly costs ($1,848 vs $2,281 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,772 in Dargaville and $3,421 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: $988 in Dargaville versus $1,295 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $752 in Dargaville versus $791 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,848 in Dargaville versus $2,281 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dargaville but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Dargaville 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 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.

Expats usually find Dargaville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.