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: $1,901 in Dargaville versus $2,354 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,947 in Dargaville versus $3,553 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,992 in Dargaville versus $4,751 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 42% above, Wellington 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.30 NZ$26.37

$17.30 NZ$29.80

-11.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 NZ$136

$84.5 NZ$146

-6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.74

$9.77 NZ$16.82

-0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.39 NZ$5.84

$3.80 NZ$6.54

-10.79%

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

$2.28 NZ$3.93

$2.60 NZ$4.49

-12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 NZ$3.58

$2.18 NZ$3.76

-4.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.07 NZ$12.18

$7.03 NZ$12.12

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 NZ$11.08

$7.45 NZ$12.84

-13.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 NZ$3.12

$1.87 NZ$3.22

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 NZ$3.40

$2.11 NZ$3.63

-6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.26

$1.95 NZ$3.37

-3.08%

Eggs

$6.01 NZ$10.35

$6.88 NZ$11.86

-12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 NZ$13.89

$8.13 NZ$14.01

-0.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 NZ$16.17

$11.06 NZ$19.05

-15.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.61 NZ$21.72

$13.14 NZ$22.64

-4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 NZ$4.80

$3.12 NZ$5.38

-10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 NZ$3.75

$2.24 NZ$3.85

-3.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 NZ$5.41

$2.99 NZ$5.15

5.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 NZ$8.14

$4.72 NZ$8.14

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 NZ$3.52

$2.07 NZ$3.56

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.23

$1.66 NZ$2.85

12.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 NZ$3.79

$2.21 NZ$3.80

-0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 NZ$1.99

$1.28 NZ$2.21

-10.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.25 NZ$41.78

$26.87 NZ$46.29

-9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 NZ$18.58

$11.74 NZ$20.22

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 NZ$4.31

$3.52 NZ$6.07

-28.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 NZ$6.43

$3.18 NZ$5.48

17.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.13 NZ$3.67

$2.75 NZ$4.73

-22.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 NZ$110

$107 NZ$184

-40.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 NZ$4.57

$2.66 NZ$4.59

-0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.21

$1.85 NZ$3.19

0.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.60 NZ$61.3

$60.4 NZ$104

-41.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.85

$1.71 NZ$2.95

-2.92%

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

$28.7K NZ$49.5K

$33.6K NZ$57.9K

-14.53%

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

$21.9K NZ$37.7K

$24.6K NZ$42.3K

-10.99%

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

$144 NZ$248

$160 NZ$276

-10.27%

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

$36.37 NZ$62.7

$32.55 NZ$56.1

11.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.8 NZ$89.2

$51.5 NZ$88.7

0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.90 NZ$63.6

$36.79 NZ$63.4

0.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 NZ$20.95

$20.60 NZ$35.49

-40.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 NZ$18.32

$12.17 NZ$20.97

-12.57%

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

$745 NZ$1,284

$800 NZ$1,379

-6.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

$12.6K NZ$21.8K

-4.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.5 NZ$118

$73.5 NZ$127

-6.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.60 NZ$64.8

$53.1 NZ$91.6

-29.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 NZ$166

$119 NZ$205

-18.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 NZ$200

$142 NZ$244

-17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 NZ$1,655

$1,339 NZ$2,307

-28.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 NZ$1,330

$1,105 NZ$1,903

-30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 NZ$2,659

$2,103 NZ$3,623

-26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 NZ$2,434

$1,888 NZ$3,253

-25.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,425 NZ$7,623

$6,602 NZ$11.4K

-32.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,413 NZ$5,880

$3,897 NZ$6,713

-12.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,266

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $961 in Dargaville and $1,339 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in Dargaville vs $85.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $340 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,901 vs $2,354 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,852 in Dargaville and $3,531 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: $961 in Dargaville versus $1,339 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $745 in Dargaville versus $800 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,901 in Dargaville versus $2,354 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 24% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.