Cost of Living Comparison Between Dordrecht and Whangarei Cost of Living Comparison Between Dordrecht and Whangarei

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,722 in Dordrecht versus $1,604 in Whangarei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,850 in Dordrecht versus $2,500 in Whangarei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,977 in Dordrecht versus $3,396 in Whangarei.

Living in Dordrecht is roughly 70% more expensive than in Whangarei, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dordrecht 98% above, Whangarei 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 €17.04

$21.00 NZ$35.67

-5.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €80.9

$84.0 NZ$143

12.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.26 €13.12

$9.94 NZ$16.88

53.52%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.66

$3.92 NZ$6.65

8.42%

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

$3.68 €3.17

$2.19 NZ$3.72

68.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.35

$1.67 NZ$2.83

64.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 €5.47

$5.88 NZ$9.99

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 €4.98

$7.23 NZ$12.29

-19.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.62 NZ$2.76

-14.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.99 NZ$3.39

4.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 €2.63

$1.75 NZ$2.97

74.86%

Eggs

$4.23 €3.64

$6.38 NZ$10.83

-33.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.12 €12.14

$8.42 NZ$14.30

67.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.90 €12.81

$9.30 NZ$15.80

60.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$15.89 NZ$26.99

14.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.31

$3.59 NZ$6.10

-25.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.10

$2.21 NZ$3.75

10.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$3.13 NZ$5.32

-29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 €3.15

$3.21 NZ$5.45

14.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.31 NZ$3.92

-14.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.75 NZ$2.98

-0.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 €1.12

$1.78 NZ$3.03

-26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.03

$1.25 NZ$2.12

-4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.99 €11.16

$26.20 NZ$44.50

-50.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.17

$10.11 NZ$17.17

-28.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.40

$2.35 NZ$3.99

-30.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.34

$2.91 NZ$4.95

-6.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 €3.95

$1.76 NZ$2.99

160.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.5 €79.5

$139 NZ$235

-33.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.42 €3.80

$3.94 NZ$6.70

12.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.12 €2.68

$1.71 NZ$2.91

82.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.38 €29.56

$14.11 NZ$23.97

143.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.65 NZ$2.80

51.52%

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

$42.6K €36.6K

$44.4K NZ$75.5K

-4.09%

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

$40.7K €35.0K

$23.4K NZ$39.8K

73.81%

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

$427 €367

$139 NZ$236

207.68%

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

$33.97 €29.20

$35.99 NZ$61.1

-5.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 €41.75

$52.9 NZ$89.8

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 €33.40

$36.08 NZ$61.3

7.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.56 €21.98

$2.99 NZ$5.08

754.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 €12.74

$10.51 NZ$17.86

41.01%

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

$2,613 €2,246

$748 NZ$1,271

249.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,402 €7,223

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.9 €67.0

$75.3 NZ$128

3.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.97 €31.78

$34.18 NZ$58.1

8.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.2

$74.9 NZ$127

36.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$183 €157

$97.9 NZ$166

86.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 €1,308

$449 NZ$762

239.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 €1,007

$432 NZ$734

171.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 €1,911

$732 NZ$1,243

203.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 €1,472

$598 NZ$1,016

186.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,499 €3,868

$4,538 NZ$7,710

-0.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,932 €3,380

$3,383 NZ$5,747

16.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,348 €4,597

$2,446 NZ$4,156

118.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.27

6.36

-32.86%

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

Last update for Dordrecht: August 30, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,522 in Dordrecht and $449 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dordrecht pays 119% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $94.0 in Dordrecht vs $84.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $318 per month, with Whangarei 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

Dordrecht vs Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 119% higher in Dordrecht, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,522 in Dordrecht versus $449 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Dordrecht. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Whangarei – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $94.0 in Dordrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,604 in Whangarei versus $2,722 in Dordrecht, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Dordrecht. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Whangarei is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dordrecht, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dordrecht and Whangarei 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 Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Dordrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.