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: $2,540 in Dordrecht versus $1,698 in Whangarei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,621 in Dordrecht versus $2,673 in Whangarei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,701 in Dordrecht versus $3,648 in Whangarei.

Living in Dordrecht is roughly 50% more expensive than Whangarei, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dordrecht 90% above, Whangarei 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.88

$20.97 NZ$35.72

-17.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.3 €81.2

$84.9 NZ$145

11.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.15

$10.34 NZ$17.62

25.24%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.32

$3.82 NZ$6.51

1.05%

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

$3.39 €2.92

$2.17 NZ$3.69

56.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.68

$1.75 NZ$2.99

78.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.80

$6.40 NZ$10.90

5.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$7.99 NZ$13.61

-27.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-34.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €1.94

$2.16 NZ$3.69

4.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 €2.71

$2.03 NZ$3.46

55.17%

Eggs

$4.60 €3.96

$6.73 NZ$11.46

-31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 €12.26

$9.73 NZ$16.57

46.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.33 €13.20

$10.71 NZ$18.24

43.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 €14.45

$16.70 NZ$28.45

0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.99 NZ$5.09

-20.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.33 NZ$3.97

5.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.98 NZ$5.08

-31.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 €4.02

$4.70 NZ$8.01

-0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.75

$2.58 NZ$4.39

-21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.90 NZ$3.23

10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 €1.07

$2.46 NZ$4.19

-49.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.12 NZ$1.90

-24.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.69 €11.79

$23.68 NZ$40.33

-42.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 €6.44

$10.19 NZ$17.36

-26.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.35 NZ$4.01

-36.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 €2.25

$2.88 NZ$4.90

-9.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 €4.01

$1.78 NZ$3.03

161.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 €80.1

$138 NZ$235

-32.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 €3.26

$3.97 NZ$6.76

-4.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.64 NZ$2.79

25.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.72 €23.86

$14.27 NZ$24.31

94.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.64 NZ$2.80

40.24%

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

$35.5K €30.6K

$44.9K NZ$76.5K

-20.95%

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

$33.2K €28.6K

$22.3K NZ$38.1K

48.49%

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

$238 €205

$132 NZ$224

80.69%

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

$28.98 €24.95

$39.38 NZ$67.1

-26.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 €46.73

$52.9 NZ$90.1

2.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.59 €34.94

$37.94 NZ$64.6

6.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 €21.36

$3.07 NZ$5.24

708.14%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 €14.02

$10.65 NZ$18.15

52.96%

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

$2,192 €1,887

$783 NZ$1,333

180.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,859 €5,905

$12.1K NZ$20.6K

-43.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €75.5

$69.1 NZ$118

26.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.59 €29.78

$34.32 NZ$58.5

0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €81.7

$81.7 NZ$139

16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €132

$102 NZ$173

50.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 €1,383

$544 NZ$927

195.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,054

$454 NZ$773

169.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,284 €1,966

$1,012 NZ$1,724

125.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 €1,468

$776 NZ$1,322

119.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,355 €3,749

$4,472 NZ$7,618

-2.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,020 €3,460

$3,393 NZ$5,780

18.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,433 €4,678

$2,515 NZ$4,285

116.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.3

6.7

-35.82%

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

Last update for Dordrecht: May 31, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Dordrecht and $544 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dordrecht pays 116% 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 $85.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $346 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Dordrecht pays 116% more on average, 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: $1,607 in Dordrecht versus $544 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% 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 $85.0 versus $94.0 in Dordrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,698 in Whangarei versus $2,540 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 50% less than in Dordrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.