Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Dargaville Cost of Living Comparison Between Dunedin and Dargaville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,828 in Dunedin versus $1,892 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,783 in Dunedin versus $2,929 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,739 in Dunedin versus $3,966 in Dargaville.

Living in Dunedin costs roughly 3% less than in Dargaville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dunedin 36% above, Dargaville 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.15 NZ$20.78

$15.10 NZ$25.83

-19.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 NZ$126

$78.9 NZ$135

-6.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 NZ$18.82

$9.60 NZ$16.41

14.69%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.93

$3.44 NZ$5.88

0.87%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.86

$2.33 NZ$3.99

-3.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 NZ$3.57

$2.08 NZ$3.56

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 NZ$12.57

$7.11 NZ$12.17

3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 NZ$10.49

$6.22 NZ$10.63

-1.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.89 NZ$3.22

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 NZ$3.24

$1.92 NZ$3.28

-1.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 NZ$3.22

$1.85 NZ$3.16

1.62%

Eggs

$5.63 NZ$9.62

$6.24 NZ$10.67

-9.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.03 NZ$13.73

$8.12 NZ$13.89

-1.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.82 NZ$18.50

$9.79 NZ$16.75

10.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 NZ$22.81

$12.69 NZ$21.70

5.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 NZ$5.09

$2.77 NZ$4.74

7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$2.20 NZ$3.75

2.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NZ$5.90

$3.06 NZ$5.24

12.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 NZ$7.76

$4.52 NZ$7.73

0.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 NZ$3.38

$2.00 NZ$3.43

-1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.54

$1.89 NZ$3.24

9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 NZ$4.42

$2.29 NZ$3.92

12.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NZ$1.89

$1.15 NZ$1.97

-3.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.34 NZ$41.63

$24.50 NZ$41.89

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 NZ$15.55

$10.89 NZ$18.62

-16.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.41

$2.57 NZ$4.40

0.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 NZ$6.22

$3.56 NZ$6.08

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 NZ$2.12

$2.14 NZ$3.66

-42.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.3 NZ$124

$65.2 NZ$111

10.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.14 NZ$10.50

$2.73 NZ$4.67

124.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 NZ$1.96

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-37.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.61 NZ$52.3

$35.55 NZ$60.8

-13.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.81

$1.67 NZ$2.86

-1.80%

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

$19.7K NZ$33.6K

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

-30.43%

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

$25.7K NZ$44.0K

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

17.48%

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

$100 NZ$171

$143 NZ$244

-29.70%

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

$35.51 NZ$60.7

$36.09 NZ$61.7

-1.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.8 NZ$93.7

$52.1 NZ$89.1

5.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 NZ$88.2

$36.59 NZ$62.6

40.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.88 NZ$10.06

$11.93 NZ$20.39

-50.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.49 NZ$16.23

$10.66 NZ$18.23

-10.98%

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

$578 NZ$988

$734 NZ$1,255

-21.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K NZ$20.8K

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 NZ$115

$68.6 NZ$117

-1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.61 NZ$59.2

$37.35 NZ$63.9

-7.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 NZ$161

$94.0 NZ$161

0.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 NZ$211

$116 NZ$199

5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$887 NZ$1,517

$972 NZ$1,661

-8.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 NZ$1,311

$770 NZ$1,317

-0.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 NZ$2,564

$1,577 NZ$2,697

-4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 NZ$2,236

$1,421 NZ$2,431

-8.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,907 NZ$4,971

$4,973 NZ$8,504

-41.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,016 NZ$3,448

$3,049 NZ$5,213

-33.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,628 NZ$4,494

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.74

4.90%

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

Last update for Dunedin: April 22, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $887 in Dunedin and $972 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Dunedin vs $79 in Dargaville. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $318, with Dargaville cheaper for home cooking.

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

Dunedin vs Dargaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin and Dargaville differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,828 vs $1,892 including rent). Dunedin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,742 in Dunedin and $2,839 in Dargaville 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: $887 in Dunedin versus $972 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $578 in Dunedin versus $734 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Dargaville pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,828 in Dunedin versus $1,892 in Dargaville, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Dargaville. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin 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, Dunedin and Dargaville 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 Dunedin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Dargaville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.