Cost of Living Comparison Between Napier and Dartmouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Napier and Dartmouth

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,351 per month in Napier vs $2,026 in Dartmouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,327 per month in Napier vs $3,099 in Dartmouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,304 per month in Napier vs $4,172 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Napier costs about 16% more than Dartmouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Napier and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Napier by 70%, Dartmouth by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.12 NZ$32.89

$10.88 CA$15.09

75.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 NZ$169

$60.7 CA$84.2

61.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 NZ$17.45

$7.18 CA$9.96

41.23%

Cappuccino

$3.47 NZ$5.97

$3.73 CA$5.18

-6.97%

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

$2.27 NZ$3.91

$2.01 CA$2.78

12.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 NZ$4.16

$1.91 CA$2.65

26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 NZ$11.96

$4.59 CA$6.36

51.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 NZ$10.08

$5.90 CA$8.18

-0.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.94

$2.54 CA$3.53

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 NZ$2.73

$2.19 CA$3.03

-27.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 NZ$2.68

$3.59 CA$4.98

-56.55%

Eggs

$6.08 NZ$10.46

$3.52 CA$4.89

72.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 NZ$14.08

$7.80 CA$10.82

4.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.95 NZ$15.41

$9.76 CA$13.54

-8.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 NZ$22.95

$11.04 CA$15.31

20.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 NZ$4.07

$3.54 CA$4.91

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 NZ$2.96

$1.62 CA$2.24

6.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.67

$4.58 CA$6.35

-27.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.13

$5.90 CA$8.19

-49.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.22

$2.09 CA$2.90

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 NZ$4.50

$2.24 CA$3.10

16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 NZ$3.28

$2.57 CA$3.56

-25.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 NZ$2.10

$2.14 CA$2.97

-42.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.32 NZ$36.68

$14.57 CA$20.21

46.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 NZ$15.08

$14.55 CA$20.18

-39.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 NZ$4.68

$3.33 CA$4.61

-18.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.55

$4.15 CA$5.76

-36.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 NZ$2.96

$1.95 CA$2.70

-11.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 NZ$150

$62.2 CA$86.3

40.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 NZ$4.11

$2.99 CA$4.15

-20.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 NZ$3.39

$1.35 CA$1.87

45.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 NZ$51.8

$22.02 CA$30.54

36.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 NZ$2.74

$1.16 CA$1.61

37.07%

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

$26.6K NZ$45.8K

$28.7K CA$39.7K

-7.17%

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

$25.1K NZ$43.2K

$19.7K CA$27.3K

27.49%

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

$193 NZ$333

$78.8 CA$109

145.57%

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

$36.05 NZ$62.0

$42.28 CA$58.6

-14.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 NZ$87.7

$65.9 CA$91.4

-22.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 NZ$61.6

$36.60 CA$50.8

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.07 NZ$19.05

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 NZ$15.60

$12.81 CA$17.77

-29.20%

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

$726 NZ$1,249

$391 CA$542

85.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K NZ$22.3K

$13.7K CA$18.9K

-5.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 NZ$187

$41.18 CA$57.1

163.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 NZ$97.6

$34.49 CA$47.83

64.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 NZ$182

$68.4 CA$94.8

54.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 NZ$215

$74.6 CA$104

67.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 NZ$2,199

$1,266 CA$1,755

0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 NZ$1,943

$1,059 CA$1,469

6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 NZ$3,037

$2,038 CA$2,826

-13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,562 NZ$2,688

$1,850 CA$2,566

-15.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,017 NZ$8,632

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,388 NZ$5,829

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,179 NZ$5,469

$2,639 CA$3,660

20.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

4.6

42.17%

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

Last update for Napier: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,278 in Napier versus $1,266 in Dartmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Napier, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Napier versus $61.0 in Dartmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in Napier vs $357 in Dartmouth – so Napier wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Napier vs Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,351 in Napier, $2,026 in Dartmouth – roughly 16% apart. Napier costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,527 per month in Napier and $3,039 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dartmouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,351 in Napier and $2,026 in Dartmouth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dartmouth, where all-in costs run around $2,026, than in Napier at $2,351. In Dartmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Napier it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dartmouth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dartmouth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Napier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.