Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Napier and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Dartmouth: $2,031 a month against $2,251 in Napier, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Napier, New Zealand
Dartmouth, Canada
Napier
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,251
/mo nomad
Dartmouth
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,031
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Napier and in Dartmouth

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Napier and in Dartmouth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,251 per month in Napier vs $2,031 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Napier $2,251
  • Dartmouth $2,031

A couple spends around $3,239 per month in Napier vs $3,029 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Napier $3,239
  • Dartmouth $3,029

A family of three spends $4,227 per month in Napier vs $4,027 in Dartmouth, rent included.

  • Napier $4,227
  • Dartmouth $4,027

Napier costs about 11% more than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Napier and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Napier by 65%, Dartmouth by 49%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.60 NZ$33.04
$10.63 CA$14.87
74.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.3 NZ$169
$61.8 CA$86.4
54.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 NZ$16.88
$7.09 CA$9.91
33.99%
Cappuccino
$3.45 NZ$6.14
$3.55 CA$4.96
-2.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 NZ$4.02
$2.05 CA$2.87
10.73%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 NZ$4.12
$1.87 CA$2.62
24.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.67 NZ$11.86
$4.37 CA$6.12
52.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.74 NZ$10.20
$5.82 CA$8.14
-1.37%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 NZ$2.90
$2.45 CA$3.42
-33.47%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 NZ$2.67
$2.18 CA$3.06
-30.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 NZ$2.63
$3.43 CA$4.80
-56.85%
Eggs
$5.65 NZ$10.03
$3.65 CA$5.11
54.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 NZ$13.35
$7.45 CA$10.42
0.94%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.58 NZ$15.24
$9.54 CA$13.35
-10.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.76 NZ$22.67
$10.68 CA$14.94
19.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.29 NZ$4.08
$3.46 CA$4.85
-33.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 NZ$2.97
$1.60 CA$2.23
4.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.13 NZ$5.55
$4.71 CA$6.58
-33.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 NZ$5.12
$5.61 CA$7.85
-48.66%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 NZ$3.18
$2.05 CA$2.87
-12.68%
Onion (1kg)
$2.59 NZ$4.60
$2.12 CA$2.96
22.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 NZ$3.31
$2.58 CA$3.61
-27.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 NZ$2.10
$2.12 CA$2.96
-44.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.68 NZ$36.73
$14.24 CA$19.92
45.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.47 NZ$15.05
$14.29 CA$19.99
-40.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 NZ$4.54
$3.40 CA$4.76
-25.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 NZ$4.34
$3.97 CA$5.55
-38.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 NZ$3.49
$1.99 CA$2.78
-1.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$104 NZ$185
$60.2 CA$84.2
72.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.30 NZ$4.09
$2.83 CA$3.96
-18.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.84 NZ$3.27
$1.39 CA$1.94
32.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.23 NZ$53.7
$21.39 CA$29.92
41.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 NZ$2.74
$1.16 CA$1.62
32.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.9K NZ$46.0K
$27.3K CA$38.2K
-5.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K NZ$42.4K
$21.6K CA$30.2K
10.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 NZ$329
$77.7 CA$109
138.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.28 NZ$62.7
$41.69 CA$58.3
-15.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.81 NZ$86.7
$63.8 CA$89.3
-23.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.62 NZ$61.5
$35.96 CA$50.3
-3.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.85 NZ$19.28
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.68 NZ$15.42
$12.86 CA$17.99
-32.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$690 NZ$1,226
$376 CA$526
83.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.8K NZ$29.8K
$13.4K CA$18.8K
25.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$107 NZ$190
$40.11 CA$56.1
166.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.09 NZ$62.3
$33.52 CA$46.88
4.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 NZ$185
$66.4 CA$92.9
57.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 NZ$216
$74.7 CA$104
62.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,193 NZ$2,120
$1,223 CA$1,710
-2.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,080 NZ$1,918
$1,063 CA$1,487
1.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,707 NZ$3,033
$2,037 CA$2,849
-16.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,491 NZ$2,649
$1,814 CA$2,537
-17.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,873 NZ$8,657
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,334 NZ$5,922
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Napier
Dartmouth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,110 NZ$5,525
$2,617 CA$3,660
18.84%
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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Napier
$1.1K
Dartmouth
$1.1K 1.5% $16
Eating Out
Napier
$282
Dartmouth
$198 29.7% $84
Groceries & Markets
Napier
$279
Dartmouth
$350 25.6% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Napier
$269
Dartmouth
$183 31.9% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Napier
$166
Dartmouth
$97 41.6% $69
Getting Around
Napier
$123
Dartmouth
$78 36.8% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Napier
$52
Dartmouth
$62 18.7% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,193 in Napier versus $1,223 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 19% higher in Napier. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95 in Napier versus $62 in Dartmouth. Groceries tell a different story – $279 in Napier vs $350 in Dartmouth – so Napier wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇳🇿 Napier
🇨🇦 Dartmouth
🕒 Local time
20:31 8:31 PM
04:31 4:31 AM
16 h behind Napier
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,000
70,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Napier Dartmouth 15,110 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Napier
  • Dartmouth

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
How do living costs in Napier and in Dartmouth compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,251 in Napier, $2,031 in Dartmouth – Dartmouth comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Napier compared to Dartmouth?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,376 per month in Napier and $3,047 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do apartment prices compare in Napier and in Dartmouth?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,193 in Napier and $1,223 in Dartmouth. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city is more expensive overall: Napier or Dartmouth?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,251 in Napier and $2,031 in Dartmouth. That makes Dartmouth about 10% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Napier and in Dartmouth?
Public transport costs about 42% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How far does $3,000 go in Napier compared to Dartmouth?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,251 in Napier and $2,031 in Dartmouth, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Napier and Dartmouth?
It depends on your priorities. Napier has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,031 in Dartmouth to $2,251 in Napier. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Napier and Dartmouth?
If budget matters most, go with Dartmouth. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Napier makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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