Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Dargaville Cost of Living Comparison Between Wellington and Dargaville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Wellington versus $1,848 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,530 in Wellington versus $2,896 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,780 in Wellington versus $3,944 in Dargaville.

Living in Wellington is roughly 23% more expensive than in Dargaville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 71% above, Dargaville 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.23 NZ$29.83

$15.24 NZ$26.38

13.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 NZ$148

$78.3 NZ$136

9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 NZ$16.26

$9.75 NZ$16.88

-3.69%

Cappuccino

$3.65 NZ$6.33

$3.44 NZ$5.96

6.10%

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

$2.49 NZ$4.31

$2.35 NZ$4.08

5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 NZ$3.66

$2.07 NZ$3.59

1.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 NZ$12.74

$7.38 NZ$12.78

-0.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 NZ$12.33

$6.46 NZ$11.18

10.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 NZ$3.25

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 NZ$3.52

$1.90 NZ$3.30

6.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 NZ$3.30

$1.85 NZ$3.20

3.24%

Eggs

$6.91 NZ$11.97

$6.32 NZ$10.94

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$14.29

$8.11 NZ$14.04

1.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.90 NZ$18.88

$9.82 NZ$17.01

11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 NZ$22.26

$12.99 NZ$22.50

-1.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.31

$2.69 NZ$4.67

14.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.86

$2.20 NZ$3.82

1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NZ$5.33

$3.00 NZ$5.20

2.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 NZ$8.33

$4.73 NZ$8.19

1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.58

$2.06 NZ$3.57

0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.87

$1.96 NZ$3.39

-15.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 NZ$3.88

$2.25 NZ$3.90

-0.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 NZ$2.18

$1.11 NZ$1.92

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.73 NZ$46.28

$23.73 NZ$41.09

12.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 NZ$19.34

$9.16 NZ$15.87

21.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 NZ$6.33

$2.51 NZ$4.34

45.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 NZ$5.58

$3.61 NZ$6.25

-10.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 NZ$4.75

$2.16 NZ$3.74

26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 NZ$183

$63.7 NZ$110

65.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 NZ$4.83

$2.63 NZ$4.56

6.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 NZ$3.07

$1.87 NZ$3.23

-5.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.1 NZ$104

$34.79 NZ$60.2

72.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.88

$1.66 NZ$2.87

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

$32.8K NZ$56.8K

$28.3K NZ$49.0K

15.95%

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

$25.4K NZ$44.0K

$22.3K NZ$38.6K

14.14%

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

$156 NZ$271

$141 NZ$245

10.64%

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

$33.30 NZ$57.7

$35.39 NZ$61.3

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 NZ$88.6

$52.1 NZ$90.2

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.21 NZ$62.7

$37.13 NZ$64.3

-2.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.87 NZ$36.13

$12.16 NZ$21.05

71.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 NZ$21.06

$10.92 NZ$18.92

11.36%

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

$791 NZ$1,369

$752 NZ$1,302

5.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NZ$21.7K

$12.2K NZ$21.1K

3.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.0 NZ$125

$68.0 NZ$118

5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.6 NZ$91.0

$37.02 NZ$64.1

41.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 NZ$207

$95.6 NZ$165

25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 NZ$245

$116 NZ$201

21.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NZ$2,242

$988 NZ$1,711

31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 NZ$1,890

$786 NZ$1,360

38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 NZ$3,701

$1,577 NZ$2,730

35.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,919 NZ$3,323

$1,421 NZ$2,460

35.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,057 NZ$12.2K

$4,321 NZ$7,482

63.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,779 NZ$6,543

$3,177 NZ$5,500

18.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,742 NZ$4,748

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.94

6.74

2.97%

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

Last update for Wellington: July 20, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,295 in Wellington and $988 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Wellington vs $78.0 in Dargaville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $316 per month, with Dargaville 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

Wellington vs Dargaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wellington and Dargaville differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,281 vs $1,848 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,421 in Wellington and $2,772 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: $1,295 in Wellington versus $988 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $791 in Wellington versus $752 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,848 in Dargaville versus $2,281 in Wellington, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dargaville but tight or insufficient in Wellington. The gap between the two cities makes Dargaville 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, Wellington 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 Dargaville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.