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: $2,354 in Wellington versus $1,901 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Wellington versus $2,947 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Wellington versus $3,992 in Dargaville.

Living in Wellington is roughly 24% more expensive than Dargaville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 76% above, Dargaville 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 NZ$29.80

$15.30 NZ$26.37

13.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 NZ$146

$78.9 NZ$136

7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 NZ$16.82

$9.72 NZ$16.74

0.51%

Cappuccino

$3.80 NZ$6.54

$3.39 NZ$5.84

12.09%

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

$2.60 NZ$4.49

$2.28 NZ$3.93

14.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NZ$3.76

$2.08 NZ$3.58

4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.03 NZ$12.12

$7.07 NZ$12.18

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 NZ$12.84

$6.43 NZ$11.08

15.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 NZ$3.22

$1.81 NZ$3.12

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 NZ$3.63

$1.97 NZ$3.40

7.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 NZ$3.37

$1.89 NZ$3.26

3.17%

Eggs

$6.88 NZ$11.86

$6.01 NZ$10.35

14.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 NZ$14.01

$8.06 NZ$13.89

0.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 NZ$19.05

$9.39 NZ$16.17

17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 NZ$22.64

$12.61 NZ$21.72

4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.38

$2.79 NZ$4.80

11.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 NZ$3.85

$2.17 NZ$3.75

3.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.15

$3.14 NZ$5.41

-4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 NZ$8.14

$4.73 NZ$8.14

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 NZ$3.56

$2.04 NZ$3.52

1.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 NZ$2.85

$1.87 NZ$3.23

-11.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 NZ$3.80

$2.20 NZ$3.79

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 NZ$2.21

$1.15 NZ$1.99

11.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.87 NZ$46.29

$24.25 NZ$41.78

10.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 NZ$20.22

$10.78 NZ$18.58

8.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 NZ$6.07

$2.50 NZ$4.31

40.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 NZ$5.48

$3.73 NZ$6.43

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 NZ$4.73

$2.13 NZ$3.67

29.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$107 NZ$184

$64.1 NZ$110

66.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.59

$2.65 NZ$4.57

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 NZ$3.19

$1.86 NZ$3.21

-0.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.4 NZ$104

$35.60 NZ$61.3

69.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 NZ$2.95

$1.66 NZ$2.85

3.01%

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

$33.6K NZ$57.9K

$28.7K NZ$49.5K

17.00%

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

$24.6K NZ$42.3K

$21.9K NZ$37.7K

12.35%

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

$160 NZ$276

$144 NZ$248

11.44%

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

$32.55 NZ$56.1

$36.37 NZ$62.7

-10.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NZ$88.7

$51.8 NZ$89.2

-0.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 NZ$63.4

$36.90 NZ$63.6

-0.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.60 NZ$35.49

$12.16 NZ$20.95

69.41%

Cinema Ticket

$12.17 NZ$20.97

$10.64 NZ$18.32

14.38%

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

$800 NZ$1,379

$745 NZ$1,284

7.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K NZ$21.8K

$12.1K NZ$20.8K

4.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 NZ$127

$68.5 NZ$118

7.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 NZ$91.6

$37.60 NZ$64.8

41.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 NZ$205

$96.5 NZ$166

23.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 NZ$244

$116 NZ$200

21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 NZ$2,307

$961 NZ$1,655

39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 NZ$1,903

$772 NZ$1,330

43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 NZ$3,623

$1,543 NZ$2,659

36.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 NZ$3,253

$1,413 NZ$2,434

33.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,602 NZ$11.4K

$4,425 NZ$7,623

49.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,897 NZ$6,713

$3,413 NZ$5,880

14.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,057 NZ$5,266

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,339 in Wellington and $961 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Wellington vs $79.0 in Dargaville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 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 24% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $1,901 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,531 in Wellington and $2,852 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: $1,339 in Wellington versus $961 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $800 in Wellington versus $745 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,901 in Dargaville versus $2,354 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 24% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.