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: $2,306 in Wellington versus $1,892 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,563 in Wellington versus $2,929 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,819 in Wellington versus $3,966 in Dargaville.

Living in Wellington is roughly 22% more expensive than Dargaville, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 72% above, Dargaville 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 NZ$30.01

$15.10 NZ$25.83

16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.0 NZ$142

$78.9 NZ$135

5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.70 NZ$16.59

$9.60 NZ$16.41

1.04%

Cappuccino

$3.67 NZ$6.28

$3.44 NZ$5.88

6.69%

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

$2.56 NZ$4.37

$2.33 NZ$3.99

9.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 NZ$3.64

$2.08 NZ$3.56

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 NZ$12.13

$7.11 NZ$12.17

-0.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 NZ$12.10

$6.22 NZ$10.63

13.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.89 NZ$3.22

-2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 NZ$3.63

$1.92 NZ$3.28

10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 NZ$3.24

$1.85 NZ$3.16

2.16%

Eggs

$7.25 NZ$12.39

$6.24 NZ$10.67

16.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 NZ$14.11

$8.12 NZ$13.89

1.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.98 NZ$18.78

$9.79 NZ$16.75

12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 NZ$22.60

$12.69 NZ$21.70

4.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 NZ$5.34

$2.77 NZ$4.74

12.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$4.01

$2.20 NZ$3.75

6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 NZ$5.29

$3.06 NZ$5.24

0.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 NZ$8.37

$4.52 NZ$7.73

8.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NZ$3.58

$2.00 NZ$3.43

4.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 NZ$2.72

$1.89 NZ$3.24

-15.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$2.29 NZ$3.92

-1.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 NZ$2.23

$1.15 NZ$1.97

13.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.84 NZ$45.89

$24.50 NZ$41.89

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 NZ$17.98

$10.89 NZ$18.62

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NZ$6.06

$2.57 NZ$4.40

37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NZ$5.60

$3.56 NZ$6.08

-8.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 NZ$4.54

$2.14 NZ$3.66

23.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 NZ$187

$65.2 NZ$111

67.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 NZ$4.54

$2.73 NZ$4.67

-2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 NZ$3.14

$1.84 NZ$3.15

-0.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.4 NZ$105

$35.55 NZ$60.8

72.80%

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)

$33.3K NZ$57.0K

$28.3K NZ$48.3K

17.89%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.7K

$21.9K NZ$37.4K

16.61%

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

$158 NZ$270

$143 NZ$244

10.65%

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

$32.92 NZ$56.3

$36.09 NZ$61.7

-8.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 NZ$87.4

$52.1 NZ$89.1

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.78 NZ$61.2

$36.59 NZ$62.6

-2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.29 NZ$34.70

$11.93 NZ$20.39

70.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.29 NZ$21.02

$10.66 NZ$18.23

15.29%

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

$792 NZ$1,354

$734 NZ$1,255

7.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NZ$21.4K

$12.0K NZ$20.6K

3.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 NZ$122

$68.6 NZ$117

4.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 NZ$89.5

$37.35 NZ$63.9

40.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 NZ$202

$94.0 NZ$161

26.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 NZ$246

$116 NZ$199

23.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 NZ$2,254

$972 NZ$1,661

35.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 NZ$1,872

$770 NZ$1,317

42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 NZ$3,692

$1,577 NZ$2,697

36.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,898 NZ$3,245

$1,421 NZ$2,431

33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,861 NZ$11.7K

$4,973 NZ$8,504

37.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,929 NZ$6,719

$3,049 NZ$5,213

28.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,103 NZ$5,306

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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Wellington and $972 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Wellington vs $79 in Dargaville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $318 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 22% in total monthly costs ($2,306 vs $1,892 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,459 in Wellington 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: $1,318 in Wellington versus $972 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $792 in Wellington versus $734 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 $1,892 in Dargaville versus $2,306 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 22% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.