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: $2,436 in Wellington versus $1,967 in Dargaville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Wellington versus $3,019 in Dargaville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Wellington versus $4,071 in Dargaville.

Living in Wellington is roughly 24% more expensive than in Dargaville, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 77% above, Dargaville 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.34 NZ$24.54

$14.92 NZ$25.52

-3.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 NZ$115

$70.1 NZ$120

-3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.63

$9.32 NZ$15.95

4.29%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.84

$3.38 NZ$5.78

0.89%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.40

$2.24 NZ$3.84

14.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.15

$1.87 NZ$3.20

-1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 NZ$13.01

$6.64 NZ$11.37

14.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 NZ$12.18

$6.49 NZ$11.10

9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$1.85 NZ$3.17

3.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 NZ$3.97

$2.01 NZ$3.43

15.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.30

$1.82 NZ$3.12

6.04%

Eggs

$7.29 NZ$12.46

$6.04 NZ$10.32

20.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.73

$8.49 NZ$14.53

15.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 NZ$17.19

$9.86 NZ$16.87

1.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 NZ$26.91

$15.13 NZ$25.87

3.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.48

$2.81 NZ$4.81

14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$3.96

$2.33 NZ$3.98

-0.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.39

$3.17 NZ$5.42

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 NZ$11.41

$5.63 NZ$9.64

18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.67

$2.19 NZ$3.75

-2.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 NZ$2.24

$1.45 NZ$2.49

-9.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 NZ$3.74

$2.11 NZ$3.62

3.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.06

$1.12 NZ$1.92

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.36 NZ$45.10

$24.64 NZ$42.16

6.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 NZ$20.29

$9.53 NZ$16.30

24.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.55

$3.06 NZ$5.24

5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NZ$4.99

$3.33 NZ$5.69

-12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 NZ$5.13

$1.76 NZ$3.01

70.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$185

$87.5 NZ$150

23.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 NZ$3.36

$2.34 NZ$4.00

-15.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.29

$1.96 NZ$3.34

-2.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 NZ$59.7

$32.34 NZ$55.3

7.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 NZ$3.39

$1.79 NZ$3.06

10.61%

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

$26.0K NZ$44.4K

$26.2K NZ$44.8K

-0.83%

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

$26.7K NZ$45.7K

$24.5K NZ$41.9K

9.19%

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

$206 NZ$353

$117 NZ$200

76.32%

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

$32.99 NZ$56.4

$29.82 NZ$51.0

10.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NZ$96.2

$53.0 NZ$90.6

6.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 NZ$68.9

$40.61 NZ$69.5

-0.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 NZ$29.11

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 NZ$22.20

$10.91 NZ$18.66

18.97%

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

$1,107 NZ$1,894

$728 NZ$1,245

52.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.1K

$13.6K NZ$23.3K

-0.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$137

$66.5 NZ$114

20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.15 NZ$49.86

$37.27 NZ$63.8

-21.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NZ$184

$93.6 NZ$160

15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NZ$278

$117 NZ$201

38.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 NZ$2,218

$957 NZ$1,638

35.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 NZ$2,070

$860 NZ$1,472

40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 NZ$3,897

$1,712 NZ$2,928

33.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 NZ$3,008

$1,550 NZ$2,651

13.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,004 NZ$12.0K

$5,118 NZ$8,754

36.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 NZ$6,331

$3,428 NZ$5,864

7.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,914 NZ$4,984

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Wellington: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dargaville: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Wellington and $957 in Dargaville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Wellington vs $70.0 in Dargaville. Groceries flip the comparison at $360 vs $332, with Dargaville cheaper for home cooking.

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 ($2,436 vs $1,967 including rent). Dargaville is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,653 in Wellington and $2,951 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: $1,297 in Wellington versus $957 in Dargaville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,107 in Wellington versus $728 in Dargaville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,967 in Dargaville versus $2,436 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.