Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Dordrecht Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Dordrecht

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,698 in Whangarei versus $2,540 in Dordrecht.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,673 in Whangarei versus $3,621 in Dordrecht.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,648 in Whangarei versus $4,701 in Dordrecht.

Living in Whangarei costs roughly 33% less than in Dordrecht, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whangarei 27% above, Dordrecht 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.97 NZ$35.72

$17.28 €14.88

21.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 NZ$145

$94.3 €81.2

-9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 NZ$17.62

$12.95 €11.15

-20.15%

Cappuccino

$3.82 NZ$6.51

$3.86 €3.32

-1.04%

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

$2.17 NZ$3.69

$3.39 €2.92

-35.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 NZ$2.99

$3.12 €2.68

-43.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.40 NZ$10.90

$6.73 €5.80

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 NZ$13.61

$5.83 €5.02

37.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 NZ$3.32

$1.28 €1.10

52.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 NZ$3.69

$2.26 €1.94

-4.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 NZ$3.46

$3.15 €2.71

-35.56%

Eggs

$6.73 NZ$11.46

$4.60 €3.96

46.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 NZ$16.57

$14.24 €12.26

-31.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.71 NZ$18.24

$15.33 €13.20

-30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 NZ$28.45

$16.79 €14.45

-0.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 NZ$5.09

$2.37 €2.04

26.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$3.97

$2.46 €2.12

-5.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 NZ$5.08

$2.04 €1.76

46.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 NZ$8.01

$4.67 €4.02

0.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 NZ$4.39

$2.03 €1.75

27.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.23

$2.10 €1.81

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 NZ$4.19

$1.25 €1.07

96.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 NZ$1.90

$0.85 €0.73

31.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.68 NZ$40.33

$13.69 €11.79

72.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 NZ$17.36

$7.48 €6.44

36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NZ$4.01

$1.50 €1.29

56.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 NZ$4.90

$2.61 €2.25

10.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 NZ$3.03

$4.66 €4.01

-61.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 NZ$235

$93.0 €80.1

48.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 NZ$6.76

$3.79 €3.26

4.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NZ$2.79

$2.06 €1.77

-20.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.27 NZ$24.31

$27.72 €23.86

-48.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.80

$2.30 €1.98

-28.70%

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

$44.9K NZ$76.5K

$35.5K €30.6K

26.51%

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

$22.3K NZ$38.1K

$33.2K €28.6K

-32.65%

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

$132 NZ$224

$238 €205

-44.66%

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

$39.38 NZ$67.1

$28.98 €24.95

35.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$90.1

$54.3 €46.73

-2.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 NZ$64.6

$40.59 €34.94

-6.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 NZ$5.24

$24.81 €21.36

-87.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 NZ$18.15

$16.29 €14.02

-34.62%

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

$783 NZ$1,333

$2,192 €1,887

-64.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K NZ$20.6K

$6,859 €5,905

76.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.1 NZ$118

$87.7 €75.5

-21.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.32 NZ$58.5

$34.59 €29.78

-0.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 NZ$139

$94.8 €81.7

-13.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 NZ$173

$153 €132

-33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$544 NZ$927

$1,607 €1,383

-66.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$454 NZ$773

$1,225 €1,054

-62.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 NZ$1,724

$2,284 €1,966

-55.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 NZ$1,322

$1,705 €1,468

-54.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,472 NZ$7,618

$4,355 €3,749

2.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,393 NZ$5,780

$4,020 €3,460

-15.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,515 NZ$4,285

$5,433 €4,678

-53.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

4.3

55.81%

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

Last update for Whangarei: June 1, 2026

Last update for Dordrecht: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $544 in Whangarei and $1,607 in Dordrecht. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dordrecht pays 116% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Whangarei vs $94.0 in Dordrecht for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $347 per month, with Whangarei 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

Whangarei vs Dordrecht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whangarei is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Dordrecht earns 116% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $544 in Whangarei versus $1,607 in Dordrecht. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Dordrecht. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Whangarei – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $94.0 in Dordrecht. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,698 in Whangarei versus $2,540 in Dordrecht, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whangarei but tight or insufficient in Dordrecht. The gap between the two cities makes Whangarei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Whangarei is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dordrecht, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Whangarei and Dordrecht 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 Whangarei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Dordrecht. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.