Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balga and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Balga: $2,762 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Balga and in Perth

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Balga and in Perth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,762 in Balga versus $3,080 in Perth.

Balga $2,762
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,828 in Balga versus $4,194 in Perth.

Balga $3,828
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,893 in Balga versus $5,309 in Perth.

Balga $4,893
Perth $5,309

Living in Balga costs roughly 10% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balga 103% above, Perth 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.97 A$29.71

$21.45 A$30.39

-2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.2 A$118

$85.5 A$121

-2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 A$15.77

$10.92 A$15.47

1.92%

Cappuccino

$4.62 A$6.54

$4.55 A$6.45

1.54%

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

$2.80 A$3.96

$2.79 A$3.95

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.26

$2.26 A$3.20

1.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.39 A$11.89

$8.31 A$11.78

0.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.69

$8.55 A$12.12

-3.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.46

$1.68 A$2.38

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.45

$3.18 A$4.51

-1.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.79

$2.02 A$2.87

-2.48%

Eggs

$5.09 A$7.22

$5.28 A$7.49

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 A$13.13

$9.51 A$13.47

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.40

$9.21 A$13.05

2.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.74 A$19.46

$13.99 A$19.82

-1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.46

$4.60 A$6.51

-0.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.55

$3.15 A$4.47

1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.05

$3.52 A$4.99

1.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 A$6.87

$4.84 A$6.86

0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.03

$2.79 A$3.95

2.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 A$2.73

$1.88 A$2.67

2.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.21 A$3.12

2.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.34 A$1.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.17 A$59.7

$42.80 A$60.6

-1.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.46 A$17.65

$12.65 A$17.91

-1.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.16

$4.35 A$6.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$4.98

$3.37 A$4.77

4.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.78

$2.41 A$3.41

10.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$99.6 A$141

-21.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 A$5.12

$3.59 A$5.08

0.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.46 A$2.06

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.13 A$58.3

$40.46 A$57.3

1.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

$29.6K A$41.9K

1.18%

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

$27.8K A$39.5K

$28.1K A$39.8K

-0.96%

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

$207 A$293

$204 A$288

1.45%

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

$33.27 A$47.13

$33.62 A$47.63

-1.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 A$90.0

$64.8 A$91.8

-2.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 A$88.7

$54.0 A$76.5

15.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.26 A$27.29

$21.16 A$29.97

-8.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 A$24.45

$17.29 A$24.49

-0.17%

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

$2,271 A$3,217

$2,300 A$3,258

-1.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K A$33.6K

$23.1K A$32.7K

2.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$111

$77.5 A$110

1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 A$89.9

$63.7 A$90.3

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$175

$121 A$172

1.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 A$233

$166 A$235

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 A$2,078

$2,006 A$2,841

-26.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 A$1,938

$1,673 A$2,370

-18.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 A$2,833

$2,819 A$3,993

-29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,781 A$2,523

$2,156 A$3,055

-17.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,422 A$9,097

$8,504 A$12.0K

-24.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 A$6,217

$6,037 A$8,553

-27.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,358 A$4,757

$4,224 A$5,984

-20.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

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

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Balga

$1.4K 49.5%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 22.3% $305

Groceries & Markets

Balga

$365 13.2%

Perth

$365 11.9% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Balga

$335 12.1%

Perth

$338 11% 0.7% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balga

$303 11%

Perth

$302 9.8% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Balga

$193 7%

Perth

$193 6.3% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Balga

$100 3.6%

Perth

$120 3.9% 20.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Balga

$97 3.5%

Perth

$89 2.9% 8.8% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,467 in Balga and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $83 in Balga vs $86 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $365 per month, with Balga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Balga

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

Same time as Balga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,685

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Balga Perth 11 km

From you

Balga
Perth

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Balga vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,762 in Balga and $3,080 in Perth, so Balga is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Balga. 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: $1,467 in Balga versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,271 in Balga versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balga – a meal for two runs $83 versus $86 in Perth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Balga and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Balga wins on affordability, Perth on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.