Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Broken Hill and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Broken Hill: $2,371 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Broken Hill, Australia
Perth, Australia
Broken Hill
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,371
/mo nomad
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Broken Hill 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 Broken Hill and in Perth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,371 in Broken Hill versus $3,080 in Perth.

  • Broken Hill $2,371
  • Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,506 in Broken Hill versus $4,194 in Perth.

  • Broken Hill $3,506
  • Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,641 in Broken Hill versus $5,309 in Perth.

  • Broken Hill $4,641
  • Perth $5,309

Living in Broken Hill costs roughly 23% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Broken Hill 74% above, Perth 126% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.76 A$23.94
$21.45 A$30.63
-21.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 A$119
$85.5 A$122
-2.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.11 A$13.01
$10.92 A$15.59
-16.58%
Cappuccino
$4.13 A$5.90
$4.55 A$6.50
-9.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.99
$2.79 A$3.98
-
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 A$3.33
$2.26 A$3.23
3.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.47 A$10.66
$8.31 A$11.87
-10.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.00 A$10.00
$8.55 A$12.22
-18.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.76 A$2.52
$1.68 A$2.40
4.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.80 A$4.00
$3.18 A$4.54
-11.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 A$2.91
$2.02 A$2.89
0.99%
Eggs
$5.54 A$7.91
$5.28 A$7.55
4.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.62 A$13.74
$9.51 A$13.58
1.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.18 A$14.54
$9.21 A$13.15
10.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.35 A$23.35
$13.99 A$19.99
16.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.25 A$6.07
$4.60 A$6.57
-7.61%
Banana (1kg)
$2.85 A$4.06
$3.15 A$4.50
-9.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.98 A$4.26
$3.52 A$5.03
-15.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.72 A$6.74
$4.84 A$6.92
-2.48%
Potato (1kg)
$3.03 A$4.32
$2.79 A$3.99
8.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.34
$1.88 A$2.69
24.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.23 A$3.19
$2.21 A$3.15
0.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 A$2.22
$1.34 A$1.91
16.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$48.29 A$69.0
$42.80 A$61.1
12.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.24 A$21.76
$12.65 A$18.06
20.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.21 A$6.01
$4.35 A$6.22
-3.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.47 A$7.82
$3.37 A$4.81
62.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.70 A$3.85
$2.41 A$3.44
12.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.7 A$109
$99.6 A$142
-23.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.77 A$5.39
$3.59 A$5.12
5.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 A$2.57
$1.46 A$2.08
23.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.58 A$63.7
$40.46 A$57.8
10.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 A$2.17
$1.35 A$1.93
12.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.7K A$43.9K
$29.6K A$42.2K
3.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K A$35.0K
$28.1K A$40.2K
-12.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 A$293
$204 A$291
0.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.11 A$35.87
$33.62 A$48.01
-25.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.2 A$81.6
$64.8 A$92.6
-11.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.6 A$90.9
$54.0 A$77.1
17.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.15 A$21.63
$21.16 A$30.21
-28.40%
Cinema Ticket
$13.97 A$19.96
$17.29 A$24.69
-19.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,372 A$3,388
$2,300 A$3,284
3.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.7K A$30.9K
$23.1K A$33.0K
-6.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.0 A$98.5
$77.5 A$111
-11.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.07 A$68.7
$63.7 A$91.0
-24.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 A$151
$121 A$173
-12.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 A$178
$166 A$237
-24.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,594 A$2,277
$2,006 A$2,864
-20.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,070 A$1,528
$1,673 A$2,390
-36.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,252 A$3,216
$2,819 A$4,026
-20.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,720 A$2,457
$2,156 A$3,079
-20.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,079 A$7,253
$8,504 A$12.1K
-40.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,926 A$7,035
$6,037 A$8,622
-18.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Broken Hill
Perth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$4,224 A$6,032
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
5.96
-1.01%

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

Last update for Broken Hill: October 26, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Broken Hill
$1.1K
Perth
$1.7K 56.4% $604
Groceries & Markets
Broken Hill
$383
Perth
$365 4.5% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Broken Hill
$287
Perth
$302 5.1% $15
Eating Out
Broken Hill
$283
Perth
$338 19.4% $55
Clothing & Footwear
Broken Hill
$156
Perth
$193 23.2% $36
Getting Around
Broken Hill
$100
Perth
$120 19.9% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Broken Hill
$92
Perth
$89 3.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,594 in Broken Hill and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83 in Broken Hill vs $86 in Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $383 vs $365, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Broken Hill
🇦🇺 Perth
🕒 Local time
19:21 7:21 PM
16:51 4:51 PM
2 h 30 min behind Broken Hill
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,456
2,043,762
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Broken Hill Perth 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Broken Hill
  • 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
Broken Hill vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Broken Hill cheaper than Perth?
Broken Hill is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,556 in Broken Hill and $4,620 in Perth 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.
What is the rent difference between Broken Hill and Perth?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,594 in Broken Hill versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,372 in Broken Hill versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Broken Hill and in Perth?
Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is it better to live in Broken Hill or in Perth?
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.
Which city is safer, Broken Hill or Perth?
Safety-wise, Broken Hill and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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