Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Canberra: $2,886 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Perth outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
Learn more

Canberra Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,886

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,886 per month in Canberra vs $3,080 in Perth, rent included.

Canberra $2,886
Perth $3,080

A couple spends around $4,020 per month in Canberra vs $4,194 in Perth, rent included.

Canberra $4,020
Perth $4,194

A family of three spends $5,153 per month in Canberra vs $5,309 in Perth, rent included.

Canberra $5,153
Perth $5,309

Canberra is about 6% cheaper than Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Canberra and Perth sit above the global median – Canberra by 112%, Perth by 126%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 A$29.53

$21.45 A$30.50

-3.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 A$128

$85.5 A$122

4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 A$14.83

$10.92 A$15.52

-4.49%

Cappuccino

$3.99 A$5.67

$4.55 A$6.47

-12.31%

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

$3.12 A$4.44

$2.79 A$3.96

11.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 A$3.75

$2.26 A$3.22

16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.83

$8.31 A$11.82

0.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.11 A$14.37

$8.55 A$12.16

18.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.12

$1.68 A$2.39

-11.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.47

$3.18 A$4.52

-1.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.59

$2.02 A$2.88

25.25%

Eggs

$5.32 A$7.57

$5.28 A$7.51

0.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.15 A$18.69

$9.51 A$13.52

38.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 A$14.19

$9.21 A$13.09

8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 A$21.44

$13.99 A$19.90

7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 A$5.72

$4.60 A$6.54

-12.39%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.50

$3.15 A$4.48

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.04

$3.52 A$5.01

0.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.84 A$6.89

5.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.58

$2.79 A$3.97

15.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.03

$1.88 A$2.68

50.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.21 A$3.14

12.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.00

$1.34 A$1.90

4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.06 A$62.7

$42.80 A$60.9

2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.28

$12.65 A$17.98

12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.81 A$6.85

$4.35 A$6.19

10.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 A$8.08

$3.37 A$4.79

68.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 A$3.60

$2.41 A$3.42

4.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.8 A$135

$99.6 A$142

-4.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 A$5.68

$3.59 A$5.10

11.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 A$2.35

$1.46 A$2.07

13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.56 A$60.5

$40.46 A$57.5

5.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.35 A$1.92

-1.48%

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

$28.0K A$39.8K

$29.6K A$42.0K

-5.35%

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

$26.3K A$37.4K

$28.1K A$40.0K

-6.50%

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

$184 A$262

$204 A$289

-9.49%

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

$26.57 A$37.78

$33.62 A$47.81

-20.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.9 A$79.5

$64.8 A$92.2

-13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.4 A$113

$54.0 A$76.8

47.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.81 A$39.55

$21.16 A$30.08

31.43%

Cinema Ticket

$16.02 A$22.78

$17.29 A$24.59

-7.35%

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

$2,460 A$3,498

$2,300 A$3,270

6.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.3K

$23.1K A$32.8K

-10.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$77.5 A$110

-1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 A$81.7

$63.7 A$90.6

-9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$153

$121 A$172

-11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$166 A$236

-19.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,486

$2,006 A$2,852

-12.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 A$2,126

$1,673 A$2,379

-10.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 A$4,358

$2,819 A$4,008

8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,978 A$2,813

$2,156 A$3,066

-8.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.1K A$15.8K

$8,504 A$12.1K

30.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,790 A$11.1K

$6,037 A$8,585

29.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,317 A$6,139

$4,224 A$6,006

2.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.96

-0.17%

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

Last update for Canberra: 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

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 11.9% $178

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$397 13.8%

Perth

$365 11.9% 8% $32

Eating Out

Canberra

$330 11.4%

Perth

$338 11% 2.4% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$267 9.2%

Perth

$302 9.8% 13.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$168 5.8%

Perth

$193 6.3% 14.5% $24

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Perth

$120 3.9% 2.5% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$111 3.9%

Perth

$89 2.9% 20.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,749 in Canberra versus $2,006 in Perth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Canberra versus $86 in Perth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $365 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

15:04 3:04 PM

3 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canberra Perth 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
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

Canberra vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,886 in Canberra, $3,080 in Perth – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,329 per month in Canberra and $4,620 in Perth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Canberra, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,749 there versus $2,006 in Perth.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,886 in Canberra and $3,080 in Perth. That’s a gap of about 7%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Canberra. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.