Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Carlton: $2,328 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Carlton
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Carlton Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Carlton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,328

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,328 in Carlton versus $3,080 in Perth.

Carlton $2,328
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,353 in Carlton versus $4,194 in Perth.

Carlton $3,353
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Carlton versus $5,309 in Perth.

Carlton $4,379
Perth $5,309

Living in Carlton costs roughly 24% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 71% above, Perth 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 A$24.64

$21.45 A$30.49

-19.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 A$98.2

$85.5 A$122

-19.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.61

$10.92 A$15.52

-5.86%

Cappuccino

$3.03 A$4.31

$4.55 A$6.47

-33.41%

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

$2.70 A$3.84

$2.79 A$3.96

-3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.26 A$3.21

-9.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 A$9.50

$8.31 A$11.82

-19.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 A$9.38

$8.55 A$12.16

-22.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.85

$1.68 A$2.38

-22.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.08 A$2.95

$3.18 A$4.52

-34.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 A$1.98

$2.02 A$2.88

-31.19%

Eggs

$3.41 A$4.84

$5.28 A$7.51

-35.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.78

$9.51 A$13.51

9.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.16

$9.21 A$13.09

8.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 A$21.23

$13.99 A$19.89

6.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 A$4.71

$4.60 A$6.53

-28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 A$3.92

$3.15 A$4.48

-12.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.65

$3.52 A$5.01

-7.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 A$6.78

$4.84 A$6.88

-1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.79 A$3.97

-13.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.09

$1.88 A$2.68

15.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.20

$2.21 A$3.13

1.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 A$1.28

$1.34 A$1.90

-32.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.30 A$35.96

$42.80 A$60.8

-40.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.61 A$15.08

$12.65 A$17.97

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.57 A$7.92

$4.35 A$6.19

28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.50

$3.37 A$4.79

56.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 A$4.38

$2.41 A$3.42

27.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.7 A$118

$99.6 A$142

-17.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.21

$3.59 A$5.10

2.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 A$1.76

$1.46 A$2.07

-15.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.46 A$37.61

$40.46 A$57.5

-34.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.84

$1.35 A$1.92

-4.44%

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

$18.2K A$25.9K

$29.6K A$42.0K

-38.31%

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

$14.0K A$20.0K

$28.1K A$40.0K

-50.04%

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

$93.2 A$132

$204 A$289

-54.23%

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

$28.34 A$40.28

$33.62 A$47.79

-15.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.79 A$66.5

$64.8 A$92.1

-27.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 A$45.27

$54.0 A$76.7

-41.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.90 A$25.45

$21.16 A$30.07

-15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 A$19.13

$17.29 A$24.58

-22.15%

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

$2,108 A$2,996

$2,300 A$3,269

-8.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.6K

$23.1K A$32.8K

-46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$77.5 A$110

3.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.5

$63.7 A$90.6

-20.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 A$99.0

$121 A$172

-42.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$187

$166 A$235

-20.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,003

$2,006 A$2,851

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 A$1,755

$1,673 A$2,378

-26.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 A$3,156

$2,819 A$4,007

-21.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 A$2,611

$2,156 A$3,065

-14.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,665 A$8,052

$8,504 A$12.1K

-33.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,619 A$6,565

$6,037 A$8,582

-23.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,904 A$8,392

$4,224 A$6,004

39.78%

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 Carlton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlton

$1.2K 53.1%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 35.5% $438

Groceries & Markets

Carlton

$340 14.6%

Perth

$365 11.9% 7.5% $25

Eating Out

Carlton

$272 11.7%

Perth

$338 11% 24.4% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlton

$168 7.2%

Perth

$302 9.8% 79.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Carlton

$150 6.4%

Perth

$193 6.3% 28.8% $43

Getting Around

Carlton

$105 4.5%

Perth

$120 3.9% 14.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Carlton

$59 2.5%

Perth

$89 2.9% 50.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,409 in Carlton and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69 in Carlton vs $86 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $365 per month, with Carlton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Carlton

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

11:19 11:19 AM

3 h behind Carlton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,001

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Carlton Perth 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlton
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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

Carlton vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,328 in Carlton and $3,080 in Perth, so Carlton is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Carlton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,409 in Carlton versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,108 in Carlton versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,328 in Carlton versus $3,080 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Carlton but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Carlton 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, Carlton and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.