Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Perth Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlton and Perth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,166 in Carlton versus $2,310 in Perth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,100 in Carlton versus $3,356 in Perth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,034 in Carlton versus $4,402 in Perth.

Living in Carlton costs roughly 6% less than in Perth, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carlton 62% above, Perth 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 A$27.47

$16.54 A$22.99

19.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 A$91.3

$77.3 A$107

-15.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 A$13.18

$10.56 A$14.68

-10.23%

Cappuccino

$2.75 A$3.82

$3.64 A$5.06

-24.45%

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

$2.46 A$3.41

$2.53 A$3.52

-2.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 A$2.63

$1.92 A$2.67

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 A$8.49

$7.70 A$10.70

-20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.25 A$8.68

$6.45 A$8.97

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 A$1.48

$1.47 A$2.04

-27.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 A$2.45

$2.34 A$3.25

-24.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 A$2.21

$2.01 A$2.80

-20.90%

Eggs

$2.98 A$4.14

$4.51 A$6.27

-33.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.53

$8.35 A$11.61

7.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 A$13.24

$8.18 A$11.37

16.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.61 A$20.31

$13.93 A$19.36

4.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.62

$3.55 A$4.93

-6.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.57

$2.92 A$4.06

-11.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.16

$2.83 A$3.94

5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 A$5.48

$4.76 A$6.61

-17.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.18

$2.49 A$3.46

-8.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 A$2.94

$1.73 A$2.41

22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 A$3.00

$1.92 A$2.66

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.86

$1.46 A$2.03

-8.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$28.38 A$39.45

$32.49 A$45.16

-12.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 A$14.91

$10.97 A$15.24

-2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.50 A$6.26

$3.87 A$5.38

16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.06

$4.05 A$5.63

25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$3.98

$2.93 A$4.07

-2.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.7 A$71.9

$71.3 A$99.2

-27.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.08

$3.98 A$5.54

-8.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 A$1.85

$2.21 A$3.07

-39.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 A$33.78

$50.3 A$69.9

-51.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.64

$1.16 A$1.61

1.72%

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

$23.4K A$32.5K

$28.6K A$39.7K

-18.09%

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

$13.0K A$18.1K

$24.3K A$33.8K

-46.42%

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

$74.5 A$104

$154 A$214

-51.58%

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

$20.74 A$28.83

$27.61 A$38.37

-24.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.22 A$60.1

$55.5 A$77.2

-22.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 A$63.7

$41.08 A$57.1

11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 A$24.84

$15.77 A$21.93

13.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.51 A$16.00

$16.38 A$22.77

-29.73%

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

$1,209 A$1,681

$1,790 A$2,488

-32.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K A$16.1K

$12.3K A$17.0K

-5.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$94.8

$70.2 A$97.6

-2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 A$74.0

$48.80 A$67.8

9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.1 A$104

$103 A$143

-26.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 A$145

$105 A$145

-0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 A$1,811

$1,527 A$2,123

-14.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,119 A$1,555

$1,163 A$1,616

-3.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 A$2,738

$2,488 A$3,458

-20.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 A$2,251

$1,783 A$2,478

-9.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,695 A$9,306

$6,459 A$8,978

3.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 A$6,741

$4,912 A$6,827

-1.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,923 A$8,233

$4,379 A$6,087

35.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

6.42

-3.58%

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

Last update for Carlton: April 28, 2026

Last update for Perth: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Carlton and $1,527 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Carlton vs $77.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $328 per month, with Carlton 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

Carlton vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carlton and Perth differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,166 vs $2,310 including rent). Carlton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Carlton pays 35% more on average, 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: $1,303 in Carlton versus $1,527 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,209 in Carlton versus $1,790 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,166 in Carlton versus $2,310 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 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 Carlton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.