Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Darwin and Perth

For one person, living costs are similar in Darwin and in Perth: $3,073 and $3,080 a month, rent and utilities included.

148

Cost of Living Index in Darwin
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Darwin Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

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Darwin

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,073

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,073 in Darwin versus $3,080 in Perth.

Darwin $3,073
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,118 in Darwin versus $4,194 in Perth.

Darwin $4,118
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,163 in Darwin versus $5,309 in Perth.

Darwin $5,163
Perth $5,309

Monthly costs are close between Darwin and Perth; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.40 A$31.85

$21.45 A$30.50

4.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 A$129

$85.5 A$122

5.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 A$16.16

$10.92 A$15.52

4.03%

Cappuccino

$4.23 A$6.01

$4.55 A$6.47

-7.03%

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

$3.46 A$4.92

$2.79 A$3.96

24.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 A$4.28

$2.26 A$3.22

33.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.57 A$10.76

$8.31 A$11.82

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 A$10.77

$8.55 A$12.16

-11.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 A$2.19

$1.68 A$2.39

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 A$4.32

$3.18 A$4.52

-4.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 A$3.13

$2.02 A$2.88

8.91%

Eggs

$4.47 A$6.35

$5.28 A$7.51

-15.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 A$12.68

$9.51 A$13.52

-6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.31 A$11.82

$9.21 A$13.09

-9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 A$12.58

$13.99 A$19.90

-36.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.85 A$5.47

$4.60 A$6.54

-16.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.10

$3.15 A$4.48

-8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.98

$3.52 A$5.01

-20.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 A$7.15

$4.84 A$6.89

3.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$2.79 A$3.97

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.27

$1.88 A$2.68

22.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 A$2.93

$2.21 A$3.14

-6.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.09

$1.34 A$1.90

61.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.35 A$64.5

$42.80 A$60.9

5.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 A$17.28

$12.65 A$17.98

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$10.13 A$14.40

$4.35 A$6.19

132.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$11.19

$3.37 A$4.79

133.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.37 A$68.8

$99.6 A$142

-51.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 A$5.25

$3.59 A$5.10

2.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.46 A$2.07

-7.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.52 A$69.0

$40.46 A$57.5

19.92%

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)

$30.0K A$42.6K

$29.6K A$42.0K

1.34%

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

$33.4K A$47.5K

$28.1K A$40.0K

18.72%

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

$215 A$305

$204 A$289

5.38%

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

$33.49 A$47.61

$33.62 A$47.81

-0.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 A$86.7

$64.8 A$92.2

-5.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.0 A$104

$54.0 A$76.8

35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.22 A$40.13

$21.16 A$30.08

33.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 A$24.16

$17.29 A$24.59

-1.74%

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

$1,939 A$2,756

$2,300 A$3,270

-15.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,442 A$12.0K

$23.1K A$32.8K

-63.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 A$121

$77.5 A$110

9.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.52 A$66.2

$63.7 A$90.6

-27.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$150

$121 A$172

-12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 A$196

$166 A$236

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,719 A$2,444

$2,006 A$2,852

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,430

$1,673 A$2,379

2.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,803 A$3,985

$2,819 A$4,008

-0.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 A$3,021

$2,156 A$3,066

-1.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,771 A$5,363

$8,504 A$12.1K

-55.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,536 A$5,028

$6,037 A$8,585

-41.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,223 A$6,005

$4,224 A$6,006

-0.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.14

5.96

3.02%

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

Last update for Darwin: 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

Darwin

$1.7K 55.6%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 2.1% $36

Groceries & Markets

Darwin

$377 12.3%

Perth

$365 11.9% 3.2% $12

Eating Out

Darwin

$343 11.2%

Perth

$338 11% 1.5% $5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Darwin

$309 10.1%

Perth

$302 9.8% 2.2% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Darwin

$169 5.5%

Perth

$193 6.3% 14.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Darwin

$107 3.5%

Perth

$89 2.9% 17.2% $18

Getting Around

Darwin

$59 * 1.9%

Perth

$120 3.9% 104% $61

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,719 in Darwin and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91 in Darwin vs $86 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $365 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Darwin

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

1 h 30 min behind Darwin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

122,207

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

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Between locations

Darwin Perth 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Darwin
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

Darwin vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $4,609 in Darwin 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,719 in Darwin versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Darwin runs roughly 51% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Darwin is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Darwin 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.