Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Forbes: $2,543 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Forbes versus $3,080 in Perth.

Forbes $2,543
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Forbes versus $4,194 in Perth.

Forbes $3,751
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Forbes versus $5,309 in Perth.

Forbes $4,958
Perth $5,309

Living in Forbes costs roughly 17% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forbes 87% above, Perth 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 A$22.54

$21.45 A$30.39

-25.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 A$134

$85.5 A$121

10.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 A$16.02

$10.92 A$15.47

3.57%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$4.99

$4.55 A$6.45

-22.64%

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

$2.99 A$4.23

$2.79 A$3.95

7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.36

$2.26 A$3.20

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 A$9.89

$8.31 A$11.78

-16.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 A$10.49

$8.55 A$12.12

-13.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.40

$1.68 A$2.38

0.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.43

$3.18 A$4.51

-23.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.03

$2.02 A$2.87

5.94%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.08

$5.28 A$7.49

-5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.40

$9.51 A$13.47

6.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.49

$9.21 A$13.05

3.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.43

$13.99 A$19.82

-1.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.35

$4.60 A$6.51

-17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.26

$3.15 A$4.47

-4.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.04

$3.52 A$4.99

0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.97

$4.84 A$6.86

1.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.54

$2.79 A$3.95

-10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.62

$1.88 A$2.67

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.23

$2.21 A$3.12

3.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.06

$1.34 A$1.89

8.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.43 A$65.8

$42.80 A$60.6

8.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.51

$12.65 A$17.91

-2.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.73

$4.35 A$6.17

9.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 A$8.21

$3.37 A$4.77

72.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.76

$2.41 A$3.41

10.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$99.6 A$141

-21.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 A$5.25

$3.59 A$5.08

3.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.44

$1.46 A$2.06

17.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.70 A$64.7

$40.46 A$57.3

12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.78

$1.35 A$1.91

-7.41%

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

$33.8K A$47.9K

$29.6K A$41.9K

14.40%

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

$28.1K A$39.9K

$28.1K A$39.8K

0.10%

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

$195 A$276

$204 A$288

-4.26%

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

$23.66 A$33.52

$33.62 A$47.63

-29.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.6

$64.8 A$91.8

-17.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 A$83.7

$54.0 A$76.5

9.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$27.93

$21.16 A$29.97

-6.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$17.07

$17.29 A$24.49

-30.31%

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

$2,301 A$3,259

$2,300 A$3,258

0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$30.2K

$23.1K A$32.7K

-7.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$114

$77.5 A$110

4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$80.4

$63.7 A$90.3

-10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$165

$121 A$172

-3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$175

$166 A$235

-25.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,207

$2,006 A$2,841

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,810

$1,673 A$2,370

-23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 A$3,488

$2,819 A$3,993

-12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,892

$2,156 A$3,055

-5.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,405

$8,504 A$12.0K

-38.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 A$7,290

$6,037 A$8,553

-14.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$5,984

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 Forbes: 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

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 30.9% $395

Groceries & Markets

Forbes

$364 14.3%

Perth

$365 11.9% 0.4% $1.4

Eating Out

Forbes

$275 10.8%

Perth

$338 11% 23% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forbes

$272 10.7%

Perth

$302 9.8% 11.1% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Forbes

$170 6.7%

Perth

$193 6.3% 13.3% $23

Getting Around

Forbes

$101 4%

Perth

$120 3.9% 18.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Forbes

$83 3.3%

Perth

$89 2.9% 6.4% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Forbes and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Forbes vs $86 in Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $365, with Forbes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forbes

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

08:12 8:12 AM

3 h behind Forbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,481

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Forbes Perth 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Forbes
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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

Forbes vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,543 in Forbes and $3,080 in Perth, so Forbes is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,814 in Forbes 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: $1,558 in Forbes 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 Forbes runs roughly 21% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Forbes versus $3,080 in Perth – Forbes is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,543 in Forbes versus $3,080 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forbes but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Forbes 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, Forbes and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.