Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Geelong and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Geelong: $2,602 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Geelong
Learn more

Geelong Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Geelong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,602

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Geelong versus $3,019 in Perth.

Geelong $2,602
Perth $3,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Geelong versus $4,128 in Perth.

Geelong $3,495
Perth $4,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Geelong versus $5,236 in Perth.

Geelong $4,387
Perth $5,236

Living in Geelong costs roughly 14% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Geelong 93% above, Perth 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 A$25.27

$20.10 A$28.92

-12.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 A$118

$83.4 A$120

-1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 A$14.80

$10.54 A$15.17

-2.37%

Cappuccino

$3.80 A$5.47

$4.37 A$6.28

-13.04%

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

$2.80 A$4.03

$2.82 A$4.06

-0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 A$3.10

$2.25 A$3.23

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 A$9.39

$8.30 A$11.94

-21.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 A$11.30

$8.38 A$12.05

-6.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.78 A$2.56

-12.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 A$3.65

$3.16 A$4.54

-19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.70

$1.97 A$2.84

-5.08%

Eggs

$4.27 A$6.14

$5.22 A$7.51

-18.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 A$11.15

$9.35 A$13.45

-17.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.90

$9.18 A$13.21

5.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.35 A$22.08

$14.08 A$20.26

9.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 A$5.92

$4.59 A$6.61

-10.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.24 A$4.67

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.18

$3.32 A$4.78

-12.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$4.94 A$7.11

-34.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 A$4.40

$2.92 A$4.20

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.12

$1.91 A$2.75

13.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 A$2.98

$2.32 A$3.34

-10.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 A$2.24

$1.36 A$1.96

13.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.24 A$65.1

$41.10 A$59.1

10.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.64 A$18.19

$12.68 A$18.24

-0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.78 A$5.45

$4.32 A$6.22

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 A$4.27

$3.38 A$4.86

-12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.45 A$10.72

$2.48 A$3.56

200.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 A$184

$96.5 A$139

32.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.45 A$6.41

$3.51 A$5.05

26.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.38 A$1.98

-1.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.97 A$43.12

$41.16 A$59.2

-27.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 A$1.85

$1.40 A$2.02

-7.86%

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

$28.0K A$40.2K

$26.8K A$38.5K

4.47%

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

$26.3K A$37.9K

$29.9K A$43.0K

-11.87%

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

$155 A$222

$196 A$282

-21.09%

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

$25.90 A$37.28

$33.08 A$47.60

-21.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.3

$62.1 A$89.3

-8.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$80.1

$58.2 A$83.7

-4.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.25 A$21.95

$21.48 A$30.91

-29.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.72 A$18.30

$17.57 A$25.29

-27.60%

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

$2,138 A$3,076

$2,323 A$3,342

-7.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.6K A$42.6K

$22.9K A$32.9K

29.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.5 A$114

$76.8 A$110

3.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.93 A$70.4

$65.8 A$94.7

-25.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 A$135

$120 A$173

-21.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$151

$162 A$233

-35.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 A$1,818

$1,938 A$2,789

-34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 A$1,933

$1,637 A$2,356

-17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,717 A$2,471

$2,740 A$3,943

-37.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 A$2,167

$2,134 A$3,070

-29.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,557 A$9,436

$8,328 A$12.0K

-21.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,281 A$7,600

$6,152 A$8,852

-14.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,086 A$4,441

$4,288 A$6,171

-28.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.91

-0.17%

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

Last update for Geelong: October 11, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Geelong

$1.3K 51.6%

Perth

$1.6K 54.2% 21.9% $294

Groceries & Markets

Geelong

$340 13.1%

Perth

$367 12.1% 8% $27

Eating Out

Geelong

$285 11%

Perth

$323 10.7% 13.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Geelong

$237 9.1%

Perth

$291 9.6% 22.8% $54

Getting Around

Geelong

$169 6.5%

Perth

$117 3.9% 30.9% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Geelong

$147 5.7%

Perth

$191 6.3% 29.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Geelong

$81 3.1%

Perth

$93 3.1% 15.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,264 in Geelong and $1,938 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Geelong vs $83.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $367 per month, with Geelong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Geelong

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

19:41 7:41 PM

16:41 4:41 PM

3 h behind Geelong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

180,239

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Geelong Perth 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Geelong
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

Geelong vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Geelong and Perth differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,602 vs $3,019 including rent). Geelong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Perth. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,264 in Geelong versus $1,938 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,602 per month in Geelong versus $3,019 in Perth – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Geelong runs roughly 33% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,602 in Geelong versus $3,019 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Geelong but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Geelong 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, Geelong 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 Geelong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.