Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kalgoorlie and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Kalgoorlie: $1,944 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kalgoorlie, Australia
Perth, Australia
Kalgoorlie
🇦🇺 Australia
$1,944
/mo nomad
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,944 in Kalgoorlie versus $3,080 in Perth.

  • Kalgoorlie $1,944
  • Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,314 in Kalgoorlie versus $4,194 in Perth.

  • Kalgoorlie $3,314
  • Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,684 in Kalgoorlie versus $5,309 in Perth.

  • Kalgoorlie $4,684
  • Perth $5,309

Living in Kalgoorlie costs roughly 37% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kalgoorlie 43% above, Perth 126% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.45 A$24.82
$21.45 A$30.51
-18.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.3 A$121
$85.5 A$122
-0.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.53 A$14.98
$10.92 A$15.53
-3.57%
Cappuccino
$4.68 A$6.65
$4.55 A$6.48
2.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 A$5.35
$2.79 A$3.96
34.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 A$4.94
$2.26 A$3.22
53.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.13 A$8.72
$8.31 A$11.82
-26.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.33 A$10.43
$8.55 A$12.17
-14.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 A$2.24
$1.68 A$2.39
-6.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.46 A$4.92
$3.18 A$4.52
8.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 A$3.20
$2.02 A$2.88
11.39%
Eggs
$4.64 A$6.59
$5.28 A$7.52
-12.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.60 A$13.65
$9.51 A$13.52
0.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.45 A$13.44
$9.21 A$13.10
2.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.98 A$21.31
$13.99 A$19.90
7.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.83 A$5.45
$4.60 A$6.54
-16.74%
Banana (1kg)
$3.12 A$4.44
$3.15 A$4.49
-0.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.27 A$4.65
$3.52 A$5.01
-7.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 A$6.43
$4.84 A$6.89
-6.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.78 A$3.95
$2.79 A$3.97
-0.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.47 A$3.51
$1.88 A$2.68
31.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.13 A$3.02
$2.21 A$3.14
-3.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 A$2.26
$1.34 A$1.90
18.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$41.62 A$59.2
$42.80 A$60.9
-2.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.03 A$19.96
$12.65 A$17.99
10.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.85 A$6.90
$4.35 A$6.19
11.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.22 A$7.42
$3.37 A$4.79
54.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.81 A$4.00
$2.41 A$3.42
16.60%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.1 A$118
$99.6 A$142
-16.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.53 A$5.02
$3.59 A$5.10
-1.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 A$2.40
$1.46 A$2.07
15.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.29 A$61.6
$40.46 A$57.6
6.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.93
$1.35 A$1.92
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K A$37.7K
$29.6K A$42.0K
-10.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.3K A$40.3K
$28.1K A$40.0K
0.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$312 A$443
$204 A$290
53.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.5 A$80.4
$33.62 A$47.82
68.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.1 A$98.2
$64.8 A$92.2
6.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.33 A$54.5
$54.0 A$76.8
-28.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.58 A$26.42
$21.16 A$30.09
-12.19%
Cinema Ticket
$17.77 A$25.28
$17.29 A$24.59
2.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,057 A$2,926
$2,300 A$3,271
-10.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.7K A$25.1K
$23.1K A$32.9K
-23.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.9 A$109
$77.5 A$110
-0.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 A$78.8
$63.7 A$90.6
-13.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$154
$121 A$172
-10.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 A$150
$166 A$236
-36.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,383 A$1,967
$2,006 A$2,853
-31.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$493 A$702
$1,673 A$2,380
-70.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,661 A$2,363
$2,819 A$4,010
-41.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,579 A$2,246
$2,156 A$3,067
-26.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,521 A$9,275
$8,504 A$12.1K
-23.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,802 A$6,830
$6,037 A$8,587
-20.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kalgoorlie
Perth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,189 A$8,802
$4,224 A$6,008
46.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.25
5.96
4.87%

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

Last update for Kalgoorlie: October 26, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kalgoorlie
$493
Perth
$1.7K 239% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kalgoorlie
$437
Perth
$302 30.9% $135
Groceries & Markets
Kalgoorlie
$376
Perth
$365 2.8% $11
Eating Out
Kalgoorlie
$302
Perth
$338 12% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Kalgoorlie
$156
Perth
$193 23.6% $37
Getting Around
Kalgoorlie
$106
Perth
$120 13% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Kalgoorlie
$74
Perth
$89 19.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,383 in Kalgoorlie and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kalgoorlie pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Kalgoorlie vs $86 in Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 vs $365, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Kalgoorlie
🇦🇺 Perth
🕒 Local time
09:10 9:10 AM
09:10 9:10 AM
Same time as Kalgoorlie
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
29,068
2,043,762
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kalgoorlie Perth 550 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Kalgoorlie
  • 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
Kalgoorlie vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kalgoorlie or Perth?
Kalgoorlie wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kalgoorlie the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kalgoorlie or in Perth?
Average pay runs 47% higher in Kalgoorlie, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kalgoorlie compared to Perth?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,383 in Kalgoorlie versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Kalgoorlie and in Perth?
Childcare runs $2,057 in Kalgoorlie versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How expensive is transport in Kalgoorlie compared to Perth?
A monthly transit pass in Kalgoorlie runs roughly 17% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Kalgoorlie or Perth?
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.
How safe is Kalgoorlie compared to Perth?
Safety-wise, Kalgoorlie and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Kalgoorlie vs other spots: cost of living compared

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