Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katoomba and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,409 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
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Katoomba Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,409

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,409 per month in Katoomba vs $3,080 in Perth, rent included.

Katoomba $2,409
Perth $3,080

A couple spends around $3,467 per month in Katoomba vs $4,194 in Perth, rent included.

Katoomba $3,467
Perth $4,194

A family of three spends $4,526 per month in Katoomba vs $5,309 in Perth, rent included.

Katoomba $4,526
Perth $5,309

Katoomba is about 22% cheaper than Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Katoomba and Perth sit above the global median – Katoomba by 77%, Perth by 126%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 A$24.60

$21.45 A$30.50

-19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 A$122

$85.5 A$122

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.49 A$14.92

$10.92 A$15.52

-3.94%

Cappuccino

$3.15 A$4.47

$4.55 A$6.47

-30.77%

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

$2.72 A$3.87

$2.79 A$3.96

-2.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 A$2.93

$2.26 A$3.22

-8.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 A$9.15

$8.31 A$11.82

-22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.65 A$12.30

$8.55 A$12.16

1.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.68 A$2.39

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 A$4.64

$3.18 A$4.52

2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.61

$2.02 A$2.88

25.74%

Eggs

$5.26 A$7.47

$5.28 A$7.51

-0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 A$18.74

$9.51 A$13.52

38.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.72

$9.21 A$13.09

4.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 A$21.93

$13.99 A$19.90

10.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 A$5.82

$4.60 A$6.54

-11.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.40

$3.15 A$4.48

-1.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.53 A$5.03

$3.52 A$5.01

0.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 A$7.29

$4.84 A$6.89

5.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.56

$2.79 A$3.97

15.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.08

$1.88 A$2.68

52.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.61

$2.21 A$3.14

14.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 A$1.93

$1.34 A$1.90

0.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.57 A$64.8

$42.80 A$60.9

6.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 A$19.60

$12.65 A$17.98

9.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 A$6.61

$4.35 A$6.19

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.63 A$8.01

$3.37 A$4.79

67.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 A$3.51

$2.41 A$3.42

2.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.8 A$111

$99.6 A$142

-21.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 A$5.69

$3.59 A$5.10

11.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.35

$1.46 A$2.07

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 A$60.4

$40.46 A$57.5

4.99%

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)

$28.6K A$40.7K

$29.6K A$42.0K

-3.28%

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

$26.4K A$37.5K

$28.1K A$40.0K

-6.24%

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

$186 A$265

$204 A$289

-8.48%

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

$26.42 A$37.57

$33.62 A$47.80

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$80.1

$64.8 A$92.2

-13.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.7 A$87.7

$54.0 A$76.8

14.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 A$24.69

$21.16 A$30.08

-17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$15.98 A$22.72

$17.29 A$24.58

-7.58%

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

$2,503 A$3,559

$2,300 A$3,270

8.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$28.9K

$23.1K A$32.8K

-11.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 A$108

$77.5 A$110

-1.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.3

$63.7 A$90.6

-12.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$154

$121 A$172

-10.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 A$189

$166 A$235

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 A$2,280

$2,006 A$2,852

-20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 A$1,572

$1,673 A$2,379

-33.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 A$3,139

$2,819 A$4,008

-21.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 A$2,218

$2,156 A$3,066

-27.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,535 A$7,869

$8,504 A$12.1K

-34.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,242 A$7,453

$6,037 A$8,584

-13.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,006

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

5.96

-0.17%

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

Last update for Katoomba: October 24, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.9%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 51.3% $568

Groceries & Markets

Katoomba

$396 16.5%

Perth

$365 11.9% 7.8% $31

Eating Out

Katoomba

$276 11.5%

Perth

$338 11% 22.3% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katoomba

$269 11.2%

Perth

$302 9.8% 12.3% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Katoomba

$168 7%

Perth

$193 6.3% 14.6% $25

Getting Around

Katoomba

$100 4.2%

Perth

$120 3.9% 20.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Katoomba

$94 3.9%

Perth

$89 2.9% 5.4% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Katoomba versus $2,006 in Perth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Katoomba versus $86 in Perth. Groceries tell a different story – $396 in Katoomba vs $365 in Perth – so Perth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

21:56 9:56 PM

3 h behind Katoomba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Katoomba Perth 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Katoomba
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

Katoomba vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,409 in Katoomba, $3,080 in Perth – Katoomba comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,613 per month in Katoomba and $4,620 in Perth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Katoomba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,604 there versus $2,006 in Perth.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Katoomba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Perth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Katoomba, where all-in costs run around $2,409, than in Perth at $3,080. In Katoomba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Perth has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,409 in Katoomba to $3,080 in Perth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.