Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Perth Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Macquarie and Perth

๐Ÿ™‚ Solo nomad: Lake Macquarie is 8.9% cheaper than Perth without rent, and 14.1% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Lake Macquarie is 2.1% more expensive than Perth without rent, and 1.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.91 A$19.78
$16.32 A$25
-20.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.1 A$118
$77.2 A$118
-0.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.66 A$14.79
$10.48 A$16.06
-7.82%
Cappuccino
$3.34 A$5.12
$3.71 A$5.68
-9.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 A$3.65
$2.46 A$3.77
-3.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2 A$3.07
$1.94 A$2.97
3.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.35 A$9.72
$7.73 A$11.84
-17.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.96 A$10.66
$6.4 A$9.8
8.75%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.37 A$2.1
$1.45 A$2.22
-5.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.44 A$2.2
$2.35 A$3.61
-38.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 A$1.82
$2 A$3.07
-40.50%
Eggs
$3.14 A$4.81
$4.38 A$6.72
-28.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.51 A$11.5
$8.74 A$13.39
-14.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.07 A$9.3
$8.63 A$13.21
-29.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.78 A$18.05
$13.88 A$21.27
-15.13%
Apples (1kg)
$3.11 A$4.76
$3.56 A$5.45
-12.64%
Banana (1kg)
$2.7 A$4.13
$2.98 A$4.57
-9.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.16 A$4.84
$2.89 A$4.42
9.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.33 A$6.64
$4.61 A$7.06
-6.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 A$2.98
$2.45 A$3.76
-20.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 A$2.66
$1.71 A$2.62
1.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 A$2.07
$1.94 A$2.98
-30.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 A$1.73
$1.52 A$2.32
-25.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$27.52 A$42.16
$32.5 A$49.79
-15.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.24 A$11.09
$9.62 A$14.74
-24.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.62 A$4.02
$3.75 A$5.75
-30.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 A$3.3
$4.25 A$6.51
-49.41%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.07 A$3.17
$3.07 A$4.71
-32.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$88.9 A$136
$72.5 A$111
22.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.87 A$2.86
$3.91 A$5.99
-52.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 A$2.37
$2.13 A$3.26
-27.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$46.5 A$71.2
$49.94 A$76.5
-6.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.11 A$1.71
7.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.9K A$38.2K
$28.5K A$43.7K
-12.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.2K A$30.9K
$24.2K A$37.1K
-16.68%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 A$313
$158 A$243
29.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.26 A$15.72
$27.89 A$42.73
-63.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.08 A$64.5
$54.7 A$83.8
-23.06%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.44 A$75.7
$41.39 A$63.4
19.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.88 A$24.33
$15.86 A$24.29
0.13%
Cinema Ticket
$9.2 A$14.1
$16.29 A$24.96
-43.52%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,446 A$2,215
$1,759 A$2,695
-17.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,951 A$15.2K
$12K A$18.4K
-17.10%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$73.4 A$112
$70 A$107
4.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.88 A$51.9
$47.67 A$73
-28.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.6 A$117
$104 A$159
-26.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$202
$104 A$160
26.88%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,240 A$1,900
$1,489 A$2,281
-16.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$976 A$1,495
$1,167 A$1,788
-16.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,007 A$3,074
$2,557 A$3,917
-21.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,055 A$3,148
$1,806 A$2,767
13.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,582 A$8,552
$5,543 A$8,492
0.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,951 A$7,584
$5,075 A$7,774
-2.44%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Lake Macquarie
Perth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,783 A$7,327
$3,778 A$5,787
26.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.35
6.42
-32.24%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 29, 2025

Last update for Perth: October 26, 2025

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