Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Margaret River and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Margaret River: $2,642 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,642

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,642 per month in Margaret River vs $3,053 in Perth, rent included.

Margaret River $2,642
Perth $3,053

A couple spends around $3,774 per month in Margaret River vs $4,180 in Perth, rent included.

Margaret River $3,774
Perth $4,180

A family of three spends $4,907 per month in Margaret River vs $5,307 in Perth, rent included.

Margaret River $4,907
Perth $5,307

Margaret River is about 13% cheaper than Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Margaret River and Perth sit above the global median – Margaret River by 95%, Perth by 126%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.91 A$29.85

$20.83 A$29.73

0.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 A$120

$85.3 A$122

-1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 A$15.57

$10.48 A$14.97

4.10%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.44

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

$2.92 A$4.16

$2.85 A$4.07

2.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.17

$2.20 A$3.14

0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 A$11.81

$8.65 A$12.35

-4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$8.62 A$12.30

-3.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$1.77 A$2.52

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 A$4.42

$3.21 A$4.58

-3.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.95

$2.00 A$2.85

3.00%

Eggs

$5.17 A$7.38

$5.28 A$7.54

-2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 A$13.33

$9.21 A$13.15

1.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.30 A$13.28

$9.11 A$13.00

2.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.12 A$20.15

$14.83 A$21.17

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 A$6.67

$4.45 A$6.35

4.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.49

$3.24 A$4.63

-2.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.83

$4.78 A$6.82

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.04

$2.89 A$4.12

-2.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.72

$1.92 A$2.74

-0.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 A$3.14

$2.14 A$3.06

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 A$2.01

$1.37 A$1.96

2.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.03 A$60.0

$41.37 A$59.1

1.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.83 A$18.32

$12.36 A$17.64

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.36 A$6.22

$4.72 A$6.73

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 A$5.04

$3.34 A$4.76

5.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.88

$2.40 A$3.43

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 A$121

$98.9 A$141

-14.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.05

$3.98 A$5.69

-11.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$2.01

$1.51 A$2.16

-6.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.36 A$57.6

$43.81 A$62.5

-7.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$2.04

$1.39 A$1.98

2.88%

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

$30.6K A$43.7K

$30.3K A$43.3K

0.97%

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

$28.1K A$40.1K

$27.9K A$39.8K

0.85%

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

$202 A$288

$199 A$285

1.09%

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

$32.62 A$46.56

$33.29 A$47.51

-2.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$91.7

$62.4 A$89.0

3.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 A$81.2

$52.8 A$75.4

7.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.68 A$25.23

$20.62 A$29.43

-14.26%

Cinema Ticket

$17.47 A$24.94

$17.70 A$25.26

-1.30%

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

$2,300 A$3,282

$2,249 A$3,209

2.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K A$33.4K

$32.9K A$46.9K

-28.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.6 A$112

$79.2 A$113

-0.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 A$90.1

$64.4 A$92.0

-2.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$177

$122 A$174

1.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 A$234

$158 A$226

3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,980

$2,021 A$2,885

-31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 A$1,788

$1,658 A$2,366

-24.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 A$3,253

$2,804 A$4,002

-18.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,798 A$2,566

$2,174 A$3,102

-17.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,747 A$8,203

$8,368 A$11.9K

-31.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,919 A$7,021

$6,211 A$8,865

-20.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,984 A$4,259

$4,169 A$5,950

-28.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.9

1.02%

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

Last update for Margaret River: November 2, 2026

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Margaret River

$1.3K 47.4%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 32.4% $405

Groceries & Markets

Margaret River

$367 13.9%

Perth

$368 12.1% 0.5% $1.9

Eating Out

Margaret River

$333 12.6%

Perth

$333 10.9% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Margaret River

$299 11.3%

Perth

$295 9.7% 1.1% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Margaret River

$193 7.3%

Perth

$191 6.2% 1.3% $2.5

Getting Around

Margaret River

$106 4%

Perth

$120 3.9% 12.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Margaret River

$92 3.5%

Perth

$88 2.9% 3.9% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,387 in Margaret River versus $2,021 in Perth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Perth. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $84 in Margaret River versus $85 in Perth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $368 – making Margaret River the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

Same time as Margaret River

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Margaret River Perth 230 km

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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

Margaret River vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,963 per month in Margaret River and $4,580 in Perth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Margaret River, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,387 there versus $2,021 in Perth.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Margaret River. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Margaret River and $2,249 in Perth. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,642 in Margaret River and $3,053 in Perth. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Perth has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,642 in Margaret River to $3,053 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.

If budget matters most, go with Margaret River. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.