Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Adelaide Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Adelaide

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,083 in Perth versus $2,778 in Adelaide.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,303 in Perth versus $3,868 in Adelaide.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,522 in Perth versus $4,958 in Adelaide.

Living in Perth is roughly 11% more expensive than in Adelaide, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 124% above, Adelaide 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.57 A$29.94

$17.71 A$24.58

21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$118

$78.6 A$109

8.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.29

$11.65 A$16.17

-5.49%

Cappuccino

$4.65 A$6.46

$4.05 A$5.62

14.81%

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

$2.92 A$4.06

$2.89 A$4.01

1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.14

$2.56 A$3.55

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.71 A$12.09

$8.13 A$11.28

7.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 A$11.62

$8.81 A$12.23

-4.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.38

$1.96 A$2.72

-12.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.42

$3.03 A$4.21

4.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.92

$2.37 A$3.29

-11.39%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.47

$5.93 A$8.23

-9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 A$12.86

$11.54 A$16.01

-19.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.39 A$13.03

$9.03 A$12.53

3.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.57 A$20.23

$17.90 A$24.85

-18.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.60

$4.12 A$5.72

15.53%

Banana (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.65

$3.00 A$4.17

11.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 A$4.81

$3.66 A$5.07

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 A$7.27

$5.18 A$7.19

1.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.13

$3.45 A$4.78

-13.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 A$2.76

$2.40 A$3.33

-17.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.18

$2.62 A$3.64

-12.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 A$1.84

$2.29 A$3.18

-42.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$58.9

$45.50 A$63.2

-6.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 A$17.98

$14.12 A$19.59

-8.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.32

$5.16 A$7.16

-11.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 A$4.86

$6.22 A$8.64

-43.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 A$3.45

$3.19 A$4.42

-22.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$138

$86.4 A$120

15.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 A$5.30

$3.57 A$4.95

7.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.79 A$2.49

-20.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.92 A$56.8

$31.69 A$43.98

29.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.86

$1.30 A$1.81

3.08%

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

$27.9K A$38.7K

$27.6K A$38.4K

0.84%

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

$31.1K A$43.2K

$28.1K A$39.1K

10.63%

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

$207 A$287

$187 A$260

10.31%

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

$33.06 A$45.88

$22.20 A$30.81

48.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 A$90.3

$55.3 A$76.8

17.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 A$79.6

$58.7 A$81.5

-2.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.95 A$30.46

$14.28 A$19.82

53.71%

Cinema Ticket

$17.10 A$23.73

$16.80 A$23.31

1.79%

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

$2,383 A$3,308

$2,107 A$2,925

13.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K A$33.5K

$14.4K A$20.0K

67.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.3 A$109

$74.3 A$103

5.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.5 A$93.7

$55.2 A$76.6

22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$169

$117 A$163

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 A$221

$138 A$191

15.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 A$2,685

$1,784 A$2,476

8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 A$2,283

$1,395 A$1,936

17.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 A$3,940

$2,495 A$3,463

13.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 A$3,138

$1,848 A$2,564

22.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,673 A$12.0K

$10.2K A$14.1K

-14.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,918 A$8,213

$7,041 A$9,772

-15.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,273 A$5,931

$3,829 A$5,315

11.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

-1.33%

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

Last update for Perth: August 31, 2026

Last update for Adelaide: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,935 in Perth and $1,784 in Adelaide. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 12% 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: $85.0 in Perth vs $79.0 in Adelaide. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $415, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

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

Perth vs Adelaide: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth and Adelaide differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($3,083 vs $2,778 including rent). Adelaide is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Perth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,935 in Perth versus $1,784 in Adelaide. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,383 in Perth versus $2,107 in Adelaide. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Adelaide is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Perth and Adelaide 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 Adelaide gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.