Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Albany

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany: $2,513 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Albany
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Albany Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Albany

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,513

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Albany

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Perth and in Albany actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,027 in Perth versus $2,513 in Albany.

Perth $3,027
Albany $2,513

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Perth versus $3,653 in Albany.

Perth $4,162
Albany $3,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,297 in Perth versus $4,793 in Albany.

Perth $5,297
Albany $4,793

Living in Perth is roughly 20% more expensive than in Albany, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 123% above, Albany 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.54

$19.35 A$27.84

9.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$83.1 A$120

1.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.84

$10.24 A$14.73

7.52%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$4.51 A$6.49

-1.77%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.37 A$3.41

21.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.06 A$2.96

9.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.14

$8.45 A$12.16

-0.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$7.43 A$10.69

10.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.51

$1.50 A$2.16

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.49

$2.65 A$3.81

17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.96

$2.26 A$3.26

-8.85%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.50

$5.33 A$7.67

-2.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.98

$9.50 A$13.67

-5.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.43

$9.55 A$13.75

-2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.85

$14.66 A$21.10

-5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.60

$4.27 A$6.14

7.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$3.08 A$4.44

4.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.89

$3.27 A$4.70

3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$7.03

$4.50 A$6.48

8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.12

$2.81 A$4.05

1.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.72

$2.40 A$3.46

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.11 A$3.04

3.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.55 A$2.23

-10.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$61.1

$41.20 A$59.3

3.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.31

$14.83 A$21.34

-14.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.56

$4.77 A$6.87

-4.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.78

$5.14 A$7.39

-35.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.45

$2.81 A$4.05

-14.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$142

$79.2 A$114

24.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$3.53 A$5.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.58 A$2.27

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$58.2

$39.48 A$56.8

2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.19 A$1.71

14.29%

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

$29.6K A$42.6K

$27.3K A$39.3K

8.29%

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

$27.7K A$39.9K

$30.1K A$43.3K

-7.89%

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

$205 A$295

$200 A$288

2.65%

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

$32.82 A$47.23

$27.41 A$39.44

19.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$92.1

$47.33 A$68.1

35.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$79.4

$55.6 A$80.0

-0.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$30.13

$17.47 A$25.14

19.86%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.85

$14.43 A$20.76

19.68%

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

$2,320 A$3,339

$2,179 A$3,136

6.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$20.1K A$28.9K

13.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$110

$78.6 A$113

-2.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$90.8

$53.8 A$77.4

17.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

$109 A$157

12.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$235

$120 A$173

35.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,786

$1,374 A$1,977

40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,337

$1,204 A$1,732

34.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,058

$2,130 A$3,065

32.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,110

$1,842 A$2,651

17.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$12.0K

$5,793 A$8,337

44.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,635

$4,841 A$6,966

23.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$6,056

$2,646 A$3,808

59.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.84

2.05%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albany: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Albany

$1.2K 47.9% 25.9% $420

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Albany

$372 14.8% 1.6% $5.8

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Albany

$314 12.5% 6.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Albany

$275 10.9% 9.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Albany

$163 6.5% 14.9% $28

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Albany

$102 4.1% 14.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Albany

$84 3.4% 5.9% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,936 in Perth and $1,374 in Albany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 59% 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 $83.0 in Albany. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $372, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Albany

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

Same time as Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

31,128

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Perth
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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

Perth vs Albany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $1,936 in Perth versus $1,374 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,027 per month in Perth versus $2,513 in Albany – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Albany runs roughly 24% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,513 in Albany versus $3,027 in Perth, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albany but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Albany the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Albany 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 Albany gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.