Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Armidale

For one person, living is cheaper in Armidale: $1,747 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Armidale
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Armidale Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Armidale

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Armidale

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 Armidale actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $1,747 in Armidale.

Perth $3,080
Armidale $1,747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $2,695 in Armidale.

Perth $4,194
Armidale $2,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $3,643 in Armidale.

Perth $5,309
Armidale $3,643

Living in Perth is roughly 76% more expensive than in Armidale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Armidale 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.39

$17.87 A$25.32

20.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$121

$84.1 A$119

1.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.47

$10.50 A$14.87

4.00%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.45

$3.88 A$5.50

17.27%

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

$2.79 A$3.95

$3.20 A$4.54

-12.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.20

$2.52 A$3.57

-10.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.78

$7.55 A$10.69

10.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.12

$7.61 A$10.78

12.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.28 A$1.81

31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.51

$1.24 A$1.76

156.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$1.56 A$2.21

29.49%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.49

$4.06 A$5.75

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.47

$9.05 A$12.82

5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.05

$9.25 A$13.11

-0.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.82

$16.68 A$23.63

-16.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.51

$2.72 A$3.86

69.12%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.05 A$4.32

3.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.99

$2.68 A$3.79

31.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.86

$3.02 A$4.27

60.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.95

$1.71 A$2.42

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.67

$2.38 A$3.37

-21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$2.36 A$3.35

-6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.89

$1.53 A$2.16

-12.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.6

$42.34 A$60.0

1.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.91

$15.62 A$22.13

-19.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.17

$4.69 A$6.65

-7.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.77

$4.68 A$6.63

-27.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.47 A$3.50

-2.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$141

$93.0 A$132

7.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.08

$3.71 A$5.25

-3.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.06

$1.63 A$2.31

-10.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.3

$42.01 A$59.5

-3.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.32 A$1.86

2.27%

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

$29.6K A$41.9K

$32.8K A$46.5K

-9.89%

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

$28.1K A$39.8K

$26.1K A$37.0K

7.76%

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

$204 A$288

$112 A$159

81.41%

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

$33.62 A$47.63

$28.32 A$40.11

18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$91.8

$57.8 A$81.9

12.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.5

$41.99 A$59.5

28.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$29.97

$17.99 A$25.49

17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.49

$14.05 A$19.90

23.06%

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

$2,300 A$3,258

$2,183 A$3,092

5.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.7K

$20.2K A$28.7K

14.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$74.3 A$105

4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.3

$51.4 A$72.8

24.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$92.0 A$130

31.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$132 A$187

25.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,841

$1,429 A$2,025

40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,370

$579 A$821

188.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$3,993

$2,289 A$3,242

23.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,055

$915 A$1,297

135.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.0K

$5,010 A$7,097

69.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,553

$5,041 A$7,141

19.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$5,984

$2,786 A$3,946

51.62%

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 Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Armidale: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Armidale

$579 33.2% 65.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Armidale

$331 18.9% 9.5% $35

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Armidale

$297 17% 12.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Armidale

$198 11.4% 34.3% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Armidale

$157 9% 18.4% $35

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Armidale

$115 6.6% 4.5% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Armidale

$70 4% 20.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,429 in Armidale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 52% 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: $86 in Perth vs $84 in Armidale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $331 per month, with Armidale cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Armidale

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

21,312

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Armidale 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Armidale

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

Perth vs Armidale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Armidale is about 43% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $2,006 in Perth versus $1,429 in Armidale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,080 per month in Perth versus $1,747 in Armidale – Armidale is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,747 in Armidale versus $3,080 in Perth, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Armidale but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Armidale 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 Armidale are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Armidale wins on affordability, Perth on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.