Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Balga

For one person, living is cheaper in Balga: $2,762 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Balga

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,762 in Balga.

Perth $3,080
Balga $2,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,828 in Balga.

Perth $4,194
Balga $3,828

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,893 in Balga.

Perth $5,309
Balga $4,893

Living in Perth is roughly 11% more expensive than in Balga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Balga 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.39

$20.97 A$29.71

2.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$121

$83.2 A$118

2.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.47

$11.13 A$15.77

-1.89%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.45

$4.62 A$6.54

-1.52%

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

$2.79 A$3.95

$2.80 A$3.96

-0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.20

$2.30 A$3.26

-1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.78

$8.39 A$11.89

-0.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.12

$8.25 A$11.69

3.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.74 A$2.46

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.51

$3.14 A$4.45

1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$1.97 A$2.79

2.54%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.49

$5.09 A$7.22

3.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.47

$9.27 A$13.13

2.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.05

$9.46 A$13.40

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.82

$13.74 A$19.46

1.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.51

$4.56 A$6.46

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.21 A$4.55

-1.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.99

$3.56 A$5.05

-1.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.86

$4.85 A$6.87

-0.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.95

$2.85 A$4.03

-2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.67

$1.93 A$2.73

-2.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$2.26 A$3.21

-2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.89

$1.34 A$1.90

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.6

$42.17 A$59.7

1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.91

$12.46 A$17.65

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.17

$4.35 A$6.16

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.77

$3.52 A$4.98

-4.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.67 A$3.78

-9.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$141

$78.5 A$111

26.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.08

$3.61 A$5.12

-0.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.06

$1.39 A$1.97

5.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.3

$41.13 A$58.3

-1.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

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

$29.6K A$41.9K

$29.9K A$42.4K

-1.17%

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

$28.1K A$39.8K

$27.8K A$39.5K

0.97%

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

$204 A$288

$207 A$293

-1.43%

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

$33.62 A$47.63

$33.27 A$47.13

1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$91.8

$63.5 A$90.0

2.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.5

$62.6 A$88.7

-13.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$29.97

$19.26 A$27.29

9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.49

$17.26 A$24.45

0.17%

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

$2,300 A$3,258

$2,271 A$3,217

1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.7K

$23.7K A$33.6K

-2.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$78.3 A$111

-1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.3

$63.5 A$89.9

0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$123 A$175

-1.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$165 A$233

0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,841

$1,467 A$2,078

36.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,370

$1,368 A$1,938

22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$3,993

$2,000 A$2,833

40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,055

$1,781 A$2,523

21.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.0K

$6,422 A$9,097

32.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,553

$4,389 A$6,217

37.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$5,984

$3,358 A$4,757

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balga: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Balga

$1.4K 49.5% 18.2% $305

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Balga

$365 13.2% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Balga

$335 12.1% 0.7% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Balga

$303 11% 0.4% $1.3

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Balga

$193 7% 0.4% $0.7

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Balga

$100 3.6% 16.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Balga

$97 3.5% 9.7% $8.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,467 in Balga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $83 in Balga. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $365, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Balga

🕒 Local time

19:24 7:24 PM

Same time as Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

12,685

💱 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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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 Balga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,080 in Perth and $2,762 in Balga, so Balga is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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 $1,467 in Balga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,300 in Perth versus $2,271 in Balga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balga – a meal for two runs $83 versus $86 in Perth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Balga are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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