Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Ballarat

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,907 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Ballarat
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Ballarat Living Index

Jump to prices

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Ballarat

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Ballarat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $1,907 in Ballarat.

Perth $3,080
Ballarat $1,907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,040 in Ballarat.

Perth $4,194
Ballarat $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,172 in Ballarat.

Perth $5,309
Ballarat $4,172

Living in Perth is roughly 61% more expensive than in Ballarat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Ballarat 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.48

$17.26 A$24.53

24.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$69.7 A$99.0

22.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.51

$10.44 A$14.83

4.60%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$3.72 A$5.28

22.31%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$2.95 A$4.19

-5.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$1.73 A$2.46

30.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.81

$6.26 A$8.89

32.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.15

$6.18 A$8.79

38.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.55 A$2.20

8.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.81 A$3.99

13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.23 A$3.17

-9.42%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$4.17 A$5.92

26.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.51

$10.43 A$14.82

-8.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$10.13 A$14.39

-9.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.88

$15.20 A$21.60

-7.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.53

$3.61 A$5.13

27.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$3.10 A$4.40

1.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.00

$3.23 A$4.58

8.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.88

$4.47 A$6.36

8.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$3.10 A$4.40

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.46 A$3.50

-23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.13

$2.34 A$3.32

-5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.50 A$2.14

-10.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.8

$35.41 A$50.3

20.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$12.65 A$17.98

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$2.33 A$3.30

86.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.78

$3.19 A$4.54

5.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.76 A$3.92

-12.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$71.1 A$101

40.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$2.58 A$3.67

39.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.32 A$1.87

10.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$26.48 A$37.62

52.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.22 A$1.74

10.66%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$29.7K A$42.2K

-0.43%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$25.4K A$36.1K

10.56%

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

$204 A$289

$207 A$294

-1.66%

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

$33.62 A$47.77

$27.77 A$39.46

21.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.1

$57.1 A$81.2

13.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.7

$31.65 A$44.97

70.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.06

$11.37 A$16.15

86.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.57

$15.14 A$21.51

14.20%

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

$2,300 A$3,267

$2,198 A$3,123

4.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

$30.0K A$42.6K

-22.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$70.6 A$100

9.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$49.59 A$70.5

28.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$100 A$142

20.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$134 A$190

24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,850

$903 A$1,283

122.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,378

$673 A$956

148.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,006

$1,290 A$1,834

118.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,064

$1,454 A$2,066

48.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$4,809 A$6,833

76.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,579

$3,452 A$4,905

74.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,002

$3,185 A$4,525

32.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.55

7.39%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ballarat: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Ballarat

$673 35.3% 59.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Ballarat

$354 18.5% 3.2% $12

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Ballarat

$276 14.5% 18.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Ballarat

$292 15.3% 3.3% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Ballarat

$159 8.4% 17.3% $33

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Ballarat

$91 4.8% 24% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Ballarat

$62 3.3% 30.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $903 in Ballarat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 33% 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 $70 in Ballarat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $354 per month, with Ballarat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Ballarat

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

10:45 10:45 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

105,348

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Perth Ballarat 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Ballarat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $903 in Ballarat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,300 in Perth versus $2,198 in Ballarat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Expats usually find Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.