Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Ballina, Australia

Name: Ballina
Address: Ballina, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,525 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,525

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Ballina

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

A single person spends $3,053 per month in Perth vs $2,525 in Ballina, rent included.

Perth $3,053
Ballina $2,525

A couple spends around $4,180 per month in Perth vs $3,645 in Ballina, rent included.

Perth $4,180
Ballina $3,645

A family of three spends $5,307 per month in Perth vs $4,766 in Ballina, rent included.

Perth $5,307
Ballina $4,766

Perth costs about 21% more than Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Ballina sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Ballina by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.70

$17.32 A$24.69

20.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$83.4 A$119

2.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$14.95

$10.54 A$15.02

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.43

$4.05 A$5.78

11.36%

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

$2.85 A$4.06

$2.87 A$4.09

-0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.14

$2.28 A$3.26

-3.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.33

$7.68 A$10.95

12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.29

$7.50 A$10.69

14.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.52

$2.68 A$3.82

-33.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.58

$3.43 A$4.89

-6.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.85

$2.21 A$3.15

-9.50%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.53

$5.58 A$7.96

-5.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.13

$6.16 A$8.78

49.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$12.98

$9.52 A$13.58

-4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.14

$14.50 A$20.67

2.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.35

$3.60 A$5.13

23.61%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.62

$3.05 A$4.35

6.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.89

$3.27 A$4.66

4.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.81

$3.47 A$4.94

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.12

$2.73 A$3.89

5.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.74

$2.50 A$3.56

-23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.06

$3.46 A$4.93

-38.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.55 A$2.21

-11.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.0

$42.40 A$60.5

-2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.62

$14.17 A$20.20

-12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.73

$4.60 A$6.55

2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.75

$5.11 A$7.29

-34.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.68 A$3.82

-10.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$141

$82.9 A$118

19.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.68

$3.41 A$4.87

16.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.60 A$2.28

-5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$62.5

$39.99 A$57.0

9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.32 A$1.88

5.30%

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

$30.3K A$43.2K

$29.3K A$41.8K

3.49%

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

$27.9K A$39.7K

$26.3K A$37.5K

6.07%

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

$199 A$284

$212 A$302

-5.99%

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

$33.29 A$47.45

$27.41 A$39.08

21.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$88.9

$58.0 A$82.7

7.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$75.3

$55.5 A$79.1

-4.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.40

$18.00 A$25.65

14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.23

$14.11 A$20.12

25.44%

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

$2,249 A$3,206

$2,118 A$3,020

6.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$46.9K

$20.6K A$29.3K

59.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$113

$77.1 A$110

2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$91.9

$53.8 A$76.7

19.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$108 A$154

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$226

$122 A$175

29.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,881

$1,395 A$1,989

44.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,364

$1,207 A$1,721

37.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$3,997

$2,275 A$3,243

23.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,099

$1,824 A$2,600

19.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$11.9K

$5,839 A$8,324

43.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,855

$5,029 A$7,169

23.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$5,943

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ballina: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Ballina

$1.2K 47.8% 27.2% $451

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Ballina

$376 14.9% 2% $7.2

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Ballina

$293 11.6% 12% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Ballina

$298 11.8% 0.8% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Ballina

$163 6.4% 14.7% $28

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Ballina

$105 4.2% 12.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Ballina

$84 3.3% 5.1% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,021 in Perth versus $1,395 in Ballina. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Perth versus $83 in Ballina. Groceries tell a different story – $368 in Perth vs $376 in Ballina – so Perth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

8,911

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Ballina 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,580 per month in Perth and $3,787 in Ballina. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ballina, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,395 there versus $2,021 in Perth.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Ballina. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,249 per month in Perth and $2,118 in Ballina. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,053 in Perth and $2,525 in Ballina. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ballina – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.