Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Bendigo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bendigo: $2,008 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Bendigo
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Bendigo Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Bendigo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Bendigo

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,008 in Bendigo, rent included.

Perth $3,080
Bendigo $2,008

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $2,978 in Bendigo, rent included.

Perth $4,194
Bendigo $2,978

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $3,948 in Bendigo, rent included.

Perth $5,309
Bendigo $3,948

Perth costs about 53% more than Bendigo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Perth and Bendigo sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Bendigo by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.39

$17.37 A$24.60

23.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$121

$77.1 A$109

11.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.47

$12.40 A$17.57

-11.94%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.45

$4.08 A$5.78

11.52%

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

$2.79 A$3.95

$3.10 A$4.39

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.20

$2.58 A$3.66

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.78

$9.97 A$14.12

-16.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.12

$8.66 A$12.27

-1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.36 A$1.92

23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.51

$2.92 A$4.13

8.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.57 A$3.64

-21.40%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.49

$4.73 A$6.71

11.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.47

$10.70 A$15.15

-11.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.05

$10.04 A$14.23

-8.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.82

$10.55 A$14.95

32.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.51

$3.56 A$5.04

29.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.05 A$4.31

3.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.99

$3.24 A$4.59

8.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.86

$4.80 A$6.79

0.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.95

$2.88 A$4.08

-3.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.67

$2.47 A$3.50

-23.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$2.46 A$3.49

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.89

$1.63 A$2.31

-17.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.6

$44.51 A$63.1

-3.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.91

$10.38 A$14.70

21.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.17

$5.46 A$7.73

-20.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.77

$5.36 A$7.59

-37.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.41

$3.45 A$4.88

-30.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$141

$56.9 A$80.6

75.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.08

$4.12 A$5.84

-12.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.06

$1.41 A$2.00

3.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.3

$13.84 A$19.61

192.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.27 A$1.80

6.30%

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

$29.6K A$41.9K

$27.6K A$39.1K

7.16%

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

$28.1K A$39.8K

$19.7K A$27.9K

43.01%

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

$204 A$288

$142 A$202

42.91%

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

$33.62 A$47.63

$27.59 A$39.08

21.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$91.8

$56.5 A$80.1

14.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$29.97

$19.68 A$27.88

7.52%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.49

$12.70 A$17.99

36.14%

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

$2,300 A$3,258

$2,154 A$3,051

6.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.7K

$29.9K A$42.3K

-22.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$81.5 A$116

-4.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.3

$49.98 A$70.8

27.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$118 A$167

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$136 A$192

22.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,841

$1,135 A$1,608

76.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,370

$825 A$1,169

102.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$3,993

$1,337 A$1,894

110.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,055

$1,248 A$1,767

72.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.0K

$4,400 A$6,232

93.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,553

$3,892 A$5,514

55.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$5,984

$2,967 A$4,202

42.38%

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 Bendigo: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Bendigo

$825 41.1% 50.7% $848

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Bendigo

$361 18% 1.3% $4.7

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Bendigo

$315 15.7% 6.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Bendigo

$227 11.3% 25% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Bendigo

$173 8.6% 10% $19

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Bendigo

$82 4.1% 31.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Bendigo

$25 * 1.3% 71.3% $63

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,135 in Bendigo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Perth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $77 in Bendigo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $361 – making Bendigo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Bendigo

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

14:07 2:07 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

100,649

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Perth Bendigo 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Bendigo

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 Bendigo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $3,012 in Bendigo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bendigo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,135 there versus $2,006 in Perth.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,080 in Perth and $2,008 in Bendigo. That makes Bendigo about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Perth and $2,154 in Bendigo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bendigo, where all-in costs run around $2,008, than in Perth at $3,080. In Bendigo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bendigo – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Bendigo. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.