Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Bowral Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Bowral

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,096 in Perth versus $2,542 in Bowral.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,187 in Perth versus $3,762 in Bowral.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,277 in Perth versus $4,982 in Bowral.

Living in Perth is roughly 22% more expensive than in Bowral, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Bowral 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.79 A$29.12

$15.62 A$21.87

33.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.6 A$121

$92.3 A$129

-6.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 A$14.87

$10.81 A$15.13

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$4.58 A$6.41

$2.83 A$3.97

61.84%

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

$2.96 A$4.14

$2.19 A$3.07

35.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.24

$1.45 A$2.03

59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.67 A$12.15

$8.35 A$11.70

3.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.69 A$12.17

$10.14 A$14.20

-14.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.46

$1.60 A$2.23

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 A$4.22

$3.36 A$4.71

-10.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 A$2.96

$2.66 A$3.72

-20.68%

Eggs

$5.23 A$7.32

$5.58 A$7.82

-6.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 A$12.71

$13.84 A$19.38

-34.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.19 A$12.87

$11.02 A$15.43

-16.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 A$20.06

$16.00 A$22.41

-10.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.63

$4.18 A$5.86

13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.64

$3.21 A$4.50

3.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 A$4.90

$3.65 A$5.11

-4.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 A$7.18

$5.01 A$7.02

2.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.07

$3.16 A$4.42

-8.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.69

$2.85 A$3.99

-32.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.19

$2.76 A$3.87

-17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.92

$1.44 A$2.01

-4.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.95 A$60.2

$46.34 A$64.9

-7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.79 A$17.91

$14.99 A$21.00

-14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.25

$4.93 A$6.90

-9.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 A$5.03

$5.49 A$7.69

-34.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 A$3.59

$2.96 A$4.15

-13.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 A$141

$85.8 A$120

17.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.72 A$5.21

$4.02 A$5.63

-7.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$2.01

$1.59 A$2.23

-10.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.88 A$58.7

$43.47 A$60.9

-3.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.87

$1.28 A$1.79

4.69%

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

$28.0K A$39.3K

$27.3K A$38.2K

2.71%

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

$30.3K A$42.4K

$30.5K A$42.7K

-0.75%

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

$205 A$287

$187 A$262

9.50%

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

$34.01 A$47.63

$27.66 A$38.73

22.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 A$88.5

$56.2 A$78.7

12.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 A$79.1

$48.41 A$67.8

16.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.21 A$31.11

$20.26 A$28.37

9.62%

Cinema Ticket

$18.16 A$25.43

$16.94 A$23.73

7.20%

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

$2,378 A$3,330

$2,530 A$3,543

-6.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K A$33.3K

$20.9K A$29.3K

13.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 A$107

$79.0 A$111

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.4 A$94.4

$57.5 A$80.5

17.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$169

$124 A$174

-2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 A$209

$133 A$186

12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 A$2,718

$1,283 A$1,796

51.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 A$2,315

$1,306 A$1,828

26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 A$3,993

$2,218 A$3,107

28.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,256 A$3,159

$2,020 A$2,829

11.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,414 A$11.8K

$6,080 A$8,515

38.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,063 A$8,491

$5,055 A$7,080

19.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,268 A$5,978

$2,879 A$4,032

48.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.98

-1.00%

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

Last update for Perth: September 15, 2026

Last update for Bowral: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,941 in Perth and $1,283 in Bowral. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 48% 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: $87.0 in Perth vs $92.0 in Bowral for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $416 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

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 Bowral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth and Bowral differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($3,096 vs $2,542 including rent). Bowral is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $1,941 in Perth versus $1,283 in Bowral. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,378 in Perth versus $2,530 in Bowral. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,542 in Bowral versus $3,096 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bowral but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Bowral 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 Bowral are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bowral gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.