Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,518 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Brisbane

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

A single person spends $3,027 per month in Perth vs $2,518 in Brisbane, rent included.

Perth $3,027
Brisbane $2,518

A couple spends around $4,162 per month in Perth vs $3,720 in Brisbane, rent included.

Perth $4,162
Brisbane $3,720

A family of three spends $5,297 per month in Perth vs $4,922 in Brisbane, rent included.

Perth $5,297
Brisbane $4,922

Perth costs about 20% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Perth and Brisbane sit above the global median – Perth by 123%, Brisbane by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.54

$17.39 A$25.02

22.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$70.9 A$102

19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.84

$11.09 A$15.95

-0.72%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.90 A$4.17

-0.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.43 A$3.49

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.14

$8.42 A$12.12

0.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$8.31 A$11.96

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.51

$1.67 A$2.40

4.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.49

$2.72 A$3.92

14.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.96

$2.29 A$3.29

-10.04%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.50

$4.82 A$6.94

8.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.98

$9.06 A$13.03

-0.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.43

$9.18 A$13.21

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.85

$14.21 A$20.45

-2.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.60

$4.31 A$6.20

6.50%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$3.04 A$4.38

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.89

$3.00 A$4.32

13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$7.03

$4.75 A$6.84

2.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.12

$2.72 A$3.92

5.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.72

$2.34 A$3.37

-19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.42 A$3.48

-9.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.19 A$1.71

16.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$61.1

$38.67 A$55.7

9.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.31

$12.66 A$18.21

0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.56

$5.40 A$7.77

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.78

$5.13 A$7.38

-35.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.45

$0.37 A$0.53

548.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$142

$20.72 A$29.81

374.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$2.92 A$4.20

20.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.86 A$2.68

-21.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$58.2

$41.05 A$59.1

-1.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.40 A$2.01

-2.86%

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

$29.6K A$42.6K

$29.7K A$42.8K

-0.46%

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

$27.7K A$39.9K

$26.0K A$37.4K

6.75%

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

$205 A$295

$159 A$229

29.03%

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

$32.82 A$47.23

$26.52 A$38.16

23.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$92.1

$60.6 A$87.2

5.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$79.4

$60.9 A$87.6

-9.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$30.13

$22.22 A$31.97

-5.76%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.85

$14.14 A$20.34

22.14%

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

$2,320 A$3,339

$1,952 A$2,808

18.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$12.7K A$18.3K

79.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$110

$83.3 A$120

-8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$90.8

$43.69 A$62.9

44.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

$113 A$163

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$235

$111 A$160

47.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,786

$1,939 A$2,790

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,337

$1,322 A$1,902

22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,058

$3,408 A$4,904

-17.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,110

$2,242 A$3,226

-3.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$12.0K

$8,271 A$11.9K

1.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,635

$5,920 A$8,518

1.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$6,056

$4,183 A$6,020

0.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.81

2.58%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Brisbane

$1.3K 52.5% 18.6% $302

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Brisbane

$363 14.4% 0.8% $2.9

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Brisbane

$306 12.1% 8.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Brisbane

$246 9.8% 18.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Brisbane

$158 6.3% 17.3% $33

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Brisbane

$34 1.4% 71% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Brisbane

$89 3.5% 0.7% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,936 in Perth versus $1,939 in Brisbane. 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 1% 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 $85.0 in Perth versus $71.0 in Brisbane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $363 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

10:31 10:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

2 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Perth Brisbane 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth costs about 20% more than Brisbane, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,540 per month in Perth and $3,777 in Brisbane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brisbane, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Perth, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Perth and $71.0 in Brisbane. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,027 in Perth and $2,518 in Brisbane. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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