Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Cairns

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairns: $2,531 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Cairns

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,531 in Cairns, rent included.

Perth $3,080
Cairns $2,531

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,753 in Cairns, rent included.

Perth $4,194
Cairns $3,753

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $4,975 in Cairns, rent included.

Perth $5,309
Cairns $4,975

Perth costs about 22% more than Cairns, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Perth and Cairns sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Cairns by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.49

$17.49 A$24.86

22.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$97.5 A$139

-12.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.52

$12.68 A$18.02

-13.88%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$4.43 A$6.29

2.71%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$3.22 A$4.57

-13.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.74 A$3.89

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.82

$7.21 A$10.25

15.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.16

$8.60 A$12.23

-0.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.94 A$2.76

-13.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.74 A$3.89

16.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.88

$2.55 A$3.62

-20.78%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$5.13 A$7.29

2.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.51

$9.50 A$13.50

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$13.77 A$19.58

-33.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.89

$15.24 A$21.66

-8.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.53

$4.09 A$5.81

12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.85 A$4.05

10.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.01

$3.56 A$5.06

-1.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.88

$5.93 A$8.43

-18.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.62 A$3.72

6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.53 A$3.59

-25.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.13

$2.73 A$3.88

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$2.63 A$3.74

-49.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.8

$45.75 A$65.0

-6.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$13.94 A$19.81

-9.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$3.48 A$4.95

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.79

$5.37 A$7.63

-37.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.43 A$3.46

-0.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$15.73 A$22.36

533.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$2.53 A$3.60

41.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.94 A$2.76

-24.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$42.49 A$60.4

-4.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.24 A$1.76

8.87%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$29.8K A$42.4K

-0.86%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$31.3K A$44.5K

-10.16%

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

$204 A$289

$161 A$229

26.16%

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

$33.62 A$47.79

$34.86 A$49.55

-3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.1

$66.2 A$94.1

-2.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.7

$44.42 A$63.1

21.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.07

$27.62 A$39.26

-23.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.58

$13.75 A$19.54

25.75%

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

$2,300 A$3,269

$2,058 A$2,925

11.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

$14.3K A$20.3K

61.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$89.4 A$127

-13.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$73.3 A$104

-13.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$126 A$179

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$133 A$190

24.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,851

$1,491 A$2,120

34.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,378

$1,247 A$1,772

34.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,007

$2,408 A$3,422

17.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,065

$1,960 A$2,786

10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$6,463 A$9,187

31.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,582

$5,002 A$7,110

20.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,004

$4,338 A$6,166

-2.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

6.32

-5.70%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cairns: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Cairns

$1.2K 49.3% 25.5% $426

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Cairns

$413 16.3% 13.1% $48

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Cairns

$308 12.2% 8.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Cairns

$262 10.4% 13.1% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Cairns

$190 7.5% 1.3% $2.6

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Cairns

$38 1.5% 68.6% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Cairns

$72 2.8% 18.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,491 in Cairns. 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 3% higher in Cairns, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $97 in Cairns. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $413 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Cairns

🕒 Local time

20:58 8:58 PM

22:58 10:58 PM

2 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

153,181

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Cairns 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Perth
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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 Cairns: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth costs about 22% more than Cairns, 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 $4,620 per month in Perth and $3,796 in Cairns. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cairns, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,491 there versus $2,006 in Perth.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Perth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth and $97 in Cairns. 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 $3,080 in Perth and $2,531 in Cairns. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Cairns – 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.