Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Dandenong

For one person, living is cheaper in Dandenong: $1,068 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $24,100 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,068

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Dandenong

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $1,068 in Dandenong, rent included.

Perth $3,080
Dandenong $1,068

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $2,360 in Dandenong, rent included.

Perth $4,194
Dandenong $2,360

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $3,651 in Dandenong, rent included.

Perth $5,309
Dandenong $3,651

Perth costs about 188% more than Dandenong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Perth sits 126% above the global median, while Dandenong is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.48

$17.69 A$25.14

21.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$51.7 A$73.5

65.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.51

$12.18 A$17.31

-10.34%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$4.11 A$5.84

10.71%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$2.31 A$3.29

20.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.32 A$3.29

-2.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.81

$5.64 A$8.02

47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.15

$3.53 A$5.02

142.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.51 A$2.14

11.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.48 A$3.53

28.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.47 A$3.51

-18.22%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$5.57 A$7.92

-5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.51

$8.37 A$11.89

13.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$7.75 A$11.02

18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.88

$11.87 A$16.87

17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.53

$3.45 A$4.91

33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.74 A$3.89

14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.00

$2.14 A$3.05

64.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.88

$2.08 A$2.95

132.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.05 A$2.91

36.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.51 A$3.56

-25.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.13

$0.67 A$0.95

229.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.58 A$2.24

-15.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.8

$45.38 A$64.5

-5.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$10.43 A$14.81

21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$5.76 A$8.19

-24.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.78

$3.57 A$5.07

-5.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$4.98 A$7.07

-51.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$4.35 A$6.18

-17.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.42 A$2.02

2.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$30.49 A$43.32

32.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.36 A$1.94

-0.74%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$29.9K A$42.6K

-1.29%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$24.2K A$34.3K

16.41%

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

$204 A$289

$228 A$324

-10.81%

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

$33.62 A$47.77

$15.81 A$22.46

112.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.1

$42.75 A$60.8

51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.06

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.57

$17.48 A$24.84

-1.09%

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

$2,300 A$3,267

$2,493 A$3,543

-7.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

$30.6K A$43.5K

-24.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$31.84 A$45.24

143.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$17.19 A$24.42

270.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$104 A$147

16.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$114 A$162

45.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,850

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,378

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,006

$2,109 A$2,997

33.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,064

$1,406 A$1,998

53.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,579

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,002

$4,124 A$5,860

2.42%

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 Dandenong: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Dandenong

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Dandenong

$314 29.4% 14.1% $52

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Dandenong

$281 26.3% 16.8% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Dandenong

$287 26.9% 5% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Dandenong

$120 11.2% 37.7% $73

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Dandenong

$31 * 2.9% 73.9% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Dandenong

$35 * 3.3% 60.5% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $52 in Dandenong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $314 – making Dandenong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

30,127

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Dandenong 2,750 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Dandenong

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 Dandenong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 188%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $1,602 in Dandenong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,080 in Perth and $1,068 in Dandenong. That makes Dandenong about 65% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Perth and $2,493 in Dandenong. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dandenong, where all-in costs run around $1,068, than in Perth at $3,080. In Dandenong it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Perth has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,068 in Dandenong to $3,080 in Perth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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