Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Derby, Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Derby: $2,353 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perth, Australia
Derby, Australia
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Derby
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Derby

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,353 in Derby.

  • Perth $3,080
  • Derby $2,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,668 in Derby.

  • Perth $4,194
  • Derby $3,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,983 in Derby.

  • Perth $5,309
  • Derby $4,983

Living in Perth is roughly 31% more expensive than in Derby, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Derby 73% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Derby
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.45 A$30.48
$19.57 A$27.81
9.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 A$122
$83.3 A$118
2.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 A$15.51
$11.06 A$15.71
-1.27%
Cappuccino
$4.55 A$6.47
$4.55 A$6.47
-
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.96
$2.82 A$4.01
-1.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 A$3.21
$2.51 A$3.56
-9.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.31 A$11.81
$6.62 A$9.40
25.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.55 A$12.15
$8.46 A$12.02
1.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Derby
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 A$2.38
$1.33 A$1.89
26.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 A$4.52
$2.90 A$4.12
9.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 A$2.87
$2.22 A$3.16
-9.01%
Eggs
$5.28 A$7.51
$4.96 A$7.04
6.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.51 A$13.51
$8.02 A$11.40
18.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.21 A$13.09
$10.45 A$14.85
-11.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 A$19.88
$13.37 A$19.00
4.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 A$6.53
$3.94 A$5.60
16.75%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.48
$3.50 A$4.98
-10.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 A$5.00
$3.11 A$4.42
13.18%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.84 A$6.88
$4.32 A$6.14
12.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 A$3.97
$2.59 A$3.68
7.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 A$2.68
$2.74 A$3.89
-31.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 A$3.13
$2.22 A$3.16
-0.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.90
$1.53 A$2.18
-12.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.80 A$60.8
$38.60 A$54.9
10.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$17.97
$12.18 A$17.30
3.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.35 A$6.19
$4.95 A$7.04
-12.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 A$4.78
$4.67 A$6.63
-27.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Derby
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 A$3.42
$2.66 A$3.78
-9.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.6 A$142
$72.0 A$102
38.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 A$5.10
$4.03 A$5.72
-10.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.07
$1.60 A$2.27
-8.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.46 A$57.5
$36.43 A$51.8
11.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.92
$1.37 A$1.94
-1.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.0K
$25.6K A$36.3K
15.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K A$40.0K
$28.8K A$41.0K
-2.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Derby
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 A$289
$184 A$262
10.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.62 A$47.77
$23.63 A$33.58
42.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.8 A$92.1
$53.0 A$75.3
22.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Derby
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 A$76.7
$64.3 A$91.4
-16.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.16 A$30.06
$16.35 A$23.24
29.42%
Cinema Ticket
$17.29 A$24.57
$14.87 A$21.13
16.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Derby
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,300 A$3,267
$2,188 A$3,109
5.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K A$32.8K
$21.5K A$30.5K
7.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Derby
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.5 A$110
$85.0 A$121
-8.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 A$90.6
$49.33 A$70.1
29.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$172
$121 A$171
0.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 A$235
$130 A$185
27.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Derby
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 A$2,850
$1,410 A$2,003
42.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 A$2,378
$1,054 A$1,497
58.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,819 A$4,006
$1,991 A$2,829
41.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,156 A$3,064
$2,040 A$2,898
5.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,504 A$12.1K
$6,153 A$8,742
38.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,037 A$8,579
$5,074 A$7,210
18.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Derby
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,224 A$6,002
-
-
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 Derby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.7K
Derby
$1.1K 37% $620
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$365
Derby
$361 1.1% $4.1
Eating Out
Perth
$338
Derby
$316 6.6% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$302
Derby
$261 13.7% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$193
Derby
$173 10% $19
Getting Around
Perth
$120
Derby
$95 21.2% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$89
Derby
$94 6.2% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,410 in Derby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $83 in Derby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $361 per month, with Derby cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Perth
🇦🇺 Derby
🕒 Local time
00:47 12:47 AM
00:47 12:47 AM
Same time as Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,043,762
3,300
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Derby 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • Derby

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 Derby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Perth and in Derby?
Perth and Derby differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($3,080 vs $2,353 including rent). Derby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Perth compared to Derby?
You’d need roughly $4,620 in Perth and $3,530 in Derby to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Perth and in Derby?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,006 in Perth versus $1,410 in Derby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Perth and in Derby?
A monthly transit pass in Derby runs roughly 28% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Which city is more expensive overall: Perth or Derby?
All in, you’ll spend $3,080 per month in Perth versus $2,353 in Derby – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,353 in Derby versus $3,080 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Derby but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Derby the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Perth and Derby?
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.
Is Perth or Derby safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Perth and Derby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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