Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Dubbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubbo: $2,561 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Dubbo
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Dubbo Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Dubbo

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Dubbo

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

A single person spends $3,053 per month in Perth vs $2,561 in Dubbo, rent included.

Perth $3,053
Dubbo $2,561

A couple spends around $4,180 per month in Perth vs $3,660 in Dubbo, rent included.

Perth $4,180
Dubbo $3,660

A family of three spends $5,307 per month in Perth vs $4,760 in Dubbo, rent included.

Perth $5,307
Dubbo $4,760

Perth costs about 19% more than Dubbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Dubbo sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Dubbo by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.82

$17.55 A$25.12

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

-0.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$15.01

$10.43 A$14.93

0.48%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.46

$4.06 A$5.81

11.08%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$2.87 A$4.11

-0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.15

$2.21 A$3.16

-0.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.38

$7.65 A$10.96

13.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.34

$7.71 A$11.03

11.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.56 A$2.23

13.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.60

$2.77 A$3.96

15.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.86

$2.20 A$3.15

-9.09%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.56

$4.82 A$6.91

9.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.19

$9.22 A$13.19

-0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.04

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.23

$14.65 A$20.97

1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.37

$3.43 A$4.90

29.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.64

$3.77 A$5.40

-14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.91

$2.88 A$4.12

19.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.84

$5.86 A$8.39

-18.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.14

$2.50 A$3.58

15.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.75

$2.43 A$3.47

-20.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.07

$2.33 A$3.33

-8.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.97

$1.70 A$2.43

-19.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.2

$32.07 A$45.91

29.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.69

$13.80 A$19.75

-10.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.75

$4.68 A$6.70

0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.77

$4.86 A$6.96

-31.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.44

$2.79 A$4.00

-13.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$142

$85.0 A$122

16.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.70

$3.60 A$5.16

10.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.62 A$2.32

-6.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$62.7

$40.33 A$57.7

8.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.99

$1.22 A$1.75

13.93%

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

$30.3K A$43.4K

$29.1K A$41.7K

4.06%

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

$27.9K A$39.9K

$26.1K A$37.3K

6.97%

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

$199 A$286

$206 A$295

-3.25%

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

$33.29 A$47.65

$27.38 A$39.19

21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$89.3

$82.7 A$118

-24.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$75.6

$57.2 A$81.9

-7.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.52

$18.09 A$25.90

13.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.34

$14.07 A$20.14

25.80%

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

$2,249 A$3,219

$2,166 A$3,101

3.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$47.1K

$20.2K A$28.9K

62.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$113

$78.4 A$112

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$92.3

$54.3 A$77.7

18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$107 A$154

13.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$226

$122 A$175

29.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,893

$963 A$1,379

109.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,373

$1,222 A$1,749

35.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$4,014

$1,588 A$2,274

76.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,111

$1,784 A$2,553

21.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$12.0K

$1,718 A$2,459

387.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,891

$4,949 A$7,085

25.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$5,967

$2,176 A$3,115

91.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dubbo: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Dubbo

$1.2K 47.7% 26.3% $436

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Dubbo

$372 14.5% 0.9% $3.4

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Dubbo

$294 11.5% 11.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Dubbo

$316 12.4% 7.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Dubbo

$163 6.4% 14.4% $27

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Dubbo

$108 4.2% 10.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Dubbo

$85 3.3% 3.3% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,021 in Perth versus $963 in Dubbo. 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 92% higher in Perth. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Perth versus $85 in Dubbo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $368 vs $372 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Dubbo

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

38,808

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Perth Dubbo 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Dubbo

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 Dubbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,053 in Perth, $2,561 in Dubbo – Dubbo comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,580 per month in Perth and $3,841 in Dubbo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubbo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $963 there versus $2,021 in Perth.

Kindergarten costs $2,249 per month in Perth and $2,166 in Dubbo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,053 in Perth and $2,561 in Dubbo. That makes Dubbo about 16% cheaper.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubbo, where all-in costs run around $2,561, than in Perth at $3,053. In Dubbo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dubbo – 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.

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