Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Forbes

For one person, living is cheaper in Forbes: $2,543 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
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Forbes Living Index

Jump to prices

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Forbes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,543 in Forbes.

Perth $3,080
Forbes $2,543

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,751 in Forbes.

Perth $4,194
Forbes $3,751

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,958 in Forbes.

Perth $5,309
Forbes $4,958

Living in Perth is roughly 21% more expensive than in Forbes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Forbes 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.39

$15.91 A$22.54

34.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$121

$94.9 A$134

-9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.47

$11.31 A$16.02

-3.45%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.45

$3.52 A$4.99

29.26%

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

$2.79 A$3.95

$2.99 A$4.23

-6.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.20

$2.37 A$3.36

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.78

$6.98 A$9.89

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.12

$7.40 A$10.49

15.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.69 A$2.40

-0.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.51

$2.42 A$3.43

31.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.14 A$3.03

-5.61%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.49

$5.00 A$7.08

5.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.47

$10.16 A$14.40

-6.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.05

$9.52 A$13.49

-3.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.82

$13.72 A$19.43

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.51

$3.78 A$5.35

21.69%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.01 A$4.26

4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.99

$3.55 A$5.04

-0.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.86

$4.92 A$6.97

-1.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.95

$2.50 A$3.54

11.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.67

$2.55 A$3.62

-26.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.12

$2.28 A$3.23

-3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.89

$1.45 A$2.06

-7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.6

$46.43 A$65.8

-7.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.91

$12.36 A$17.51

2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.17

$4.75 A$6.73

-8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.77

$5.80 A$8.21

-41.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.41

$2.66 A$3.76

-9.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$141

$78.5 A$111

26.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.08

$3.70 A$5.25

-2.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.06

$1.72 A$2.44

-15.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.3

$45.70 A$64.7

-11.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.91

$1.25 A$1.78

8.00%

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

$29.6K A$41.9K

$33.8K A$47.9K

-12.58%

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

$28.1K A$39.8K

$28.1K A$39.9K

-0.10%

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

$204 A$288

$195 A$276

4.45%

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

$33.62 A$47.63

$23.66 A$33.52

42.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$91.8

$53.4 A$75.6

21.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.5

$59.1 A$83.7

-8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$29.97

$19.72 A$27.93

7.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.49

$12.05 A$17.07

43.49%

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

$2,300 A$3,258

$2,301 A$3,259

-0.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.7K

$21.3K A$30.2K

8.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$80.6 A$114

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.3

$56.7 A$80.4

12.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$117 A$165

3.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$124 A$175

33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,841

$1,558 A$2,207

28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,370

$1,278 A$1,810

30.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$3,993

$2,463 A$3,488

14.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,055

$2,041 A$2,892

5.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.0K

$5,228 A$7,405

62.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,553

$5,146 A$7,290

17.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$5,984

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 Forbes: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3% 23.6% $395

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Forbes

$364 14.3% 0.4% $1.4

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Forbes

$275 10.8% 18.7% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Forbes

$272 10.7% 10% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Forbes

$170 6.7% 11.8% $23

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Forbes

$101 4% 15.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Forbes

$83 3.3% 6% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,558 in Forbes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $95 in Forbes. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $364, with Forbes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Forbes

🕒 Local time

09:20 9:20 AM

12:20 12:20 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

8,481

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Perth Forbes 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Forbes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,080 in Perth and $2,543 in Forbes, so Forbes is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,620 in Perth and $3,814 in Forbes 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,006 in Perth versus $1,558 in Forbes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Forbes runs roughly 21% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $3,080 per month in Perth versus $2,543 in Forbes – Forbes is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,543 in Forbes versus $3,080 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forbes but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Forbes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Perth and Forbes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.