Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Forster

For one person, living is cheaper in Forster: $2,595 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Forster

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,053 in Perth versus $2,595 in Forster.

Perth $3,053
Forster $2,595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Perth versus $3,737 in Forster.

Perth $4,180
Forster $3,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,307 in Perth versus $4,879 in Forster.

Perth $5,307
Forster $4,879

Living in Perth is roughly 18% more expensive than in Forster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Forster 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$30.05

$17.58 A$25.36

18.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$123

$92.1 A$133

-7.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$15.12

$10.66 A$15.38

-1.69%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.50

$3.90 A$5.63

15.64%

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

$2.85 A$4.11

$2.82 A$4.07

1.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.18

$2.22 A$3.21

-0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.48

$6.87 A$9.91

25.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.43

$5.45 A$7.86

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.55

$1.64 A$2.37

7.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.63

$2.91 A$4.20

10.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.88

$2.38 A$3.43

-15.97%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.62

$5.62 A$8.11

-6.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.29

$12.01 A$17.32

-23.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.14

$9.38 A$13.54

-2.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.39

$16.88 A$24.35

-12.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.42

$3.90 A$5.63

14.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.68

$3.10 A$4.48

4.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.95

$3.40 A$4.91

0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.89

$4.22 A$6.09

13.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.17

$3.24 A$4.68

-10.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.77

$2.48 A$3.58

-22.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.09

$2.38 A$3.43

-10.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.98

$1.21 A$1.75

13.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.7

$44.92 A$64.8

-7.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.83

$14.05 A$20.27

-12.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.81

$3.96 A$5.72

19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.81

$4.07 A$5.88

-17.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.83 A$4.08

-15.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$143

$84.7 A$122

16.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.75

$3.50 A$5.04

13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.18

$1.65 A$2.37

-8.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$63.2

$40.37 A$58.2

8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.51 A$2.17

-7.95%

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

$30.3K A$43.7K

$30.0K A$43.2K

1.17%

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

$27.9K A$40.2K

-0.08%

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

$199 A$288

$252 A$364

-20.98%

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

$33.29 A$48.02

$27.69 A$39.94

20.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$90.0

$56.6 A$81.6

10.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$76.2

$57.0 A$82.2

-7.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.75

$17.43 A$25.14

18.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.53

$17.45 A$25.17

1.43%

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

$2,249 A$3,244

$2,354 A$3,395

-4.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$47.4K

$27.9K A$40.2K

17.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$80.3 A$116

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$93.0

$71.4 A$103

-9.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

$113 A$164

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$228

$130 A$188

21.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,916

$1,391 A$2,006

45.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,392

$1,217 A$1,756

36.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$4,045

$2,287 A$3,299

22.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,135

$1,794 A$2,588

21.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$12.1K

$5,826 A$8,405

43.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,960

$4,884 A$7,044

27.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$6,013

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.92

-0.34%

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

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Last update for Forster: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Forster

$1.2K 46.9% 26.6% $441

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Forster

$379 14.6% 2.8% $10

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Forster

$285 11% 14.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Forster

$337 13% 14.1% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Forster

$178 6.9% 6.7% $13

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Forster

$108 4.2% 10.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Forster

$92 3.5% 4.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Perth and $1,391 in Forster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $92 in Forster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $379 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Forster

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

21:05 9:05 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

20,554

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.617 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Perth
Forster

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 Forster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,053 in Perth and $2,595 in Forster, so Forster is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,580 in Perth and $3,893 in Forster 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: $2,021 in Perth versus $1,391 in Forster. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,249 in Perth versus $2,354 in Forster. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,595 in Forster versus $3,053 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Forster but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Forster 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 Forster are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.