Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Geelong

For one person, living is cheaper in Geelong: $2,602 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Geelong
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Geelong Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,019

/mo nomad

Geelong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Geelong

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,019 in Perth versus $2,602 in Geelong.

Perth $3,019
Geelong $2,602

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,128 in Perth versus $3,495 in Geelong.

Perth $4,128
Geelong $3,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,236 in Perth versus $4,387 in Geelong.

Perth $5,236
Geelong $4,387

Living in Perth is roughly 16% more expensive than in Geelong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 124% above, Geelong 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 A$28.92

$17.56 A$25.27

14.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 A$120

$82.2 A$118

1.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$15.17

$10.29 A$14.80

2.43%

Cappuccino

$4.37 A$6.28

$3.80 A$5.47

15.00%

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

$2.82 A$4.06

$2.80 A$4.03

0.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$2.16 A$3.10

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.94

$6.53 A$9.39

27.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 A$12.05

$7.85 A$11.30

6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 A$2.56

$1.55 A$2.23

14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 A$4.54

$2.54 A$3.65

24.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.84

$1.87 A$2.70

5.35%

Eggs

$5.22 A$7.51

$4.27 A$6.14

22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.45

$7.75 A$11.15

20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$9.66 A$13.90

-4.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.26

$15.35 A$22.08

-8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.61

$4.12 A$5.92

11.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.67

$2.92 A$4.20

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$2.90 A$4.18

14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 A$7.11

$3.23 A$4.65

52.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.06 A$4.40

-4.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.75

$2.17 A$3.12

-11.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.34

$2.07 A$2.98

12.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.55 A$2.24

-12.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.10 A$59.1

$45.24 A$65.1

-9.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.24

$12.64 A$18.19

0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.32 A$6.22

$3.78 A$5.45

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.96 A$4.27

14.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 A$3.56

$7.45 A$10.72

-66.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 A$139

$128 A$184

-24.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 A$5.05

$4.45 A$6.41

-21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.98

$1.36 A$1.96

1.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.16 A$59.2

$29.97 A$43.12

37.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.02

$1.29 A$1.85

8.53%

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

$26.8K A$38.5K

$28.0K A$40.2K

-4.28%

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

$29.9K A$43.0K

$26.3K A$37.9K

13.47%

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

$196 A$282

$155 A$222

26.73%

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

$33.08 A$47.60

$25.90 A$37.28

27.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 A$89.3

$56.5 A$81.3

9.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 A$83.7

$55.7 A$80.1

4.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$15.25 A$21.95

40.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.57 A$25.29

$12.72 A$18.30

38.13%

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

$2,323 A$3,342

$2,138 A$3,076

8.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$29.6K A$42.6K

-22.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 A$110

$79.5 A$114

-3.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 A$94.7

$48.93 A$70.4

34.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$173

$94.0 A$135

28.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 A$233

$105 A$151

54.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 A$2,789

$1,264 A$1,818

53.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,356

$1,343 A$1,933

21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,740 A$3,943

$1,717 A$2,471

59.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 A$3,070

$1,506 A$2,167

41.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,328 A$12.0K

$6,557 A$9,436

27.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,852

$5,281 A$7,600

16.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,288 A$6,171

$3,086 A$4,441

38.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.9

0.17%

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

Last update for Perth: October 12, 2026

Last update for Geelong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 54.2%

Geelong

$1.3K 51.6% 17.9% $294

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$367 12.1%

Geelong

$340 13.1% 7.4% $27

Eating Out

Perth

$323 10.7%

Geelong

$285 11% 11.8% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$291 9.6%

Geelong

$237 9.1% 18.6% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Geelong

$147 5.7% 23% $44

Getting Around

Perth

$117 3.9%

Geelong

$169 6.5% 44.7% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$93 3.1%

Geelong

$81 3.1% 13.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,938 in Perth and $1,264 in Geelong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 39% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $83.0 in Perth vs $82.0 in Geelong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $340 per month, with Geelong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Geelong

🕒 Local time

11:28 11:28 AM

14:28 2:28 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

180,239

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Perth Geelong 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Geelong

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 Geelong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth and Geelong differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($3,019 vs $2,602 including rent). Geelong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Perth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,938 in Perth versus $1,264 in Geelong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,019 per month in Perth versus $2,602 in Geelong – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Geelong runs roughly 33% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,602 in Geelong versus $3,019 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Geelong but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Geelong 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 Geelong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Geelong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.