Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Gladstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Gladstone: $2,533 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perth, Australia
Gladstone, Australia
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Gladstone
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,533
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Gladstone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,533 in Gladstone.

  • Perth $3,080
  • Gladstone $2,533

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,459 in Gladstone.

  • Perth $4,194
  • Gladstone $3,459

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,385 in Gladstone.

  • Perth $5,309
  • Gladstone $4,385

Living in Perth is roughly 22% more expensive than in Gladstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Gladstone 86% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.45 A$30.50
$17.68 A$25.14
21.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 A$122
$81.1 A$115
5.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 A$15.52
$11.89 A$16.91
-8.16%
Cappuccino
$4.55 A$6.47
$4.13 A$5.87
10.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.96
$3.10 A$4.41
-10.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 A$3.22
$2.75 A$3.91
-17.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.31 A$11.82
$7.52 A$10.69
10.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.55 A$12.16
$9.28 A$13.20
-7.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 A$2.39
$1.52 A$2.17
10.53%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 A$4.52
$2.73 A$3.88
16.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 A$2.88
$2.30 A$3.27
-12.17%
Eggs
$5.28 A$7.51
$4.85 A$6.90
8.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.51 A$13.52
$9.23 A$13.13
3.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.21 A$13.09
$9.21 A$13.09
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 A$19.90
$14.50 A$20.61
-3.52%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 A$6.54
$3.83 A$5.45
20.10%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.48
$3.12 A$4.44
0.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 A$5.01
$3.30 A$4.69
6.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.84 A$6.89
$4.67 A$6.64
3.64%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 A$3.97
$2.63 A$3.75
6.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 A$2.68
$2.38 A$3.38
-21.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 A$3.14
$2.41 A$3.42
-8.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.90
$1.61 A$2.29
-16.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.80 A$60.9
$41.88 A$59.6
2.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$17.98
$13.91 A$19.78
-9.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.35 A$6.19
$4.85 A$6.90
-10.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 A$4.79
$5.35 A$7.61
-37.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 A$3.42
$2.83 A$4.02
-14.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.6 A$142
$84.8 A$121
17.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 A$5.10
$4.02 A$5.72
-10.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.07
$1.39 A$1.98
5.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.46 A$57.5
$44.05 A$62.6
-8.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.92
$1.27 A$1.80
6.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.0K
$26.9K A$38.2K
9.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K A$40.0K
$24.9K A$35.4K
12.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 A$289
$205 A$291
-0.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.62 A$47.81
$27.56 A$39.19
21.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.8 A$92.2
$54.4 A$77.3
19.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 A$76.8
$56.1 A$79.8
-3.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.16 A$30.08
$17.63 A$25.07
20.02%
Cinema Ticket
$17.29 A$24.59
$13.90 A$19.77
24.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,300 A$3,270
$1,958 A$2,785
17.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K A$32.8K
$20.4K A$28.9K
13.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.5 A$110
$70.3 A$100
10.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 A$90.6
$62.5 A$88.8
2.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$172
$98.6 A$140
22.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 A$236
$123 A$174
35.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 A$2,852
$1,381 A$1,964
45.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 A$2,379
$1,223 A$1,739
36.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,819 A$4,008
$1,370 A$1,948
105.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,156 A$3,066
$1,465 A$2,083
47.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,504 A$12.1K
$5,583 A$7,939
52.31%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,037 A$8,585
$4,980 A$7,081
21.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Gladstone
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,224 A$6,006
$5,599 A$7,962
-24.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
5.25
13.52%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gladstone: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.7K
Gladstone
$1.2K 26.9% $451
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$365
Gladstone
$367 0.5% $1.8
Eating Out
Perth
$338
Gladstone
$306 9.4% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$302
Gladstone
$287 5.1% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$193
Gladstone
$159 17.3% $33
Getting Around
Perth
$120
Gladstone
$107 10.8% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$89
Gladstone
$84 5.2% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,381 in Gladstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gladstone pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $81 in Gladstone. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $367, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Perth
🇦🇺 Gladstone
🕒 Local time
01:40 1:40 AM
03:40 3:40 AM
2 h ahead of Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,043,762
34,703
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 = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Gladstone 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • Gladstone

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 Gladstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Perth or Gladstone?
Gladstone wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Gladstone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Perth or in Gladstone?
On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Perth. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Perth compared to Gladstone?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,006 in Perth versus $1,381 in Gladstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Perth compared to Gladstone?
A monthly transit pass in Gladstone runs roughly 15% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
How much does it cost to live in Perth compared to Gladstone?
All in, you’ll spend $3,080 per month in Perth versus $2,533 in Gladstone – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Perth or in Gladstone?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Gladstone is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Perth or Gladstone?
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.
How safe is Perth compared to Gladstone?
Safety-wise, Perth and Gladstone 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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