Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Goulburn

For one person, living is cheaper in Goulburn: $2,331 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Goulburn
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Goulburn Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Goulburn

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Goulburn

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

A single person spends $3,027 per month in Perth vs $2,331 in Goulburn, rent included.

Perth $3,027
Goulburn $2,331

A couple spends around $4,162 per month in Perth vs $3,409 in Goulburn, rent included.

Perth $4,162
Goulburn $3,409

A family of three spends $5,297 per month in Perth vs $4,488 in Goulburn, rent included.

Perth $5,297
Goulburn $4,488

Perth costs about 30% more than Goulburn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Goulburn sit above the global median – Perth by 123%, Goulburn by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.54

$17.74 A$25.52

19.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$90.3 A$130

-6.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.84

$8.17 A$11.75

34.76%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$3.11 A$4.48

42.44%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$2.85 A$4.10

1.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.18 A$3.14

3.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.14

$7.71 A$11.10

9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$7.10 A$10.21

15.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.51

$0.98 A$1.41

77.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.49

$1.76 A$2.54

77.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.96

$2.21 A$3.18

-6.79%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.50

$5.10 A$7.34

2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.98

$11.77 A$16.94

-23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.43

$9.27 A$13.34

0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.85

$16.82 A$24.20

-17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.60

$3.13 A$4.51

46.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$1.71 A$2.46

88.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.89

$1.77 A$2.55

92.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$7.03

$3.50 A$5.04

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.12

$2.41 A$3.46

18.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.72

$1.29 A$1.86

46.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.15

$1.35 A$1.94

62.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.02 A$1.47

36.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$61.1

$45.04 A$64.8

-5.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.31

$8.20 A$11.80

55.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.56

$3.94 A$5.67

15.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.78

$3.94 A$5.68

-15.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.45

$2.95 A$4.24

-18.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$142

$79.1 A$114

24.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$2.84 A$4.09

24.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.62 A$2.32

-9.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$58.2

$39.71 A$57.2

1.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.46 A$2.10

-6.85%

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

$29.6K A$42.6K

$29.2K A$42.0K

1.52%

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

$27.7K A$39.9K

$29.6K A$42.6K

-6.47%

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

$205 A$295

$103 A$148

100.16%

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

$32.82 A$47.23

$27.05 A$38.93

21.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$92.1

$55.9 A$80.4

14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$79.4

$55.1 A$79.3

0.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$30.13

$17.54 A$25.23

19.38%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.85

$8.44 A$12.15

104.62%

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

$2,320 A$3,339

$2,156 A$3,103

7.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$28.9K A$41.6K

-20.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$110

$79.7 A$115

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$90.8

$69.8 A$100

-9.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

$110 A$158

10.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$235

$132 A$191

23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,786

$1,383 A$1,990

39.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,337

$1,208 A$1,738

34.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,058

$2,127 A$3,061

32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,110

$1,788 A$2,573

20.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$12.0K

$5,704 A$8,208

46.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,635

$4,911 A$7,067

22.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$6,056

$4,014 A$5,777

4.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.84

2.05%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Goulburn: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Goulburn

$1.2K 51.8% 25.6% $416

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Goulburn

$311 13.3% 15% $55

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Goulburn

$277 11.9% 17.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Goulburn

$186 8% 38.6% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Goulburn

$176 7.6% 7.7% $15

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Goulburn

$102 4.4% 14.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Goulburn

$72 3.1% 19.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,936 in Perth versus $1,383 in Goulburn. 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 5% higher in Perth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Perth versus $90.0 in Goulburn. Groceries tell a different story – $366 in Perth vs $311 in Goulburn – so Goulburn wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Goulburn

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

05:36 5:36 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

23,963

💱 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

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Between locations

Perth Goulburn 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Goulburn

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 Goulburn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,540 per month in Perth and $3,496 in Goulburn. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Goulburn, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 18% more in Perth, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Perth and $90.0 in Goulburn. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Goulburn, where all-in costs run around $2,331, than in Perth at $3,027. In Goulburn it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Goulburn – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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