Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Grafton

For one person, living is cheaper in Grafton: $2,424 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Grafton
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Grafton Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Grafton

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,424

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Grafton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,053 in Perth versus $2,424 in Grafton.

Perth $3,053
Grafton $2,424

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Perth versus $3,460 in Grafton.

Perth $4,180
Grafton $3,460

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,307 in Perth versus $4,496 in Grafton.

Perth $5,307
Grafton $4,496

Living in Perth is roughly 26% more expensive than in Grafton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Grafton 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.70

$17.28 A$24.64

20.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$72.4 A$103

17.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$14.95

$11.26 A$16.06

-6.93%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.43

$3.37 A$4.80

33.83%

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

$2.85 A$4.06

$2.88 A$4.11

-1.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.14

$2.41 A$3.44

-8.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.33

$8.62 A$12.29

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.29

$8.25 A$11.76

4.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.52

$1.11 A$1.58

59.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.58

$2.62 A$3.74

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.85

$2.23 A$3.17

-10.31%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.53

$3.68 A$5.25

43.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.13

$9.57 A$13.64

-3.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$12.98

$7.50 A$10.69

21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.14

$14.36 A$20.47

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.35

$2.86 A$4.07

55.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.62

$1.41 A$2.01

129.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.89

$2.95 A$4.21

16.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.81

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.12

$2.08 A$2.96

38.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.74

$2.25 A$3.21

-14.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.06

$1.70 A$2.43

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.14 A$1.62

20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.0

$30.29 A$43.19

36.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.62

$12.42 A$17.70

-0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.73

$5.18 A$7.38

-8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.75

$5.17 A$7.37

-35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.42

$2.82 A$4.01

-14.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$141

$84.9 A$121

16.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.68

$3.05 A$4.35

30.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.79 A$2.55

-15.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$62.5

$40.71 A$58.0

7.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.32 A$1.89

5.30%

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

$30.3K A$43.2K

$28.9K A$41.2K

5.04%

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

$27.9K A$39.7K

$24.5K A$35.0K

13.63%

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

$199 A$284

$158 A$225

26.45%

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

$33.29 A$47.45

$26.75 A$38.13

24.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$88.9

$49.18 A$70.1

26.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$75.3

$56.2 A$80.1

-5.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.40

$18.04 A$25.72

14.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.23

$11.82 A$16.85

49.75%

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

$2,249 A$3,206

$700 A$997

221.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$46.9K

$3,199 A$4,561

927.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$113

$84.6 A$121

-6.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$91.9

$45.34 A$64.6

42.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$113 A$161

7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$226

$113 A$161

40.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,881

$1,412 A$2,014

43.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,364

$1,228 A$1,751

35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$3,997

$2,258 A$3,220

24.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,099

$1,816 A$2,589

19.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$11.9K

$5,769 A$8,224

45.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,855

$4,933 A$7,032

25.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$5,943

$2,511 A$3,580

66.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

5.81

1.55%

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

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Last update for Grafton: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Grafton

$1.2K 50.7% 25.9% $430

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Grafton

$321 13.2% 12.9% $48

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Grafton

$293 12.1% 11.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Grafton

$234 9.6% 20.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Grafton

$160 6.6% 16% $31

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Grafton

$108 4.5% 9.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Grafton

$80 3.3% 9.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Perth and $1,412 in Grafton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $72 in Grafton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $321 per month, with Grafton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Grafton

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

19,255

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Grafton 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
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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 Grafton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,053 in Perth and $2,424 in Grafton, so Grafton is about 21% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 66% 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: $2,021 in Perth versus $1,412 in Grafton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Grafton – a meal for two runs $72 versus $85 in Perth. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,424 in Grafton versus $3,053 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Grafton but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Grafton 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 Grafton are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Grafton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.