Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Ipswich

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipswich: $2,043 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Ipswich
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Ipswich Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Ipswich

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

A single person spends $3,027 per month in Perth vs $2,043 in Ipswich, rent included.

Perth $3,027
Ipswich $2,043

A couple spends around $4,162 per month in Perth vs $2,917 in Ipswich, rent included.

Perth $4,162
Ipswich $2,917

A family of three spends $5,297 per month in Perth vs $3,791 in Ipswich, rent included.

Perth $5,297
Ipswich $3,791

Perth costs about 48% more than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Perth and Ipswich sit above the global median – Perth by 123%, Ipswich by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.54

$31.32 A$45.07

-32.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$76.5 A$110

10.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.84

$9.76 A$14.04

12.81%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$4.56 A$6.56

-2.85%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

$3.90 A$5.62

-26.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.51 A$3.61

-10.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.14

$9.24 A$13.30

-8.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$8.00 A$11.51

2.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.51

$2.48 A$3.57

-29.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.49

$2.41 A$3.47

29.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.96

$2.20 A$3.17

-6.36%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.50

$7.21 A$10.37

-27.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.98

$7.40 A$10.65

21.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.43

$8.42 A$12.11

10.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.85

$13.88 A$19.97

-0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.60

$3.45 A$4.96

33.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$2.60 A$3.74

24.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.89

$2.86 A$4.12

18.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$7.03

$3.74 A$5.38

30.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.12

$1.90 A$2.73

50.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.72

$2.04 A$2.94

-7.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.48 A$3.57

-11.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.79 A$2.58

-22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$61.1

$44.82 A$64.5

-5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.31

$22.12 A$31.84

-42.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.56

$6.32 A$9.10

-27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.78

$7.41 A$10.66

-55.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.45

$0.34 A$0.49

605.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$142

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$2.22 A$3.20

59.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.55 A$2.24

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$58.2

$35.29 A$50.8

14.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.43 A$2.06

-4.90%

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

$29.6K A$42.6K

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

$27.7K A$39.9K

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

$205 A$295

$92.0 A$132

123.13%

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

$32.82 A$47.23

$31.28 A$45.01

4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$92.1

$64.1 A$92.2

-0.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$79.4

$17.50 A$25.18

215.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$30.13

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.85

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

$2,320 A$3,339

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$110

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$90.8

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$235

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,786

$1,032 A$1,485

87.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,337

$1,017 A$1,463

59.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,058

$1,419 A$2,042

98.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,110

$1,406 A$2,024

53.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,635

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$6,056

$4,265 A$6,137

-1.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.98

-0.33%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Ipswich

$1K 49.8% 37.4% $607

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Ipswich

$387 19% 5.9% $22

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Ipswich

$422 20.7% 26% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Ipswich

$187 9.2% 38% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Ipswich

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Ipswich

$11 * 0.6% 90.4% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Ipswich

$18 * 0.9% 80.5% $72

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,936 in Perth versus $1,032 in Ipswich. 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 1% higher in Ipswich, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Perth versus $76.0 in Ipswich. Groceries tell a different story – $366 in Perth vs $387 in Ipswich – so Perth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

2 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

229,208

💱 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 Ipswich 3,580 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,540 per month in Perth and $3,064 in Ipswich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in Perth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Perth and $76.0 in Ipswich. 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 Ipswich, where all-in costs run around $2,043, than in Perth at $3,027. In Ipswich it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ipswich – 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 Ipswich. 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.