Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Katoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,409 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
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Katoomba Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Katoomba

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,409 in Katoomba, rent included.

Perth $3,080
Katoomba $2,409

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,467 in Katoomba, rent included.

Perth $4,194
Katoomba $3,467

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $4,526 in Katoomba, rent included.

Perth $5,309
Katoomba $4,526

Perth costs about 28% more than Katoomba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Katoomba sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Katoomba by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.48

$17.30 A$24.58

23.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$85.8 A$122

-0.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.51

$10.49 A$14.91

4.10%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$3.15 A$4.47

44.44%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$2.72 A$3.87

2.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.06 A$2.93

9.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.81

$6.44 A$9.14

29.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.15

$8.65 A$12.29

-1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.56 A$2.21

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$3.26 A$4.64

-2.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.54 A$3.61

-20.47%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$5.26 A$7.47

0.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.51

$13.18 A$18.73

-27.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$9.65 A$13.72

-4.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.88

$15.42 A$21.92

-9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.53

$4.09 A$5.82

12.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$3.10 A$4.40

1.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.00

$3.53 A$5.02

-0.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.88

$5.13 A$7.29

-5.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$3.21 A$4.56

-13.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.87 A$4.07

-34.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.13

$2.54 A$3.61

-12.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.35 A$1.92

-0.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.8

$45.57 A$64.8

-6.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$13.79 A$19.59

-8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$4.65 A$6.61

-6.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.78

$5.63 A$8.00

-40.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.47 A$3.51

-2.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$77.8 A$111

28.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$4.00 A$5.69

-10.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.66 A$2.35

-12.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$42.48 A$60.4

-4.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.33 A$1.89

1.50%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$28.6K A$40.6K

3.39%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$26.4K A$37.5K

6.65%

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

$204 A$289

$186 A$265

9.26%

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

$33.62 A$47.77

$26.42 A$37.55

27.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.1

$56.3 A$80.0

15.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.7

$61.7 A$87.6

-12.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.06

$17.36 A$24.67

21.89%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.57

$15.98 A$22.71

8.20%

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

$2,300 A$3,267

$2,503 A$3,557

-8.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

$20.3K A$28.9K

13.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$76.1 A$108

1.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$55.8 A$79.2

14.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$109 A$154

11.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$133 A$189

24.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,850

$1,604 A$2,279

25.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,378

$1,106 A$1,571

51.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,006

$2,208 A$3,137

27.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,064

$1,560 A$2,216

38.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$5,535 A$7,865

53.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,579

$5,242 A$7,448

15.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,002

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.95

0.17%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Katoomba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.9% 33.9% $568

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Katoomba

$396 16.5% 8.4% $31

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Katoomba

$276 11.5% 18.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Katoomba

$269 11.2% 10.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Katoomba

$168 7% 12.8% $25

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Katoomba

$100 4.2% 16.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Katoomba

$94 3.9% 5.7% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,604 in Katoomba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $86 in Katoomba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $396 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

07:12 7:12 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

8,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Katoomba 3,210 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Katoomba

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 Katoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,080 in Perth, $2,409 in Katoomba – Katoomba comes out roughly 22% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $3,613 in Katoomba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Katoomba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,604 there versus $2,006 in Perth.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Katoomba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Perth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Katoomba, where all-in costs run around $2,409, than in Perth at $3,080. In Katoomba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Perth has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,409 in Katoomba to $3,080 in Perth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.