Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Lake Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Macquarie: $2,218 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Lake Macquarie
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Lake Macquarie Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Lake Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,218

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Lake Macquarie

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,218 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Perth $3,080
Lake Macquarie $2,218

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,563 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Perth $4,194
Lake Macquarie $3,563

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $4,907 in Lake Macquarie, rent included.

Perth $5,309
Lake Macquarie $4,907

Perth costs about 39% more than Lake Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Perth and Lake Macquarie sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Lake Macquarie by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.48

$17.44 A$24.79

22.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$84.6 A$120

1.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.51

$10.50 A$14.92

4.00%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$3.52 A$5.00

29.26%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$3.15 A$4.47

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.04 A$2.90

10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.81

$7.20 A$10.23

15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.15

$6.91 A$9.81

23.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.15 A$1.64

46.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$1.50 A$2.13

112.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$1.59 A$2.26

27.04%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$3.26 A$4.64

61.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.51

$7.87 A$11.18

20.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$7.47 A$10.62

23.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.88

$12.54 A$17.82

11.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.53

$2.95 A$4.19

55.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.56 A$3.64

23.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.00

$2.56 A$3.64

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.88

$3.76 A$5.34

28.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.38 A$3.38

17.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.06 A$2.92

-8.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.13

$1.70 A$2.42

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.55 A$2.20

-13.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.8

$29.27 A$41.59

46.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$8.38 A$11.90

50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$2.89 A$4.11

50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.78

$2.28 A$3.25

47.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.68 A$3.81

-10.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$82.9 A$118

20.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$2.02 A$2.87

77.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$3.18 A$4.52

-54.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$58.4 A$83.0

-30.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.34 A$1.90

0.75%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$28.4K A$40.3K

4.23%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$24.3K A$34.5K

15.79%

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

$204 A$289

$236 A$335

-13.74%

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

$33.62 A$47.77

$11.39 A$16.19

195.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.1

$41.79 A$59.4

55.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.7

$55.7 A$79.1

-3.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.06

$18.12 A$25.75

16.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.57

$9.57 A$13.59

80.67%

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

$2,300 A$3,267

$1,489 A$2,115

54.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

$18.6K A$26.4K

24.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$70.3 A$99.9

10.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$37.06 A$52.7

71.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$98.5 A$140

23.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$111 A$158

48.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,850

$1,380 A$1,961

45.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,378

$1,040 A$1,478

60.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,006

$2,288 A$3,251

23.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,064

$2,267 A$3,222

-4.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$5,477 A$7,782

55.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,579

$5,415 A$7,694

11.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,002

$5,072 A$7,207

-16.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

4.35

37.01%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lake Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Lake Macquarie

$1K 46.9% 37.9% $633

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Lake Macquarie

$276 12.5% 24.4% $89

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Lake Macquarie

$284 12.8% 16% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Lake Macquarie

$289 13% 4.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Lake Macquarie

$143 6.4% 25.9% $50

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Lake Macquarie

$112 5% 7.1% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Lake Macquarie

$75 3.4% 15.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,380 in Lake Macquarie. 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 20% higher in Lake Macquarie, 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 $86 in Perth versus $85 in Lake Macquarie. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $276 – making Lake Macquarie the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Lake Macquarie

🕒 Local time

06:08 6:08 AM

09:08 9:08 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

1,059

💱 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

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Perth Lake Macquarie 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Lake Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Perth is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $3,327 in Lake Macquarie. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Macquarie, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,380 there versus $2,006 in Perth.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Lake Macquarie. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Perth, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lake Macquarie, where all-in costs run around $2,218, than in Perth at $3,080. In Lake Macquarie it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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