Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Maroochydore

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroochydore: $2,422 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perth, Australia
Maroochydore, Australia
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Maroochydore
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,422
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Maroochydore

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,422 in Maroochydore, rent included.

  • Perth $3,080
  • Maroochydore $2,422

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,694 in Maroochydore, rent included.

  • Perth $4,194
  • Maroochydore $3,694

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $4,966 in Maroochydore, rent included.

  • Perth $5,309
  • Maroochydore $4,966

Perth costs about 27% more than Maroochydore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Maroochydore sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Maroochydore by 78%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.45 A$30.49
$14.46 A$20.56
48.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 A$122
$96.5 A$137
-11.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 A$15.52
$9.34 A$13.27
16.92%
Cappuccino
$4.55 A$6.47
$3.84 A$5.46
18.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.96
$2.62 A$3.72
6.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 A$3.21
$2.05 A$2.91
10.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.31 A$11.82
$4.10 A$5.83
102.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.55 A$12.16
$7.75 A$11.02
10.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 A$2.38
$1.56 A$2.21
7.69%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 A$4.52
$2.74 A$3.90
16.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 A$2.88
$2.42 A$3.45
-16.53%
Eggs
$5.28 A$7.51
$4.89 A$6.96
7.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.51 A$13.51
$9.05 A$12.86
5.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.21 A$13.09
$9.53 A$13.55
-3.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 A$19.89
$14.72 A$20.92
-4.96%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 A$6.53
$3.73 A$5.31
23.32%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.48
$3.13 A$4.45
0.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 A$5.01
$2.64 A$3.76
33.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.84 A$6.88
$3.76 A$5.34
28.72%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 A$3.97
$2.55 A$3.63
9.41%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 A$2.68
$2.16 A$3.07
-12.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 A$3.13
$2.55 A$3.63
-13.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.90
$2.42 A$3.44
-44.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.80 A$60.8
$24.23 A$34.44
76.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$17.97
$10.70 A$15.21
18.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.35 A$6.19
$5.74 A$8.15
-24.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 A$4.79
$5.77 A$8.20
-41.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 A$3.42
$0.71 A$1.01
239.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.6 A$142
$78.7 A$112
26.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 A$5.10
$2.05 A$2.91
75.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.07
$1.53 A$2.18
-4.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.46 A$57.5
$35.95 A$51.1
12.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.92
$1.31 A$1.86
3.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.0K
$29.2K A$41.5K
1.35%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K A$40.0K
$23.5K A$33.4K
19.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 A$289
$222 A$315
-8.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.62 A$47.79
$31.08 A$44.18
8.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.8 A$92.1
$53.5 A$76.1
21.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 A$76.7
$57.3 A$81.5
-5.86%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.16 A$30.07
$17.65 A$25.09
19.89%
Cinema Ticket
$17.29 A$24.58
$13.16 A$18.70
31.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,300 A$3,269
$2,150 A$3,056
6.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K A$32.8K
$11.8K A$16.7K
96.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.5 A$110
$77.0 A$109
0.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 A$90.6
$54.5 A$77.4
17.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$172
$102 A$146
18.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 A$235
$125 A$178
32.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 A$2,851
$1,187 A$1,688
68.93%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 A$2,378
$1,164 A$1,654
43.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,819 A$4,007
$2,067 A$2,937
36.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,156 A$3,065
$2,093 A$2,975
3.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,504 A$12.1K
$6,072 A$8,631
40.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,037 A$8,582
$6,217 A$8,838
-2.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Maroochydore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,224 A$6,004
$2,778 A$3,949
52.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
5.69
4.75%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maroochydore: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.7K
Maroochydore
$1.2K 30.5% $510
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$365
Maroochydore
$371 1.5% $5.5
Eating Out
Perth
$338
Maroochydore
$244 27.6% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$302
Maroochydore
$306 1.5% $4.5
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$193
Maroochydore
$161 16.2% $31
Getting Around
Perth
$120
Maroochydore
$91 24% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$89
Maroochydore
$84 5.5% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,187 in Maroochydore. 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 52% higher in Perth. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $96 in Maroochydore. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $371 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Perth
🇦🇺 Maroochydore
🕒 Local time
08:46 8:46 AM
10:46 10:46 AM
2 h ahead of Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,043,762
18,342
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Maroochydore 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • Maroochydore

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 Maroochydore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Perth and in Maroochydore compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,080 in Perth, $2,422 in Maroochydore – Maroochydore comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Perth compared to Maroochydore?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $3,633 in Maroochydore. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Perth and Maroochydore?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Maroochydore, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,187 there versus $2,006 in Perth.
Which city is more expensive overall: Perth or Maroochydore?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,080 in Perth and $2,422 in Maroochydore. That makes Maroochydore about 21% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Perth and Maroochydore?
Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Perth and $2,150 in Maroochydore. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Maroochydore, where all-in costs run around $2,422, than in Perth at $3,080. In Maroochydore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Perth or Maroochydore?
Families tend to lean toward Maroochydore – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Perth or Maroochydore safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
How do I decide between Perth and Maroochydore?
If budget matters most, go with Maroochydore. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Perth vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?