Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Mount Isa Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Mount Isa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Perth versus $2,244 in Mount Isa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Perth versus $3,259 in Mount Isa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,504 in Perth versus $4,274 in Mount Isa.

Living in Perth is roughly 2% more expensive than Mount Isa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 70% above, Mount Isa 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.44 A$23.01

$16.29 A$22.80

0.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$111

$78.6 A$110

1.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 A$14.71

$9.85 A$13.79

6.70%

Cappuccino

$3.65 A$5.11

$3.50 A$4.90

4.29%

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

$2.59 A$3.62

$2.51 A$3.51

3.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 A$2.77

$2.10 A$2.94

-5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 A$11.08

$6.38 A$8.93

23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 A$8.87

$7.14 A$10.00

-11.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 A$2.05

$1.44 A$2.02

1.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.27

$2.33 A$3.26

0.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$2.04 A$2.85

-1.47%

Eggs

$4.48 A$6.27

$3.21 A$4.50

39.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 A$11.64

$8.43 A$11.80

-1.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 A$11.71

$8.46 A$11.85

-1.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.87 A$19.41

$13.92 A$19.48

-0.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.79

$3.30 A$4.62

3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.22

$2.75 A$3.85

9.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 A$4.11

$2.97 A$4.15

-1.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.55

$4.04 A$5.66

15.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.51

$2.49 A$3.49

0.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 A$2.52

$2.08 A$2.91

-13.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 A$2.79

$2.11 A$2.96

-5.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 A$2.05

$1.58 A$2.22

-7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.67 A$44.34

$30.79 A$43.11

2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 A$14.96

$15.63 A$21.88

-31.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.82 A$5.34

$4.62 A$6.47

-17.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 A$5.87

$5.21 A$7.30

-19.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.26

$2.55 A$3.57

19.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.1 A$101

$64.5 A$90.4

11.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 A$5.61

$3.53 A$4.94

13.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 A$3.13

$1.59 A$2.23

40.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.44 A$69.2

$34.09 A$47.73

45.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 A$1.63

$1.13 A$1.59

2.65%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$28.7K A$40.2K

1.90%

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

$23.9K A$33.5K

$22.5K A$31.4K

6.59%

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

$157 A$220

$181 A$254

-13.26%

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

$27.62 A$38.67

$27.79 A$38.91

-0.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 A$77.8

$41.64 A$58.3

33.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 A$57.7

$49.47 A$69.3

-16.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.86 A$22.20

$15.99 A$22.39

-0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$16.40 A$22.96

$13.20 A$18.48

24.24%

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

$1,792 A$2,509

$1,612 A$2,256

11.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.7K

$12.2K A$17.1K

-2.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 A$98.4

$67.9 A$95.0

3.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 A$67.6

$51.4 A$71.9

-6.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 A$141

$99.6 A$139

1.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$150

$105 A$148

1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 A$2,104

$1,278 A$1,790

17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 A$1,612

$1,059 A$1,483

8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 A$3,528

$2,044 A$2,862

23.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 A$2,546

$1,685 A$2,358

7.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,479 A$9,070

$6,002 A$8,403

7.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,911 A$6,875

$5,057 A$7,080

-2.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,214 A$5,900

$4,545 A$6,363

-7.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.34

1.26%

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

Last update for Perth: April 21, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,503 in Perth and $1,278 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Perth vs $79 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 vs $337 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Isa wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mount Isa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mount Isa earns 8% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,503 in Perth versus $1,278 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,792 in Perth versus $1,612 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,244 in Mount Isa versus $2,281 in Perth, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mount Isa but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mount Isa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.