Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Newcastle, Australia

Name: Newcastle
Address: Newcastle, AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Newcastle: $2,577 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Newcastle
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Newcastle Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Newcastle

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Newcastle

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,027 in Perth versus $2,577 in Newcastle.

Perth $3,027
Newcastle $2,577

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Perth versus $3,805 in Newcastle.

Perth $4,162
Newcastle $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,297 in Perth versus $5,033 in Newcastle.

Perth $5,297
Newcastle $5,033

Living in Perth is roughly 17% more expensive than in Newcastle, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 123% above, Newcastle 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.19

$20.75 A$29.52

2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$120

$104 A$147

-18.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.66

$10.52 A$14.97

4.66%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.30

$3.82 A$5.43

15.97%

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

$2.88 A$4.10

$3.29 A$4.68

-12.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.20

$1.76 A$2.50

27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.00

$8.85 A$12.58

-4.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.70

$6.79 A$9.66

21.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

$1.42 A$2.02

22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.70 A$3.84

15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.93

$1.95 A$2.78

5.64%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.42

$4.67 A$6.64

11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.83

$10.17 A$14.46

-11.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.27

$8.86 A$12.60

5.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.62

$15.94 A$22.67

-13.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.53

$3.56 A$5.07

28.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.59

$2.95 A$4.20

9.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.84

$2.90 A$4.12

17.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.95

$4.39 A$6.25

11.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.07

$2.89 A$4.11

-1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.69

$2.32 A$3.29

-18.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.11

$2.50 A$3.56

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$1.97

$1.40 A$1.99

-0.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$60.4

$31.88 A$45.34

33.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.10

$10.65 A$15.14

19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.48

$4.34 A$6.17

5.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.72

$3.29 A$4.68

0.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.74 A$3.90

-12.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$140

$150 A$214

-34.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.01

$2.48 A$3.53

42.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.57 A$2.23

-7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$57.5

$40.98 A$58.3

-1.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.93

$1.19 A$1.69

14.29%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$29.7K A$42.3K

-0.43%

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

$27.7K A$39.4K

$25.1K A$35.7K

10.54%

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

$205 A$292

$218 A$310

-5.83%

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

$32.82 A$46.68

$26.13 A$37.16

25.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$91.1

$56.6 A$80.5

13.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$78.5

$44.94 A$63.9

22.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$29.78

$17.86 A$25.41

17.25%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.56

$14.09 A$20.04

22.57%

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

$2,320 A$3,300

$2,158 A$3,070

7.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.5K

$13.7K A$19.4K

67.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$109

$80.5 A$114

-5.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$89.7

$46.87 A$66.7

34.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$119 A$170

2.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$232

$118 A$168

38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,753

$1,550 A$2,205

24.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,310

$1,197 A$1,702

35.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,011

$2,465 A$3,506

14.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,074

$1,864 A$2,652

15.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$11.9K

$13.5K A$19.2K

-37.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,535

$5,833 A$8,296

2.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$5,986

$3,099 A$4,408

35.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

6.55

-9.01%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Newcastle: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Newcastle

$1.2K 46.4% 26.3% $427

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Newcastle

$349 13.6% 4.6% $17

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Newcastle

$321 12.5% 4.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Newcastle

$301 11.7% 0.5% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Newcastle

$164 6.4% 14.2% $27

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Newcastle

$172 6.7% 44.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Newcastle

$73 2.8% 18.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,936 in Perth and $1,550 in Newcastle. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 36% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $104 in Newcastle. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $349, with Newcastle cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Newcastle

🕒 Local time

08:10 8:10 AM

11:10 11:10 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

508,437

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Perth Newcastle 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Newcastle

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 Newcastle: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newcastle is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, groceries, and leisure. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Perth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,936 in Perth versus $1,550 in Newcastle. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,027 per month in Perth versus $2,577 in Newcastle – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Perth runs roughly 35% less than in Newcastle. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Newcastle is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Newcastle are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Newcastle wins on affordability, Perth on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.