Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Noosa Heads

For one person, living is cheaper in Noosa Heads: $2,698 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Perth, Australia
Noosa Heads, Australia
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Noosa Heads
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Noosa Heads

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,698 in Noosa Heads, rent included.

  • Perth $3,080
  • Noosa Heads $2,698

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,802 in Noosa Heads, rent included.

  • Perth $4,194
  • Noosa Heads $3,802

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

  • Perth $5,309
  • Noosa Heads $4,907

Perth costs about 14% more than Noosa Heads, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Perth and Noosa Heads sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Noosa Heads by 98%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.45 A$30.51
$13.23 A$18.82
62.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 A$122
$66.0 A$93.8
29.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 A$15.53
$5.48 A$7.80
99.27%
Cappuccino
$4.55 A$6.48
$3.44 A$4.89
32.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.96
$2.89 A$4.12
-3.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 A$3.22
$2.07 A$2.94
9.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.31 A$11.82
$4.15 A$5.90
100.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.55 A$12.17
$5.66 A$8.04
51.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 A$2.39
$1.50 A$2.13
12.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 A$4.52
$2.72 A$3.88
16.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 A$2.88
$1.36 A$1.94
48.53%
Eggs
$5.28 A$7.52
$4.75 A$6.76
11.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.51 A$13.52
$7.15 A$10.17
33.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.21 A$13.10
$8.98 A$12.78
2.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 A$19.90
$13.27 A$18.87
5.43%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 A$6.54
$3.94 A$5.60
16.75%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.49
$2.77 A$3.94
13.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 A$5.01
$2.13 A$3.03
65.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.84 A$6.89
$4.11 A$5.85
17.76%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 A$3.97
$2.05 A$2.92
36.10%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 A$2.68
$2.04 A$2.90
-7.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 A$3.14
$2.08 A$2.96
6.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.90
$0.67 A$0.96
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.80 A$60.9
$39.10 A$55.6
9.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$17.99
$11.90 A$16.93
6.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.35 A$6.19
$5.01 A$7.12
-13.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 A$4.79
$6.40 A$9.11
-47.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 A$3.42
$2.73 A$3.88
-11.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.6 A$142
$95.8 A$136
4.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 A$5.10
$2.21 A$3.15
62.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.07
$1.48 A$2.11
-1.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.46 A$57.6
$34.42 A$48.96
17.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.92
$1.19 A$1.69
13.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.0K
$28.2K A$40.1K
4.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K A$40.0K
$24.9K A$35.5K
12.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 A$290
$123 A$175
65.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.62 A$47.82
$30.81 A$43.82
9.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.8 A$92.2
$51.7 A$73.6
25.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 A$76.8
$40.51 A$57.6
33.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.16 A$30.09
$17.70 A$25.17
19.55%
Cinema Ticket
$17.29 A$24.59
$13.06 A$18.58
32.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,300 A$3,271
$1,041 A$1,481
120.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K A$32.9K
$11.9K A$16.9K
94.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.5 A$110
$76.3 A$108
1.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 A$90.6
$54.3 A$77.2
17.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$172
$103 A$146
18.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 A$236
$122 A$174
35.34%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 A$2,853
$1,627 A$2,313
23.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 A$2,380
$1,607 A$2,286
4.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,819 A$4,010
$2,616 A$3,721
7.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,156 A$3,067
$2,419 A$3,440
-10.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,504 A$12.1K
$5,408 A$7,692
57.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,037 A$8,587
$5,473 A$7,784
10.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Noosa Heads
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,224 A$6,008
$3,063 A$4,357
37.89%
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 Noosa Heads: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.7K
Noosa Heads
$1.6K 3.9% $66
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$365
Noosa Heads
$327 10.6% $39
Eating Out
Perth
$338
Noosa Heads
$215 36.2% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$302
Noosa Heads
$206 31.9% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$193
Noosa Heads
$160 17% $33
Getting Around
Perth
$120
Noosa Heads
$116 3.2% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$89
Noosa Heads
$67 24.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,627 in Noosa Heads. 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 38% higher in Perth. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $66 in Noosa Heads. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $327 – making Noosa Heads the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Perth
🇦🇺 Noosa Heads
🕒 Local time
18:01 6:01 PM
20:01 8:01 PM
2 h ahead of Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,043,762
7,041
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 = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Noosa Heads 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • Noosa Heads

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 Noosa Heads: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Perth and in Noosa Heads compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,080 in Perth, $2,698 in Noosa Heads – Noosa Heads comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Perth compared to Noosa Heads?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $4,047 in Noosa Heads. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Perth and Noosa Heads?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Noosa Heads, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,627 there versus $2,006 in Perth.
How do commuting costs compare in Perth and in Noosa Heads?
Public transport costs about 4% less in Noosa Heads. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Perth and Noosa Heads?
Kindergarten costs $2,300 per month in Perth and $1,041 in Noosa Heads. 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 Noosa Heads, where all-in costs run around $2,698, than in Perth at $3,080. In Noosa Heads it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Perth or Noosa Heads?
Families tend to lean toward Noosa Heads – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Perth or Noosa Heads 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 Noosa Heads?
If budget matters most, go with Noosa Heads. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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