Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Northam

For one person, living is cheaper in Northam: $2,498 a month against $3,027 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Northam
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Northam Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Northam

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Northam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,027 in Perth versus $2,498 in Northam.

Perth $3,027
Northam $2,498

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Perth versus $3,618 in Northam.

Perth $4,162
Northam $3,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,297 in Perth versus $4,737 in Northam.

Perth $5,297
Northam $4,737

Living in Perth is roughly 21% more expensive than in Northam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 123% above, Northam 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.16

$19.97 A$28.37

6.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$120

$85.1 A$121

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.64

$10.55 A$15.00

4.36%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.30

$4.48 A$6.36

-1.12%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$2.84 A$4.03

1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.19

$2.29 A$3.25

-1.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$11.99

$8.30 A$11.79

1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.68

$8.10 A$11.51

1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.48

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.58 A$3.66

20.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.92

$1.98 A$2.82

4.04%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.41

$4.48 A$6.36

16.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.81

$6.37 A$9.05

41.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.26

$9.12 A$12.96

2.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.60

$14.08 A$20.01

-1.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.52

$2.73 A$3.88

68.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.59

$3.25 A$4.62

-0.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.83

$3.44 A$4.89

-1.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$6.94

$4.92 A$6.99

-0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.07

$2.89 A$4.11

-1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.68

$1.97 A$2.81

-4.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.11

$2.25 A$3.20

-2.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$1.97

$0.73 A$1.04

90.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$60.3

$41.37 A$58.8

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.08

$3.49 A$4.96

264.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.47

$4.40 A$6.25

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.72

$3.51 A$4.99

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.41

$2.92 A$4.15

-17.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$140

$80.6 A$114

22.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.01

$3.53 A$5.02

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$57.4

$41.14 A$58.5

-1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.93

$1.35 A$1.91

0.74%

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

$29.6K A$42.1K

$26.9K A$38.2K

10.27%

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

$27.7K A$39.4K

$29.5K A$41.9K

-5.91%

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

$205 A$292

$196 A$278

4.84%

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

$32.82 A$46.63

$24.09 A$34.24

36.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$91.0

$64.3 A$91.4

-0.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$78.4

$56.5 A$80.2

-2.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$29.75

$17.81 A$25.31

17.57%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.54

$17.30 A$24.59

-0.17%

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

$2,320 A$3,297

$2,328 A$3,307

-0.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.5K

$23.2K A$33.0K

-1.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$109

$77.3 A$110

-1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$89.6

$66.3 A$94.2

-4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$173

$123 A$174

-0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$232

$161 A$229

1.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,751

$1,391 A$1,976

39.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,307

$1,190 A$1,691

36.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,007

$2,173 A$3,088

29.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,071

$1,783 A$2,533

21.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$11.9K

$5,780 A$8,213

44.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,526

$4,889 A$6,947

22.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$5,980

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.91

0.85%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Northam: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Northam

$1.2K 47.6% 26.7% $434

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Northam

$314 12.6% 14.2% $52

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Northam

$323 12.9% 3.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Northam

$284 11.4% 5.9% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Northam

$192 7.7% 0.6% $1.1

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Northam

$103 4.1% 13.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Northam

$91 3.7% 1.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,936 in Perth and $1,391 in Northam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $85 in Northam. Groceries flip the comparison at $366 vs $314, with Northam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Northam

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

Same time as Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

6,000

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Northam wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Northam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,540 in Perth and $3,747 in Northam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,936 in Perth versus $1,391 in Northam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,027 per month in Perth versus $2,498 in Northam – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Northam 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 Northam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.