Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Nowra NSW

For one person, living is cheaper in Nowra NSW: $2,649 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perth, Australia
Nowra NSW, Australia
Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,080
/mo nomad
Nowra NSW
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,649
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Nowra NSW

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

A single person spends $3,080 per month in Perth vs $2,649 in Nowra NSW, rent included.

  • Perth $3,080
  • Nowra NSW $2,649

A couple spends around $4,194 per month in Perth vs $3,808 in Nowra NSW, rent included.

  • Perth $4,194
  • Nowra NSW $3,808

A family of three spends $5,309 per month in Perth vs $4,968 in Nowra NSW, rent included.

  • Perth $5,309
  • Nowra NSW $4,968

Perth costs about 16% more than Nowra NSW, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Perth and Nowra NSW sit above the global median – Perth by 126%, Nowra NSW by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.45 A$30.63
$20.83 A$29.74
2.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.5 A$122
$89.7 A$128
-4.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.92 A$15.59
$10.57 A$15.10
3.31%
Cappuccino
$4.55 A$6.50
$4.04 A$5.77
12.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.79 A$3.98
$3.09 A$4.42
-9.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 A$3.23
$2.50 A$3.58
-9.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.31 A$11.87
$8.65 A$12.36
-3.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.55 A$12.22
$9.96 A$14.22
-14.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 A$2.40
$1.29 A$1.84
30.23%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 A$4.54
$2.99 A$4.27
6.35%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.02 A$2.89
$2.57 A$3.67
-21.40%
Eggs
$5.28 A$7.55
$5.28 A$7.54
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.51 A$13.58
$11.82 A$16.89
-19.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.21 A$13.15
$9.72 A$13.88
-5.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 A$19.99
$15.33 A$21.90
-8.74%
Apples (1kg)
$4.60 A$6.57
$4.00 A$5.71
15.00%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.50
$3.21 A$4.58
-1.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.52 A$5.03
$3.47 A$4.95
1.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.84 A$6.92
$5.02 A$7.17
-3.59%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 A$3.99
$3.15 A$4.50
-11.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.88 A$2.69
$2.87 A$4.09
-34.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.21 A$3.15
$2.48 A$3.55
-10.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.34 A$1.91
$1.39 A$1.99
-3.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.80 A$61.1
$44.62 A$63.7
-4.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.65 A$18.06
$13.82 A$19.73
-8.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.35 A$6.22
$4.59 A$6.55
-5.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 A$4.81
$5.49 A$7.84
-38.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.41 A$3.44
$2.69 A$3.85
-10.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$99.6 A$142
$81.1 A$116
22.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 A$5.12
$4.06 A$5.79
-11.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 A$2.08
$1.59 A$2.27
-8.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.46 A$57.8
$43.76 A$62.5
-7.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 A$1.93
$1.31 A$1.87
3.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K A$42.2K
$27.8K A$39.8K
6.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.1K A$40.2K
$26.3K A$37.5K
6.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$204 A$291
$183 A$262
11.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.62 A$48.01
$27.16 A$38.79
23.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.8 A$92.6
$56.6 A$80.8
14.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 A$77.1
$53.5 A$76.3
0.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.16 A$30.21
$15.21 A$21.71
39.12%
Cinema Ticket
$17.29 A$24.69
$15.48 A$22.10
11.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,300 A$3,284
$2,496 A$3,564
-7.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.1K A$33.0K
$20.2K A$28.8K
14.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.5 A$111
$77.4 A$111
0.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.7 A$91.0
$56.0 A$80.0
13.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 A$173
$107 A$153
12.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$166 A$237
$135 A$192
23.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,006 A$2,864
$1,293 A$1,847
55.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,673 A$2,390
$1,307 A$1,866
28.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,819 A$4,026
$2,454 A$3,504
14.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,156 A$3,079
$1,904 A$2,719
13.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,504 A$12.1K
$6,702 A$9,572
26.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,037 A$8,622
$5,378 A$7,680
12.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Nowra NSW
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,224 A$6,032
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.96
5.95
0.17%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nowra NSW: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.7K
Nowra NSW
$1.3K 21.9% $367
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$365
Nowra NSW
$386 5.6% $21
Eating Out
Perth
$338
Nowra NSW
$332 1.6% $5.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$302
Nowra NSW
$267 11.5% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$193
Nowra NSW
$169 12.3% $24
Getting Around
Perth
$120
Nowra NSW
$104 13.5% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$89
Nowra NSW
$84 4.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,006 in Perth versus $1,293 in Nowra NSW. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $86 in Perth versus $90 in Nowra NSW. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 vs $386 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Perth
🇦🇺 Nowra NSW
🕒 Local time
18:37 6:37 PM
21:37 9:37 PM
3 h ahead of Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,043,762
9,598
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.7 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Nowra NSW 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • Nowra NSW

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 Nowra NSW: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Perth and in Nowra NSW compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,080 in Perth, $2,649 in Nowra NSW – Nowra NSW comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Perth compared to Nowra NSW?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,620 per month in Perth and $3,974 in Nowra NSW. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Perth and Nowra NSW?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nowra NSW, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,293 there versus $2,006 in Perth.
Which city is more expensive overall: Perth or Nowra NSW?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,080 in Perth and $2,649 in Nowra NSW. That makes Nowra NSW about 14% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Perth and in Nowra NSW?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Nowra NSW. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Nowra NSW, where all-in costs run around $2,649, than in Perth at $3,080. In Nowra NSW it covers expenses comfortably, while in Perth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Perth and Nowra NSW?
It depends on your priorities. Perth has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,649 in Nowra NSW to $3,080 in Perth. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Perth or Nowra NSW 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.

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