Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Pakenham

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakenham: $2,614 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Pakenham
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Pakenham Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Pakenham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Pakenham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,053 in Perth versus $2,614 in Pakenham.

Perth $3,053
Pakenham $2,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Perth versus $3,733 in Pakenham.

Perth $4,180
Pakenham $3,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,307 in Perth versus $4,852 in Pakenham.

Perth $5,307
Pakenham $4,852

Living in Perth is roughly 17% more expensive than in Pakenham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Pakenham 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.82

$17.73 A$25.38

17.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$82.8 A$119

2.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$15.01

$12.28 A$17.58

-14.66%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.46

$3.96 A$5.67

13.89%

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

$2.85 A$4.08

$3.15 A$4.51

-9.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.15

$2.55 A$3.66

-13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.38

$9.88 A$14.15

-12.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.34

$8.35 A$11.95

3.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.16 A$1.66

52.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.60

$2.99 A$4.28

7.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.86

$2.57 A$3.67

-22.18%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.56

$5.54 A$7.92

-4.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.19

$8.20 A$11.74

12.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.04

$9.76 A$13.98

-6.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.23

$15.03 A$21.51

-1.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.37

$4.16 A$5.95

6.97%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.64

$2.57 A$3.67

26.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.91

$3.22 A$4.61

6.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.84

$4.81 A$6.89

-0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.14

$2.98 A$4.27

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.75

$2.46 A$3.52

-21.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.07

$2.39 A$3.42

-10.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.97

$1.57 A$2.24

-12.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.2

$24.80 A$35.50

66.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.69

$12.47 A$17.85

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.75

$5.68 A$8.13

-16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.77

$5.37 A$7.69

-37.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.44

$2.77 A$3.97

-13.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$142

$83.4 A$119

18.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.70

$4.46 A$6.39

-10.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.44 A$2.06

4.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$62.7

$30.08 A$43.05

45.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.99

$1.42 A$2.03

-2.11%

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

$30.3K A$43.4K

$28.9K A$41.3K

5.04%

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

$27.9K A$39.9K

$25.7K A$36.8K

8.55%

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

$199 A$286

$231 A$330

-13.47%

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

$33.29 A$47.65

$27.68 A$39.62

20.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$89.3

$57.7 A$82.6

8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$75.6

$56.6 A$81.0

-6.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.52

$17.71 A$25.35

16.43%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.34

$17.54 A$25.11

0.91%

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

$2,249 A$3,219

$2,444 A$3,499

-8.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$47.1K

$29.6K A$42.4K

10.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$113

$82.3 A$118

-3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$92.3

$51.1 A$73.2

26.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$118 A$170

2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$226

$135 A$193

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,893

$1,413 A$2,022

43.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,373

$1,240 A$1,775

33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$4,014

$2,231 A$3,193

25.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,111

$1,825 A$2,612

19.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$12.0K

$5,749 A$8,229

45.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,891

$4,940 A$7,071

25.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$5,967

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

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

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pakenham: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Pakenham

$1.2K 47.4% 25.2% $418

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Pakenham

$372 14.2% 0.9% $3.3

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Pakenham

$315 12.1% 5.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Pakenham

$316 12.1% 7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Pakenham

$174 6.7% 8.7% $17

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Pakenham

$106 4.1% 11.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Pakenham

$92 3.5% 3.9% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Perth and $1,413 in Pakenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $83 in Pakenham. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $372, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Pakenham

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

54,118

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Pakenham 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Pakenham

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 Pakenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pakenham wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Perth. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pakenham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,580 in Perth and $3,921 in Pakenham 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: $2,021 in Perth versus $1,413 in Pakenham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,053 per month in Perth versus $2,614 in Pakenham – Pakenham is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Pakenham runs roughly 16% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Pakenham 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 Pakenham are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.