Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Penrith

For one person, living is cheaper in Penrith: $2,604 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Perth
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,019
/mo nomad
Penrith
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,604
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Penrith

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

A single person spends $3,019 per month in Perth vs $2,604 in Penrith, rent included.

  • Perth $3,019
  • Penrith $2,604

A couple spends around $4,128 per month in Perth vs $3,652 in Penrith, rent included.

  • Perth $4,128
  • Penrith $3,652

A family of three spends $5,236 per month in Perth vs $4,701 in Penrith, rent included.

  • Perth $5,236
  • Penrith $4,701

Perth costs about 16% more than Penrith, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Perth and Penrith sit above the global median – Perth by 124%, Penrith by 93%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.10 A$28.92
$21.03 A$30.26
-4.42%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.4 A$120
$89.7 A$129
-6.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 A$15.17
$10.56 A$15.19
-0.19%
Cappuccino
$4.37 A$6.28
$2.04 A$2.93
114.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.82 A$4.06
$3.16 A$4.54
-10.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 A$3.23
$2.56 A$3.69
-12.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.30 A$11.94
$8.57 A$12.33
-3.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.38 A$12.05
$4.96 A$7.14
68.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 A$2.56
$1.57 A$2.26
13.38%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 A$4.54
$3.32 A$4.78
-4.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.97 A$2.84
$2.54 A$3.65
-22.44%
Eggs
$5.22 A$7.51
$5.16 A$7.42
1.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.35 A$13.45
$13.08 A$18.82
-28.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.18 A$13.21
$9.74 A$14.02
-5.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.08 A$20.26
$15.40 A$22.16
-8.57%
Apples (1kg)
$4.59 A$6.61
$3.93 A$5.65
16.79%
Banana (1kg)
$3.24 A$4.67
$3.08 A$4.43
5.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.32 A$4.78
$3.50 A$5.04
-5.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.94 A$7.11
$5.31 A$7.65
-6.97%
Potato (1kg)
$2.92 A$4.20
$3.17 A$4.56
-7.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.91 A$2.75
$2.80 A$4.02
-31.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.32 A$3.34
$2.48 A$3.57
-6.45%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 A$1.96
$1.34 A$1.93
1.49%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$41.10 A$59.1
$45.42 A$65.4
-9.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.68 A$18.24
$14.07 A$20.24
-9.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.32 A$6.22
$4.62 A$6.65
-6.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 A$4.86
$5.64 A$8.11
-40.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Perth
Penrith
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.48 A$3.56
$3.17 A$4.57
-21.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.5 A$139
$78.5 A$113
22.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.51 A$5.05
$4.11 A$5.92
-14.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.38 A$1.98
$1.57 A$2.26
-12.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.16 A$59.2
$42.63 A$61.3
-3.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 A$2.02
$1.18 A$1.70
18.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K A$38.5K
$27.1K A$39.0K
-1.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K A$43.0K
$30.0K A$43.2K
-0.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$196 A$282
$183 A$263
7.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.08 A$47.60
$26.16 A$37.65
26.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.1 A$89.3
$55.4 A$79.7
12.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.2 A$83.7
$51.0 A$73.4
14.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.48 A$30.91
$17.66 A$25.42
21.63%
Cinema Ticket
$17.57 A$25.29
$15.88 A$22.86
10.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,323 A$3,342
$2,390 A$3,439
-2.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K A$32.9K
$19.9K A$28.7K
14.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.8 A$110
$75.3 A$108
1.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$65.8 A$94.7
$56.1 A$80.8
17.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 A$173
$108 A$155
11.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$162 A$233
$134 A$193
20.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Perth
Penrith
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,938 A$2,789
$1,371 A$1,973
41.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,637 A$2,356
$1,289 A$1,855
26.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,740 A$3,943
$2,142 A$3,082
27.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,134 A$3,070
$1,686 A$2,427
26.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,328 A$12.0K
$4,992 A$7,184
66.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,152 A$8,852
$4,361 A$6,275
41.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Perth
Penrith
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,288 A$6,171
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.91
5.95
-0.67%

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

Last update for Perth: October 12, 2026

Last update for Penrith: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Perth
$1.6K
Penrith
$1.3K 21.3% $348
Groceries & Markets
Perth
$367
Penrith
$396 8% $29
Eating Out
Perth
$323
Penrith
$300 7.2% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Perth
$291
Penrith
$264 9.2% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Perth
$191
Penrith
$168 12.1% $23
Getting Around
Perth
$117
Penrith
$103 11.7% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Perth
$93
Penrith
$83 11.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,938 in Perth versus $1,371 in Penrith. 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 $83.0 in Perth versus $90.0 in Penrith. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $367 vs $396 – making Perth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Perth
🇦🇺 Penrith
🕒 Local time
10:50 10:50 AM
13:50 1:50 PM
3 h ahead of Perth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,043,762
13,343
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Perth Penrith 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Perth
  • Penrith

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 Penrith: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Perth or Penrith?
Perth costs about 16% more than Penrith, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Perth and in Penrith?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,529 per month in Perth and $3,905 in Penrith. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Perth or Penrith?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Penrith, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How expensive is transport in Perth compared to Penrith?
Public transport costs about 23% less in Penrith. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Perth and in Penrith?
Kindergarten costs $2,323 per month in Perth and $2,390 in Penrith. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Perth or in Penrith?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,019 in Perth and $2,604 in Penrith. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Penrith – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Perth compared to Penrith?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Perth or to Penrith?
If budget matters most, go with Penrith. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Perth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Perth vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?