Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Port Hedland

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Hedland: $2,517 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Port Hedland
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Port Hedland Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Port Hedland

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Port Hedland

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,053 in Perth versus $2,517 in Port Hedland.

Perth $3,053
Port Hedland $2,517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Perth versus $3,643 in Port Hedland.

Perth $4,180
Port Hedland $3,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,307 in Perth versus $4,770 in Port Hedland.

Perth $5,307
Port Hedland $4,770

Living in Perth is roughly 21% more expensive than in Port Hedland, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Port Hedland 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.89

$17.47 A$25.06

19.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$84.3 A$121

1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$15.04

$10.68 A$15.32

-1.87%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.47

$4.05 A$5.81

11.36%

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

$2.85 A$4.09

$2.93 A$4.21

-2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.16

$2.29 A$3.28

-3.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.41

$7.83 A$11.23

10.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.36

$7.70 A$11.04

11.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.54

$1.58 A$2.27

12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.61

$2.76 A$3.97

16.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.86

$2.23 A$3.20

-10.31%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.58

$4.84 A$6.94

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.22

$9.06 A$13.00

1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.06

$9.27 A$13.30

-1.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.28

$14.47 A$20.76

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.39

$3.73 A$5.34

19.30%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.65

$3.06 A$4.39

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.92

$3.33 A$4.77

3.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.86

$4.73 A$6.78

1.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.15

$2.67 A$3.83

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.76

$2.41 A$3.45

-20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.39 A$3.44

-10.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.97

$1.59 A$2.28

-13.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.4

$42.72 A$61.3

-3.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.73

$14.04 A$20.14

-11.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.77

$4.82 A$6.91

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.78

$5.17 A$7.41

-35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.45

$2.81 A$4.04

-14.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$142

$84.0 A$121

17.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.72

$3.47 A$4.98

14.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.17

$1.60 A$2.29

-5.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$62.9

$40.98 A$58.8

6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.99

$1.30 A$1.87

6.92%

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

$30.3K A$43.5K

$29.9K A$42.9K

1.36%

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

$27.9K A$40.0K

$26.6K A$38.1K

4.88%

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

$199 A$286

$206 A$295

-2.97%

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

$33.29 A$47.76

$27.81 A$39.90

19.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$89.5

$57.3 A$82.2

8.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$75.8

$56.4 A$80.9

-6.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.59

$17.67 A$25.35

16.69%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.39

$14.12 A$20.26

25.35%

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

$2,249 A$3,226

$2,113 A$3,032

6.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$47.2K

$20.7K A$29.8K

58.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$114

$75.7 A$109

4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$92.5

$54.5 A$78.3

18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$175

$108 A$155

12.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$227

$122 A$175

29.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,900

$1,387 A$1,990

45.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,379

$1,210 A$1,737

36.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$4,023

$2,223 A$3,189

26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,118

$1,843 A$2,644

17.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$12.0K

$5,770 A$8,278

45.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,911

$4,965 A$7,124

25.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$5,981

$5,106 A$7,325

-18.35%

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 Port Hedland: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Port Hedland

$1.2K 48.1% 27% $447

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Port Hedland

$367 14.6% 0.5% $1.9

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Port Hedland

$296 11.8% 11.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Port Hedland

$291 11.6% 1.5% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Port Hedland

$162 6.5% 14.9% $28

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Port Hedland

$107 4.2% 11.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Port Hedland

$85 3.4% 4.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Perth and $1,387 in Port Hedland. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Hedland pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $84 in Port Hedland for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $367 per month, with Port Hedland cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Port Hedland

🕒 Local time

10:48 10:48 AM

Same time as Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

15,298

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.697 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Port Hedland 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Port Hedland

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 Port Hedland: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Hedland is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Perth. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,021 in Perth versus $1,387 in Port Hedland. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Port Hedland runs roughly 15% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,249 in Perth versus $2,113 in Port Hedland. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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