Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Macquarie: $2,530 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,530 in Port Macquarie.

Perth $3,080
Port Macquarie $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,581 in Port Macquarie.

Perth $4,194
Port Macquarie $3,581

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,633 in Port Macquarie.

Perth $5,309
Port Macquarie $4,633

Living in Perth is roughly 22% more expensive than in Port Macquarie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.51

$17.41 A$24.77

23.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$87.9 A$125

-2.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.53

$10.45 A$14.87

4.50%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.48

$3.96 A$5.64

14.90%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$2.48 A$3.53

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.22

$1.62 A$2.31

39.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.82

$6.16 A$8.76

34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.17

$6.22 A$8.85

37.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$2.16 A$3.07

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$3.12 A$4.44

1.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.88

$2.87 A$4.09

-29.62%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.52

$5.24 A$7.45

0.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.52

$5.33 A$7.57

78.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.10

$10.33 A$14.69

-10.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.90

$12.17 A$17.31

14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.54

$3.15 A$4.48

46.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.49

$4.21 A$5.99

-25.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.01

$2.41 A$3.43

46.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.89

$4.86 A$6.92

-0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.43 A$3.46

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.38 A$3.39

-21.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.14

$1.60 A$2.27

38.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.53 A$2.18

-12.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.9

$42.83 A$60.9

-0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.99

$10.32 A$14.68

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$4.34 A$6.17

0.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.79

$5.38 A$7.65

-37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.82 A$4.01

-14.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$92.2 A$131

7.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$3.37 A$4.80

6.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.71 A$2.43

-14.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.6

$36.86 A$52.4

9.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.26 A$1.79

7.14%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$26.4K A$37.5K

11.99%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$22.1K A$31.4K

27.41%

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

$204 A$290

$210 A$299

-3.02%

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

$33.62 A$47.82

$30.48 A$43.35

10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.2

$59.8 A$85.1

8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.8

$51.9 A$73.9

3.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.09

$9.97 A$14.18

112.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.59

$10.79 A$15.34

60.24%

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

$2,300 A$3,271

$2,172 A$3,089

5.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.9K

$21.6K A$30.7K

7.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$86.7 A$123

-10.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$54.9 A$78.1

16.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$104 A$149

16.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$236

$111 A$158

49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,853

$1,379 A$1,962

45.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,380

$1,248 A$1,776

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,010

$2,153 A$3,062

30.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,067

$1,740 A$2,475

23.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$5,822 A$8,280

46.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,587

$4,964 A$7,060

21.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,008

$2,785 A$3,961

51.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.33

11.82%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49.3% 25.4% $425

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Port Macquarie

$354 14% 3% $11

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Port Macquarie

$278 11% 17.8% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Port Macquarie

$300 11.9% 0.6% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Port Macquarie

$161 6.4% 16.6% $32

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Port Macquarie

$115 4.6% 3.9% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Port Macquarie

$73 2.9% 17% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,379 in Port Macquarie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $88 in Port Macquarie. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $354, with Port Macquarie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🕒 Local time

20:47 8:47 PM

23:47 11:47 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

47,793

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Perth Port Macquarie 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Perth
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Perth vs Port Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 52% higher in Perth, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,006 in Perth versus $1,379 in Port Macquarie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,080 per month in Perth versus $2,530 in Port Macquarie – Port Macquarie is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,530 in Port Macquarie versus $3,080 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Port Macquarie but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Port Macquarie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Macquarie are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Port Macquarie wins on affordability, Perth on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.