Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Sunshine Coast

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,343 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Sunshine Coast

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,343 in Sunshine Coast.

Perth $3,080
Sunshine Coast $2,343

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,553 in Sunshine Coast.

Perth $4,194
Sunshine Coast $3,553

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,762 in Sunshine Coast.

Perth $5,309
Sunshine Coast $4,762

Living in Perth is roughly 31% more expensive than in Sunshine Coast, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Sunshine Coast 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.48

$17.72 A$25.18

21.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$73.9 A$105

15.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.51

$10.54 A$14.98

3.61%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$3.96 A$5.63

14.90%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$2.88 A$4.09

-3.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.21

$2.74 A$3.89

-17.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.81

$7.48 A$10.63

11.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.15

$9.21 A$13.08

-7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.38

$1.33 A$1.89

26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$1.97 A$2.79

61.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.87

$2.05 A$2.91

-1.46%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$4.74 A$6.73

11.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.51

$11.17 A$15.87

-14.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$7.99 A$11.35

15.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.88

$21.27 A$30.22

-34.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.53

$3.15 A$4.47

46.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.46 A$3.50

28.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.00

$3.15 A$4.47

11.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.88

$4.05 A$5.75

19.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.17 A$3.08

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.68 A$2.39

11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.13

$2.22 A$3.15

-0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$2.31 A$3.28

-41.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.8

$47.13 A$67.0

-9.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.97

$15.54 A$22.08

-18.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$5.51 A$7.83

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.78

$5.92 A$8.41

-43.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$0.37 A$0.52

551.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$24.32 A$34.56

309.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$2.12 A$3.02

69.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.60 A$2.27

-8.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$36.31 A$51.6

11.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.33 A$1.89

1.50%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$31.3K A$44.5K

-5.52%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$31.1K A$44.2K

-9.56%

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

$204 A$289

$139 A$198

46.21%

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

$33.62 A$47.77

$43.15 A$61.3

-22.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.1

$66.7 A$94.8

-2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.7

$51.8 A$73.5

4.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.06

$16.50 A$23.45

28.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.57

$15.63 A$22.20

10.62%

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

$2,300 A$3,267

$2,168 A$3,080

6.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$65.0 A$92.4

19.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$112 A$160

-43.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$96.4 A$137

25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$99.8 A$142

66.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,850

$1,351 A$1,920

48.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,378

$1,130 A$1,606

48.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,006

$2,410 A$3,424

17.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,064

$2,026 A$2,879

6.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$5,540 A$7,872

53.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,579

$5,183 A$7,365

16.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,002

$3,508 A$4,985

20.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.75

3.65%

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

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sunshine Coast: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3% 32.4% $543

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1% 3.4% $12

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8% 11.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6% 17.5% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2% 12.7% $25

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5% 70.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5% 6.3% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,351 in Sunshine Coast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $74 in Sunshine Coast. Groceries flip the comparison at $365 vs $378, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

07:12 7:12 AM

2 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

284,131

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Sunshine Coast 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Sunshine Coast

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 Sunshine Coast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunshine Coast is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $1,351 in Sunshine Coast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sunshine Coast runs roughly 76% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,300 in Perth versus $2,168 in Sunshine Coast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

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