Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Surfers Paradise

For one person, living is cheaper in Surfers Paradise: $2,824 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,019

/mo nomad

Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Surfers Paradise

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,019 in Perth versus $2,824 in Surfers Paradise.

Perth $3,019
Surfers Paradise $2,824

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,128 in Perth versus $4,398 in Surfers Paradise.

Perth $4,128
Surfers Paradise $4,398

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,236 in Perth versus $5,973 in Surfers Paradise.

Perth $5,236
Surfers Paradise $5,973

Living in Perth is roughly 7% more expensive than in Surfers Paradise, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 124% above, Surfers Paradise 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 A$28.92

$17.36 A$24.99

15.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.4 A$120

$105 A$151

-20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$15.17

$10.85 A$15.62

-2.86%

Cappuccino

$4.37 A$6.28

$4.10 A$5.90

6.59%

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

$2.82 A$4.06

$2.81 A$4.05

0.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.23

$2.40 A$3.46

-6.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.30 A$11.94

$7.86 A$11.31

5.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 A$12.05

$7.87 A$11.32

6.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 A$2.56

$1.66 A$2.40

7.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 A$4.54

$2.70 A$3.89

17.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.84

$2.41 A$3.46

-18.26%

Eggs

$5.22 A$7.51

$4.90 A$7.05

6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.35 A$13.45

$8.68 A$12.49

7.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 A$13.21

$9.09 A$13.07

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.08 A$20.26

$14.47 A$20.83

-2.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.61

$3.92 A$5.65

17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.67

$3.08 A$4.43

5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

$3.37 A$4.85

-1.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 A$7.11

$4.84 A$6.97

2.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 A$4.20

$2.82 A$4.06

3.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 A$2.75

$2.44 A$3.50

-21.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.34

$2.39 A$3.44

-2.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 A$1.96

$2.07 A$2.98

-34.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.10 A$59.1

$37.58 A$54.1

9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.24

$14.26 A$20.52

-11.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.32 A$6.22

$5.97 A$8.59

-27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 A$4.86

$5.12 A$7.36

-33.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 A$3.56

$0.34 A$0.49

629.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 A$139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 A$5.05

$2.10 A$3.02

67.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 A$1.98

$1.62 A$2.33

-14.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.16 A$59.2

$35.24 A$50.7

16.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.02

$1.30 A$1.86

7.69%

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

$26.8K A$38.5K

$27.0K A$38.9K

-0.98%

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

$29.9K A$43.0K

$28.3K A$40.8K

5.36%

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

$196 A$282

$212 A$305

-7.69%

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

$33.08 A$47.60

$29.92 A$43.06

10.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 A$89.3

$55.4 A$79.8

12.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 A$83.7

$66.1 A$95.1

-11.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.48 A$30.91

$14.45 A$20.80

48.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.57 A$25.29

$17.42 A$25.06

0.86%

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

$2,323 A$3,342

$1,944 A$2,798

19.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$12.4K A$17.8K

84.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 A$110

$83.1 A$120

-7.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.8 A$94.7

$55.1 A$79.2

19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$173

$111 A$160

8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 A$233

$121 A$175

33.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 A$2,789

$1,912 A$2,752

1.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 A$2,356

$1,570 A$2,260

4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,740 A$3,943

$3,770 A$5,425

-27.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 A$3,070

$3,067 A$4,413

-30.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,328 A$12.0K

$5,895 A$8,483

41.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,152 A$8,852

$4,954 A$7,128

24.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,288 A$6,171

$3,288 A$4,731

30.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

5.81

1.72%

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

Last update for Perth: October 12, 2026

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 54.2%

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6% 4.1% $67

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$367 12.1%

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Perth

$323 10.7%

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5% 8.3% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$291 9.6%

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5% 2.2% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9% 12.8% $25

Getting Around

Perth

$117 3.9%

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4% 90.1% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$93 3.1%

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6% 8.1% $7.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,938 in Perth and $1,912 in Surfers Paradise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 30% 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: $83.0 in Perth vs $105 in Surfers Paradise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $380 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

2 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

19,668

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Surfers Paradise 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Surfers Paradise

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 Surfers Paradise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surfers Paradise is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,938 in Perth versus $1,912 in Surfers Paradise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $3,019 per month in Perth versus $2,824 in Surfers Paradise – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Surfers Paradise gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.