Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Perth: $3,027 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Sydney

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,027 in Perth versus $3,245 in Sydney.

Perth $3,027
Sydney $3,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,162 in Perth versus $4,803 in Sydney.

Perth $4,162
Sydney $4,803

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,297 in Perth versus $6,362 in Sydney.

Perth $5,297
Sydney $6,362

Living in Perth costs roughly 7% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 123% above, Sydney 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 A$30.54

$17.41 A$25.05

21.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$122

$90.3 A$130

-6.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.01 A$15.84

$11.92 A$17.15

-7.63%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.38

$4.03 A$5.80

9.93%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.23 A$3.20

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.44 A$12.14

$7.89 A$11.36

6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$6.78 A$9.76

21.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 A$2.51

$1.71 A$2.45

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.49

$2.94 A$4.23

6.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.96

$2.51 A$3.61

-17.93%

Eggs

$5.21 A$7.50

$5.55 A$7.99

-6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 A$12.98

$11.77 A$16.94

-23.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.33 A$13.43

$9.28 A$13.35

0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.80 A$19.85

$16.70 A$24.03

-17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 A$6.60

$3.92 A$5.64

17.09%

Banana (1kg)

$3.23 A$4.65

$3.16 A$4.55

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 A$4.89

$3.48 A$5.00

-2.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 A$7.03

$4.38 A$6.31

11.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 A$4.12

$3.33 A$4.79

-14.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.72

$2.40 A$3.46

-21.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.31 A$3.32

-5.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 A$2.00

$1.15 A$1.65

20.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.45 A$61.1

$44.34 A$63.8

-4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 A$18.31

$13.71 A$19.72

-7.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.56

$4.00 A$5.75

14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 A$4.78

$4.03 A$5.80

-17.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.45

$3.22 A$4.63

-25.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.4 A$142

$154 A$222

-36.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 A$5.07

$3.57 A$5.14

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.09

$1.58 A$2.27

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 A$58.2

$39.44 A$56.8

2.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.95

$1.48 A$2.13

-8.11%

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

$29.6K A$42.6K

$29.6K A$42.5K

0.20%

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

$27.7K A$39.9K

$27.7K A$39.8K

0.22%

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

$205 A$295

$241 A$347

-14.94%

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

$32.82 A$47.23

$27.57 A$39.67

19.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.0 A$92.1

$56.3 A$81.0

13.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 A$79.4

$78.1 A$112

-29.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 A$30.13

$23.26 A$33.47

-9.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.27 A$24.85

$17.55 A$25.26

-1.60%

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

$2,320 A$3,339

$2,185 A$3,144

6.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.9K

$27.8K A$40.0K

-17.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.4 A$110

$80.0 A$115

-4.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 A$90.8

$70.7 A$102

-10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$176

$111 A$159

10.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 A$235

$129 A$186

26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,936 A$2,786

$2,477 A$3,564

-21.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 A$2,337

$1,777 A$2,557

-8.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 A$4,058

$4,885 A$7,030

-42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 A$3,110

$3,093 A$4,451

-30.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,369 A$12.0K

$13.4K A$19.3K

-37.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,001 A$8,635

$8,375 A$12.1K

-28.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,209 A$6,056

$4,074 A$5,862

3.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.92

0.68%

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

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.6K 53.7%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8% 9.4% $153

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$366 12.1%

Sydney

$378 11.7% 3.4% $12

Eating Out

Perth

$335 11.1%

Sydney

$297 9.2% 11.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 10%

Sydney

$325 10% 7.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.3%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 8% $15

Getting Around

Perth

$119 3.9%

Sydney

$178 5.5% 50.2% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$90 3%

Sydney

$113 3.5% 26.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,936 in Perth and $2,477 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Perth vs $90.0 in Sydney for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $378 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

4,840,600

💱 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 Sydney 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,936 in Perth versus $2,477 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Perth runs roughly 57% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,320 in Perth versus $2,185 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Perth 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 Sydney 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 Perth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.