Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Warrnambool

For one person, living is cheaper in Warrnambool: $2,544 a month against $3,053 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Warrnambool
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Warrnambool Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,053

/mo nomad

Warrnambool

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,544

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Perth and in Warrnambool

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,053 in Perth versus $2,544 in Warrnambool.

Perth $3,053
Warrnambool $2,544

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,180 in Perth versus $3,638 in Warrnambool.

Perth $4,180
Warrnambool $3,638

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,307 in Perth versus $4,733 in Warrnambool.

Perth $5,307
Warrnambool $4,733

Living in Perth is roughly 20% more expensive than in Warrnambool, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Warrnambool 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.83 A$29.75

$17.21 A$24.58

21.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$122

$83.3 A$119

2.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 A$14.97

$9.35 A$13.35

12.09%

Cappuccino

$4.51 A$6.44

$4.15 A$5.92

8.67%

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

$2.85 A$4.07

$3.16 A$4.51

-9.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.14

$2.58 A$3.68

-14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.65 A$12.36

$9.76 A$13.94

-11.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.31

$8.24 A$11.77

4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.53

$1.57 A$2.24

12.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.59

$2.97 A$4.24

8.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.85

$2.56 A$3.65

-21.88%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.54

$4.69 A$6.70

12.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.16

$10.71 A$15.30

-14.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.11 A$13.00

$10.02 A$14.31

-9.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.83 A$21.18

$14.89 A$21.26

-0.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.36

$4.05 A$5.79

9.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.63

$1.70 A$2.43

90.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.90

$3.22 A$4.60

6.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 A$6.82

$4.80 A$6.85

-0.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 A$4.13

$3.01 A$4.30

-3.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.75

$2.55 A$3.64

-24.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 A$3.06

$2.51 A$3.58

-14.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 A$1.96

$1.62 A$2.31

-15.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.37 A$59.1

$44.83 A$64.0

-7.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.65

$12.43 A$17.76

-0.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.72 A$6.74

$5.56 A$7.94

-15.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 A$4.76

$5.19 A$7.41

-35.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 A$3.43

$2.72 A$3.89

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 A$141

$83.9 A$120

17.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.69

$4.58 A$6.54

-13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 A$2.16

$1.38 A$1.98

9.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.81 A$62.6

$30.49 A$43.54

43.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$1.98

$1.25 A$1.79

11.20%

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

$30.3K A$43.3K

$28.9K A$41.3K

4.94%

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

$27.9K A$39.8K

$25.9K A$37.0K

7.74%

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

$199 A$285

$233 A$332

-14.28%

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

$33.29 A$47.54

$28.40 A$40.55

17.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 A$89.1

$57.0 A$81.4

9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 A$75.4

$56.5 A$80.7

-6.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.62 A$29.45

$17.48 A$24.96

17.96%

Cinema Ticket

$17.70 A$25.28

$17.62 A$25.17

0.45%

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

$2,249 A$3,211

$2,420 A$3,456

-7.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.9K A$46.9K

$30.1K A$43.0K

9.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 A$113

-0.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.4 A$92.0

$51.0 A$72.9

26.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$174

$49.69 A$71.0

145.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 A$226

$134 A$191

18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,021 A$2,887

$1,412 A$2,017

43.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 A$2,368

$1,208 A$1,725

37.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,804 A$4,004

$2,273 A$3,246

23.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 A$3,104

$1,789 A$2,555

21.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,368 A$12.0K

$5,883 A$8,402

42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,211 A$8,870

$4,959 A$7,082

25.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 A$5,953

$1,347 A$1,924

209.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

4.87

21.15%

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

Last update for Perth: November 2, 2026

Last update for Warrnambool: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Warrnambool

$1.2K 47.5% 27.2% $450

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$368 12.1%

Warrnambool

$375 14.8% 1.8% $6.8

Eating Out

Perth

$333 10.9%

Warrnambool

$304 11.9% 8.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$295 9.7%

Warrnambool

$318 12.5% 7.8% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$191 6.2%

Warrnambool

$141 5.6% 25.9% $49

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Warrnambool

$106 4.2% 11.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$88 2.9%

Warrnambool

$92 3.6% 4% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,021 in Perth and $1,412 in Warrnambool. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays about 3.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Perth vs $83 in Warrnambool. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $375, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Warrnambool

🕒 Local time

19:57 7:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

29,284

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 AUD = 0.7 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Perth Warrnambool 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Perth
Warrnambool

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 Warrnambool: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Warrnambool is about 17% cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Perth is about 3.1 times higher, 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: $2,021 in Perth versus $1,412 in Warrnambool. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Warrnambool 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 $2,420 in Warrnambool. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,544 in Warrnambool versus $3,053 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Warrnambool but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Warrnambool 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 Warrnambool are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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