Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Macquarie and Perth

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.

121

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,530

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Macquarie and in Perth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Port Macquarie $2,530
Perth $3,080

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

Port Macquarie $3,581
Perth $4,194

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

Port Macquarie $4,633
Perth $5,309

Living in Port Macquarie costs roughly 18% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$24.77

$21.45 A$30.51

-18.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 A$125

$85.5 A$122

2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 A$14.87

$10.92 A$15.53

-4.30%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.64

$4.55 A$6.48

-12.97%

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

$2.48 A$3.53

$2.79 A$3.96

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.31

$2.26 A$3.22

-28.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 A$8.76

$8.31 A$11.82

-25.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 A$8.85

$8.55 A$12.17

-27.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 A$3.07

$1.68 A$2.39

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.44

$3.18 A$4.52

-1.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 A$4.09

$2.02 A$2.88

42.08%

Eggs

$5.24 A$7.45

$5.28 A$7.52

-0.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 A$7.57

$9.51 A$13.52

-43.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 A$14.69

$9.21 A$13.10

12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.17 A$17.31

$13.99 A$19.90

-13.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$4.60 A$6.54

-31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$4.21 A$5.99

$3.15 A$4.49

33.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.43

$3.52 A$5.01

-31.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 A$6.92

$4.84 A$6.89

0.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.46

$2.79 A$3.97

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$1.88 A$2.68

26.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 A$2.27

$2.21 A$3.14

-27.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$1.34 A$1.90

14.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.83 A$60.9

$42.80 A$60.9

0.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 A$14.68

$12.65 A$17.99

-18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.34 A$6.17

$4.35 A$6.19

-0.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 A$7.65

$3.37 A$4.79

59.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.82 A$4.01

$2.41 A$3.42

17.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.2 A$131

$99.6 A$142

-7.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 A$4.80

$3.59 A$5.10

-6.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 A$2.43

$1.46 A$2.07

17.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.86 A$52.4

$40.46 A$57.6

-8.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 A$1.79

$1.35 A$1.92

-6.67%

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

$26.4K A$37.5K

$29.6K A$42.0K

-10.71%

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

$22.1K A$31.4K

$28.1K A$40.0K

-21.51%

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

$210 A$299

$204 A$290

3.11%

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

$30.48 A$43.35

$33.62 A$47.82

-9.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 A$85.1

$64.8 A$92.2

-7.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 A$73.9

$54.0 A$76.8

-3.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.97 A$14.18

$21.16 A$30.09

-52.88%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 A$15.34

$17.29 A$24.59

-37.59%

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

$2,172 A$3,089

$2,300 A$3,271

-5.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K A$30.7K

$23.1K A$32.9K

-6.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.7 A$123

$77.5 A$110

11.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.1

$63.7 A$90.6

-13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$121 A$172

-13.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$166 A$236

-33.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 A$1,962

$2,006 A$2,853

-31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 A$1,776

$1,673 A$2,380

-25.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 A$3,062

$2,819 A$4,010

-23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,740 A$2,475

$2,156 A$3,067

-19.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,822 A$8,280

$8,504 A$12.1K

-31.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,964 A$7,060

$6,037 A$8,587

-17.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,785 A$3,961

$4,224 A$6,008

-34.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

5.96

-10.57%

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

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 26, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49.3%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 34% $425

Groceries & Markets

Port Macquarie

$354 14%

Perth

$365 11.9% 3.1% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Macquarie

$300 11.9%

Perth

$302 9.8% 0.6% $1.8

Eating Out

Port Macquarie

$278 11%

Perth

$338 11% 21.6% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Port Macquarie

$161 6.4%

Perth

$193 6.3% 20% $32

Getting Around

Port Macquarie

$115 4.6%

Perth

$120 3.9% 4% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Port Macquarie

$73 2.9%

Perth

$89 2.9% 20.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,379 in Port Macquarie and $2,006 in Perth. 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: $88 in Port Macquarie vs $86 in Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $354 vs $365, with Port Macquarie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

19:53 7:53 PM

3 h behind Port Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,793

2,043,762

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Port Macquarie
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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

Port Macquarie vs Perth: 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.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Port Macquarie. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,379 in Port Macquarie versus $2,006 in Perth. 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 $2,530 per month in Port Macquarie versus $3,080 in Perth – 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, Port Macquarie and Perth 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.