Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rockhampton and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockhampton: $1,987 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
Learn more

Rockhampton Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,987

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton and in Perth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,987 in Rockhampton versus $3,080 in Perth.

Rockhampton $1,987
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,229 in Rockhampton versus $4,194 in Perth.

Rockhampton $3,229
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in Rockhampton versus $5,309 in Perth.

Rockhampton $4,471
Perth $5,309

Living in Rockhampton costs roughly 35% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rockhampton 46% above, Perth 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.51 A$29.05

$21.45 A$30.39

-4.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$119

$85.5 A$121

-1.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 A$14.03

$10.92 A$15.47

-9.34%

Cappuccino

$5.01 A$7.10

$4.55 A$6.45

10.11%

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

$2.40 A$3.40

$2.79 A$3.95

-13.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 A$3.93

$2.26 A$3.20

22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.66 A$10.85

$8.31 A$11.78

-7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 A$9.16

$8.55 A$12.12

-24.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 A$3.37

$1.68 A$2.38

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.34 A$3.32

$3.18 A$4.51

-26.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.07

$2.02 A$2.87

7.43%

Eggs

$3.84 A$5.44

$5.28 A$7.49

-27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.86 A$9.72

$9.51 A$13.47

-27.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 A$15.80

$9.21 A$13.05

21.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 A$22.29

$13.99 A$19.82

12.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.77

$4.60 A$6.51

-42.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 A$2.92

$3.15 A$4.47

-34.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 A$2.65

$3.52 A$4.99

-46.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 A$7.02

$4.84 A$6.86

2.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 A$2.82

$2.79 A$3.95

-28.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.29

$1.88 A$2.67

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 A$2.73

$2.21 A$3.12

-13.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.16

$1.34 A$1.89

66.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.33 A$52.9

$42.80 A$60.6

-12.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 A$21.49

$12.65 A$17.91

19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$4.98

$4.35 A$6.17

-19.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 A$8.40

$3.37 A$4.77

75.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 A$2.44

$2.41 A$3.41

-28.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 A$89.6

$99.6 A$141

-36.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.89

$3.59 A$5.08

-3.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 A$2.50

$1.46 A$2.06

20.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.29 A$55.7

$40.46 A$57.3

-2.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 A$1.72

$1.35 A$1.91

-10.37%

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

$29.8K A$42.3K

$29.6K A$41.9K

0.90%

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

$22.9K A$32.4K

$28.1K A$39.8K

-18.64%

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

$203 A$288

$204 A$288

-0.06%

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

$23.89 A$33.84

$33.62 A$47.63

-28.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$95.8

$64.8 A$91.8

4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.77 A$56.3

$54.0 A$76.5

-26.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.23 A$20.16

$21.16 A$29.97

-32.75%

Cinema Ticket

$15.89 A$22.51

$17.29 A$24.49

-8.10%

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

$1,776 A$2,516

$2,300 A$3,258

-22.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,584 A$9,328

$23.1K A$32.7K

-71.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 A$181

$77.5 A$110

64.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 A$84.3

$63.7 A$90.3

-6.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 A$200

$121 A$172

16.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 A$90.6

$166 A$235

-61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 A$1,161

$2,006 A$2,841

-59.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 A$961

$1,673 A$2,370

-59.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 A$2,302

$2,819 A$3,993

-42.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,549 A$2,194

$2,156 A$3,055

-28.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,553

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,315 A$4,696

$4,224 A$5,984

-21.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.27

5.96

5.20%

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

Last update for Rockhampton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rockhampton

$678 34.1%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 147% $995

Groceries & Markets

Rockhampton

$358 18%

Perth

$365 11.9% 2.2% $7.7

Eating Out

Rockhampton

$326 16.4%

Perth

$338 11% 3.7% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rockhampton

$295 14.8%

Perth

$302 9.8% 2.4% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Rockhampton

$176 8.9%

Perth

$193 6.3% 9.2% $16

Getting Around

Rockhampton

$82 4.2%

Perth

$120 3.9% 45.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Rockhampton

$72 3.6%

Perth

$89 2.9% 23.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $819 in Rockhampton and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 27% 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: $84 in Rockhampton vs $86 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $365 per month, with Rockhampton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

12:39 12:39 PM

10:39 10:39 AM

2 h behind Rockhampton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,151

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rockhampton Perth 3,530 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Rockhampton
Perth

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

Rockhampton vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rockhampton is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Rockhampton. 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: $819 in Rockhampton versus $2,006 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rockhampton runs roughly 37% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,776 in Rockhampton versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,987 in Rockhampton versus $3,080 in Perth, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockhampton but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Rockhampton 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, Rockhampton and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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