Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Southern Cross and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Southern Cross: $2,347 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Southern Cross
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Southern Cross Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,347

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,347 in Southern Cross versus $3,019 in Perth.

Southern Cross $2,347
Perth $3,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,547 in Southern Cross versus $4,128 in Perth.

Southern Cross $3,547
Perth $4,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,747 in Southern Cross versus $5,236 in Perth.

Southern Cross $4,747
Perth $5,236

Living in Southern Cross costs roughly 22% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Southern Cross 74% above, Perth 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 A$28.30

$20.10 A$28.92

-2.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.9 A$89.1

$83.4 A$120

-25.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 A$15.13

$10.54 A$15.17

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.57 A$5.14

$4.37 A$6.28

-18.31%

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

$2.47 A$3.55

$2.82 A$4.06

-12.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 A$2.44

$2.25 A$3.23

-24.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 A$10.19

$8.30 A$11.94

-14.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 A$11.83

$8.38 A$12.05

-1.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.26

$1.78 A$2.56

-11.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 A$3.80

$3.16 A$4.54

-16.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$1.97 A$2.84

10.66%

Eggs

$2.72 A$3.92

$5.22 A$7.51

-47.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.42 A$13.55

$9.35 A$13.45

0.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 A$13.16

$9.18 A$13.21

-0.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 A$21.13

$14.08 A$20.26

4.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.51

$4.59 A$6.61

-16.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$3.24 A$4.67

-4.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.78

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 A$6.85

$4.94 A$7.11

-3.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 A$4.07

$2.92 A$4.20

-3.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.43

$1.91 A$2.75

24.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.32 A$3.34

3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.36 A$1.96

8.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.77 A$50.0

$41.10 A$59.1

-15.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 A$20.19

$12.68 A$18.24

10.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.67

$4.32 A$6.22

7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.67

$3.38 A$4.86

57.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 A$3.88

$2.48 A$3.56

8.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.3 A$133

$96.5 A$139

-4.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 A$4.32

$3.51 A$5.05

-14.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 A$2.40

$1.38 A$1.98

20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.90 A$56.0

$41.16 A$59.2

-5.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.80

$1.40 A$2.02

-10.71%

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

$24.1K A$34.7K

$26.8K A$38.5K

-9.88%

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

$28.1K A$40.5K

$29.9K A$43.0K

-5.82%

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

$201 A$289

$196 A$282

2.42%

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

$28.18 A$40.56

$33.08 A$47.60

-14.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 A$81.7

$62.1 A$89.3

-8.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.78 A$71.6

$58.2 A$83.7

-14.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.77

$21.48 A$30.91

-16.62%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 A$19.20

$17.57 A$25.29

-24.08%

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

$2,080 A$2,994

$2,323 A$3,342

-10.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K A$25.9K

$22.9K A$32.9K

-21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 A$116

$76.8 A$110

5.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 A$82.2

$65.8 A$94.7

-13.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 A$141

$120 A$173

-18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$190

$162 A$233

-18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 A$1,821

$1,938 A$2,789

-34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 A$1,507

$1,637 A$2,356

-36.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 A$3,180

$2,740 A$3,943

-19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,939 A$2,790

$2,134 A$3,070

-9.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,734 A$8,251

$8,328 A$12.0K

-31.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,261 A$7,571

$6,152 A$8,852

-14.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,010 A$10.1K

$4,288 A$6,171

63.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

5.91

5.75%

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

Last update for Southern Cross: October 11, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Southern Cross

$1K 44.6%

Perth

$1.6K 54.2% 56.3% $590

Groceries & Markets

Southern Cross

$357 15.2%

Perth

$367 12.1% 2.7% $9.5

Eating Out

Southern Cross

$300 12.8%

Perth

$323 10.7% 7.7% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Southern Cross

$286 12.2%

Perth

$291 9.6% 1.9% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Southern Cross

$166 7.1%

Perth

$191 6.3% 15.3% $25

Getting Around

Southern Cross

$114 4.9%

Perth

$117 3.9% 2% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Southern Cross

$76 3.3%

Perth

$93 3.1% 22.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,265 in Southern Cross and $1,938 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Southern Cross pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Southern Cross vs $83.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $367 per month, with Southern Cross cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Southern Cross

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

18:03 6:03 PM

Same time as Southern Cross

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

2,043,762

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Southern Cross Perth 340 km

From you

Southern Cross
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

Southern Cross vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Southern Cross is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Southern Cross, 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: $1,265 in Southern Cross versus $1,938 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Southern Cross runs roughly 4% less than in Perth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,080 in Southern Cross versus $2,323 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,347 in Southern Cross versus $3,019 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Southern Cross but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Southern Cross 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, Southern Cross and Perth 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 Southern Cross gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.