Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,343 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
Learn more

Sunshine Coast Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,343

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,343 in Sunshine Coast versus $3,080 in Perth.

Sunshine Coast $2,343
Perth $3,080

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Sunshine Coast versus $4,194 in Perth.

Sunshine Coast $3,553
Perth $4,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,762 in Sunshine Coast versus $5,309 in Perth.

Sunshine Coast $4,762
Perth $5,309

Living in Sunshine Coast costs roughly 24% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sunshine Coast 72% above, Perth 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 A$25.18

$21.45 A$30.48

-17.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 A$105

$85.5 A$122

-13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$14.98

$10.92 A$15.51

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$3.96 A$5.63

$4.55 A$6.47

-12.97%

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

$2.88 A$4.09

$2.79 A$3.96

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.89

$2.26 A$3.21

21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.48 A$10.63

$8.31 A$11.81

-9.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.21 A$13.08

$8.55 A$12.15

7.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.68 A$2.38

-20.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 A$2.79

$3.18 A$4.52

-38.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.91

$2.02 A$2.87

1.49%

Eggs

$4.74 A$6.73

$5.28 A$7.51

-10.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 A$15.87

$9.51 A$13.51

17.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.35

$9.21 A$13.09

-13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 A$30.22

$13.99 A$19.88

52.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$4.60 A$6.53

-31.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.46 A$3.50

$3.15 A$4.48

-21.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.47

$3.52 A$5.00

-10.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.75

$4.84 A$6.88

-16.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 A$3.08

$2.79 A$3.97

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.88 A$2.68

-10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.21 A$3.13

0.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.28

$1.34 A$1.90

72.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$47.13 A$67.0

$42.80 A$60.8

10.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 A$22.08

$12.65 A$17.97

22.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.83

$4.35 A$6.19

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 A$8.41

$3.37 A$4.78

75.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 A$0.52

$2.41 A$3.42

-84.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.32 A$34.56

$99.6 A$142

-75.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.02

$3.59 A$5.10

-40.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.27

$1.46 A$2.07

9.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.31 A$51.6

$40.46 A$57.5

-10.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.35 A$1.92

-1.48%

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

$31.3K A$44.5K

$29.6K A$42.0K

5.85%

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

$31.1K A$44.2K

$28.1K A$40.0K

10.57%

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

$139 A$198

$204 A$289

-31.60%

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

$43.15 A$61.3

$33.62 A$47.77

28.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 A$94.8

$64.8 A$92.1

2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.5

$54.0 A$76.7

-4.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 A$23.45

$21.16 A$30.06

-22.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 A$22.20

$17.29 A$24.57

-9.60%

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

$2,168 A$3,080

$2,300 A$3,267

-5.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 A$92.4

$77.5 A$110

-16.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$112 A$160

$63.7 A$90.6

76.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 A$137

$121 A$172

-20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 A$142

$166 A$235

-39.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 A$1,920

$2,006 A$2,850

-32.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,606

$1,673 A$2,378

-32.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 A$3,424

$2,819 A$4,006

-14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,879

$2,156 A$3,064

-6.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,540 A$7,872

$8,504 A$12.1K

-34.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,183 A$7,365

$6,037 A$8,579

-14.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,508 A$4,985

$4,224 A$6,002

-16.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

5.96

-3.52%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: 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

Sunshine Coast

$1.1K 48.3%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 48% $543

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$378 16.1%

Perth

$365 11.9% 3.2% $12

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 12.8%

Perth

$338 11% 12.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$249 10.6%

Perth

$302 9.8% 21.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.2%

Perth

$193 6.3% 14.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$83 3.5%

Perth

$89 2.9% 6.7% $5.5

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$36 1.5%

Perth

$120 3.9% 235% $84

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,351 in Sunshine Coast and $2,006 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 20% 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: $74 in Sunshine Coast vs $86 in Perth. Groceries flip the comparison at $378 vs $365, with Perth cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

2 h behind Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

2,043,762

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sunshine Coast Perth 3,640 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sunshine Coast
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

Sunshine Coast vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunshine Coast is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Sunshine Coast. 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: $1,351 in Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast runs roughly 76% less than in Perth. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,168 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,300 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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, Sunshine Coast and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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