Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surfers Paradise and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Surfers Paradise: $2,824 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Surfers Paradise versus $3,019 in Perth.

Surfers Paradise $2,824
Perth $3,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,398 in Surfers Paradise versus $4,128 in Perth.

Surfers Paradise $4,398
Perth $4,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,973 in Surfers Paradise versus $5,236 in Perth.

Surfers Paradise $5,973
Perth $5,236

Living in Surfers Paradise costs roughly 6% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surfers Paradise 109% above, Perth 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.36 A$24.99

$20.10 A$28.92

-13.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$151

$83.4 A$120

25.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 A$15.62

$10.54 A$15.17

2.94%

Cappuccino

$4.10 A$5.90

$4.37 A$6.28

-6.18%

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

$2.81 A$4.05

$2.82 A$4.06

-0.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.46

$2.25 A$3.23

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 A$11.31

$8.30 A$11.94

-5.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$11.32

$8.38 A$12.05

-6.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.40

$1.78 A$2.56

-6.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.89

$3.16 A$4.54

-14.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.46

$1.97 A$2.84

22.34%

Eggs

$4.90 A$7.05

$5.22 A$7.51

-6.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 A$12.49

$9.35 A$13.45

-7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 A$13.07

$9.18 A$13.21

-0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 A$20.83

$14.08 A$20.26

2.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.65

$4.59 A$6.61

-14.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$3.24 A$4.67

-4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.85

$3.32 A$4.78

1.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.97

$4.94 A$7.11

-2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.06

$2.92 A$4.20

-3.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.50

$1.91 A$2.75

27.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.44

$2.32 A$3.34

3.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 A$2.98

$1.36 A$1.96

52.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.58 A$54.1

$41.10 A$59.1

-8.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.52

$12.68 A$18.24

12.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.97 A$8.59

$4.32 A$6.22

38.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.36

$3.38 A$4.86

51.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.49

$2.48 A$3.56

-86.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 A$139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 A$3.02

$3.51 A$5.05

-40.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.33

$1.38 A$1.98

17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 A$50.7

$41.16 A$59.2

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.86

$1.40 A$2.02

-7.14%

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

$27.0K A$38.9K

$26.8K A$38.5K

0.99%

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

$28.3K A$40.8K

$29.9K A$43.0K

-5.09%

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

$212 A$305

$196 A$282

8.33%

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

$29.92 A$43.06

$33.08 A$47.60

-9.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$79.8

$62.1 A$89.3

-10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 A$95.1

$58.2 A$83.7

13.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 A$20.80

$21.48 A$30.91

-32.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 A$25.06

$17.57 A$25.29

-0.85%

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

$1,944 A$2,798

$2,323 A$3,342

-16.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.8K

$22.9K A$32.9K

-45.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 A$120

$76.8 A$110

8.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 A$79.2

$65.8 A$94.7

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$120 A$173

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$175

$162 A$233

-25.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 A$2,752

$1,938 A$2,789

-1.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,260

$1,637 A$2,356

-4.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,770 A$5,425

$2,740 A$3,943

37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 A$4,413

$2,134 A$3,070

43.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,895 A$8,483

$8,328 A$12.0K

-29.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,954 A$7,128

$6,152 A$8,852

-19.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,288 A$4,731

$4,288 A$6,171

-23.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

5.91

-1.69%

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

Last update for Surfers Paradise: October 12, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6%

Perth

$1.6K 54.2% 4.3% $67

Groceries & Markets

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5%

Perth

$367 12.1% 3.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5%

Perth

$291 9.6% 2.2% $6.5

Eating Out

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5%

Perth

$323 10.7% 9% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9%

Perth

$191 6.3% 14.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6%

Perth

$93 3.1% 7.5% $7.5

Getting Around

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4%

Perth

$117 3.9% 910% $105

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,912 in Surfers Paradise and $1,938 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 30% 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: $105 in Surfers Paradise vs $83.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $380 vs $367 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

2 h behind Surfers Paradise

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,668

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

Surfers Paradise Perth 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Surfers Paradise
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

Surfers Paradise vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surfers Paradise is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Perth. 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: $1,912 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,938 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Perth pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,824 per month in Surfers Paradise versus $3,019 in Perth – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Surfers Paradise is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.