Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Perth: $3,027 a month against $3,245 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,245

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,245 in Sydney versus $3,027 in Perth.

Sydney $3,245
Perth $3,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,803 in Sydney versus $4,162 in Perth.

Sydney $4,803
Perth $4,162

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,362 in Sydney versus $5,297 in Perth.

Sydney $6,362
Perth $5,297

Living in Sydney is roughly 7% more expensive than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 139% above, Perth 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$21.22 A$30.54

-17.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.3 A$130

$84.5 A$122

6.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 A$17.15

$11.01 A$15.84

8.27%

Cappuccino

$4.03 A$5.80

$4.43 A$6.38

-9.03%

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

$2.88 A$4.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.25 A$3.24

-0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 A$11.36

$8.44 A$12.14

-6.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 A$9.76

$8.22 A$11.83

-17.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.45

$1.74 A$2.51

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.23

$3.12 A$4.49

-5.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.61

$2.06 A$2.96

21.84%

Eggs

$5.55 A$7.99

$5.21 A$7.50

6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 A$16.94

$9.02 A$12.98

30.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 A$13.35

$9.33 A$13.43

-0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 A$24.03

$13.80 A$19.85

21.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.64

$4.59 A$6.60

-14.60%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 A$4.55

$3.23 A$4.65

-2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$5.00

$3.40 A$4.89

2.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.38 A$6.31

$4.89 A$7.03

-10.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.33 A$4.79

$2.86 A$4.12

16.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.46

$1.89 A$2.72

26.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 A$3.32

$2.19 A$3.15

5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.39 A$2.00

-17.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.8

$42.45 A$61.1

4.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.71 A$19.72

$12.73 A$18.31

7.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.00 A$5.75

$4.56 A$6.56

-12.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 A$5.80

$3.32 A$4.78

21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 A$4.63

$2.40 A$3.45

34.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$154 A$222

$98.4 A$142

56.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$3.53 A$5.07

1.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 A$2.27

$1.46 A$2.09

8.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 A$56.8

$40.43 A$58.2

-2.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.13

$1.36 A$1.95

8.82%

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

$29.6K A$42.5K

$29.6K A$42.6K

-0.20%

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

$27.7K A$39.8K

$27.7K A$39.9K

-0.22%

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

$241 A$347

$205 A$295

17.56%

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

$27.57 A$39.67

$32.82 A$47.23

-16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.3 A$81.0

$64.0 A$92.1

-12.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.1 A$112

$55.2 A$79.4

41.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.26 A$33.47

$20.94 A$30.13

11.08%

Cinema Ticket

$17.55 A$25.26

$17.27 A$24.85

1.62%

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

$2,185 A$3,144

$2,320 A$3,339

-5.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K A$40.0K

$22.9K A$32.9K

21.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$76.4 A$110

4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.7 A$102

$63.1 A$90.8

12.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$122 A$176

-9.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$163 A$235

-20.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 A$3,564

$1,936 A$2,786

27.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,557

$1,624 A$2,337

9.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,885 A$7,030

$2,820 A$4,058

73.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,093 A$4,451

$2,161 A$3,110

43.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.3K

$8,369 A$12.0K

60.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,375 A$12.1K

$6,001 A$8,635

39.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,074 A$5,862

$4,209 A$6,056

-3.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.96

-0.67%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 20, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.8%

Perth

$1.6K 53.7% 8.6% $153

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$378 11.7%

Perth

$366 12.1% 3.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$325 10%

Perth

$302 10% 7.1% $23

Eating Out

Sydney

$297 9.2%

Perth

$335 11.1% 12.9% $38

Getting Around

Sydney

$178 5.5%

Perth

$119 3.9% 33.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Perth

$191 6.3% 8.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$113 3.5%

Perth

$90 3% 20.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Sydney and $1,936 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Sydney vs $85.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $366 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

06:55 6:55 AM

3 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

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

Sydney Perth 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
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

Sydney vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Perth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $2,477 in Sydney versus $1,936 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Perth runs roughly 57% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,185 in Sydney versus $2,320 in Perth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Perth 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, Sydney 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 Perth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.