Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toowoomba and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Toowoomba: $2,110 a month against $3,019 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Toowoomba
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Toowoomba Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index

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Toowoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,110

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,110 in Toowoomba versus $3,019 in Perth.

Toowoomba $2,110
Perth $3,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,921 in Toowoomba versus $4,128 in Perth.

Toowoomba $2,921
Perth $4,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Toowoomba versus $5,236 in Perth.

Toowoomba $3,732
Perth $5,236

Living in Toowoomba costs roughly 30% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toowoomba 56% above, Perth 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 A$23.82

$20.10 A$28.92

-17.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.1 A$104

$83.4 A$120

-13.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 A$13.38

$10.54 A$15.17

-11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.81 A$5.48

$4.37 A$6.28

-12.81%

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

$2.71 A$3.90

$2.82 A$4.06

-3.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.25 A$3.23

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 A$9.75

$8.30 A$11.94

-18.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.22

$8.38 A$12.05

-15.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.16

$1.78 A$2.56

-15.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.27

$3.16 A$4.54

-28.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.80

$1.97 A$2.84

-1.52%

Eggs

$4.55 A$6.55

$5.22 A$7.51

-12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.40

$9.35 A$13.45

-7.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 A$12.79

$9.18 A$13.21

-3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 A$16.87

$14.08 A$20.26

-16.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$4.59 A$6.61

-31.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 A$2.58

$3.24 A$4.67

-44.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 A$1.97

$3.32 A$4.78

-58.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 A$3.09

$4.94 A$7.11

-56.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.59

$2.92 A$4.20

-14.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$1.91 A$2.75

16.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.45

$2.32 A$3.34

3.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 A$1.42

$1.36 A$1.96

-27.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.77 A$50.0

$41.10 A$59.1

-15.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.75

$12.68 A$18.24

8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.60

$4.32 A$6.22

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 A$9.39

$3.38 A$4.86

93.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$2.48 A$3.56

22.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.5 A$139

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 A$3.20

$3.51 A$5.05

-36.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.31

$1.38 A$1.98

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.11 A$49.08

$41.16 A$59.2

-17.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$1.40 A$2.02

-5.71%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$26.8K A$38.5K

-0.29%

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

$23.3K A$33.5K

$29.9K A$43.0K

-21.95%

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

$74.5 A$107

$196 A$282

-61.98%

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

$30.11 A$43.33

$33.08 A$47.60

-8.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$77.8

$62.1 A$89.3

-12.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 A$59.2

$58.2 A$83.7

-29.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 A$25.46

$21.48 A$30.91

-17.64%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 A$19.92

$17.57 A$25.29

-21.17%

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

$2,039 A$2,934

$2,323 A$3,342

-12.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,996 A$10.1K

$22.9K A$32.9K

-69.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 A$108

$76.8 A$110

-2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$77.4

$65.8 A$94.7

-18.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 A$108

$120 A$173

-37.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$176

$162 A$233

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$1,938 A$2,789

-37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,626

$1,637 A$2,356

-30.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 A$2,328

$2,740 A$3,943

-40.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,028

$2,134 A$3,070

-33.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 A$4,881

$8,328 A$12.0K

-59.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,674 A$3,847

$6,152 A$8,852

-56.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,869 A$5,567

$4,288 A$6,171

-9.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

5.91

-3.72%

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

Last update for Toowoomba: 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

Toowoomba

$1.1K 53.6%

Perth

$1.6K 54.2% 44.9% $507

Groceries & Markets

Toowoomba

$309 14.6%

Perth

$367 12.1% 18.8% $58

Eating Out

Toowoomba

$274 13%

Perth

$323 10.7% 17.9% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toowoomba

$159 7.5%

Perth

$291 9.6% 83.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Toowoomba

$147 7%

Perth

$191 6.3% 30.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Toowoomba

$69 3.3%

Perth

$93 3.1% 35.6% $24

Getting Around

Toowoomba

$22 * 1.1%

Perth

$117 3.9% 421% $94

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 $1,215 in Toowoomba and $1,938 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth pays 11% 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: $72.0 in Toowoomba vs $83.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $367 per month, with Toowoomba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Toowoomba

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

2 h behind Toowoomba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,398

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

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Between locations

Toowoomba Perth 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toowoomba
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

Toowoomba vs Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toowoomba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $1,215 in Toowoomba versus $1,938 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Perth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,110 per month in Toowoomba versus $3,019 in Perth – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,110 in Toowoomba versus $3,019 in Perth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Toowoomba but tight or insufficient in Perth. The gap between the two cities makes Toowoomba 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, Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Perth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.