Melbourne vs Perth Cost of Living
Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3 — Perth (Australia) · Overall index 60.4
Summary
- Overall, Perth is 8% cheaper than Melbourne.
- Rent in Perth is 18% cheaper than in Melbourne.
- Telecom in Perth is 10% cheaper than in Melbourne.
| Item | Melbourne | Perth | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -18% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,062 | $1,577 | -24% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,117 | $1,077 | -4% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $3,536 | $2,915 | -18% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $2,437 | $1,860 | -24% |
| Groceries | -4% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.97 | $1.13 | +16% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.2 | $3.25 | +2% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.75 | $3.93 | +5% |
| Eggs (12) | $3.69 | $4.09 | +11% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $10.3 | $12 | +17% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $10.3 | $9.86 | -4% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $15.1 | $14.4 | -5% |
| Apples (1kg) | $4.14 | $3.97 | -4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.56 | $1.53 | -2% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $4.16 | $3.24 | -22% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.03 | $4.49 | -11% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.75 | $2.15 | -22% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.45 | $2.28 | -7% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.98 | $2.09 | +6% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.08 | $1.68 | -19% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.8 | $13.4 | -3% |
| Transport | 0% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.9 | $1.96 | +3% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $93 | $96.3 | +4% |
| Taxi, base fare | $2.96 | $3.06 | +3% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.32 | $1.27 | -4% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.76 | $0.72 | -5% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,348 | $19,702 | +2% |
| Dining out | -2% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $17 | $18.6 | +9% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $92.3 | $90.1 | -2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.69 | $9.09 | -6% |
| Cappuccino | $4.01 | $3.69 | -8% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.91 | $1.98 | +4% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.35 | $4.84 | -10% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.13 | $6.41 | +5% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.8 | $1.65 | -8% |
| Telecom | -10% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $47.6 | $53.7 | +13% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $60.5 | $47.6 | -21% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.3 | $0.24 | -20% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.5 | $12.2 | -10% |
| Utilities & household | -9% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $155 | $131 | -15% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.19 | $0.15 | -21% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.24 | $3.69 | -13% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.3 | $1.01 | -22% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.4 | $19.1 | -2% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $74.6 | $59.5 | -20% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $13.5 | $10.7 | -21% |
| Men's haircut | $24.3 | $25.8 | +6% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $18.5 | $21.4 | +16% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,717 | $1,784 | +4% |
3,389 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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