Perth vs Melbourne Cost of Living
Perth (Australia) · Overall index 60.4 — Melbourne (Australia) · Overall index 65.3
Summary
- Overall, Melbourne is 8% more expensive than Perth.
- Rent in Melbourne is 22% more expensive than in Perth.
- Telecom in Melbourne is 11% more expensive than in Perth.
| Item | Perth | Melbourne | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +22% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,577 | $2,062 | +31% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,077 | $1,117 | +4% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,915 | $3,536 | +21% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,860 | $2,437 | +31% |
| Groceries | +4% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.13 | $0.97 | -14% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.25 | $3.2 | -2% |
| Rice (1kg) | $3.93 | $3.75 | -5% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.09 | $3.69 | -10% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $12 | $10.3 | -14% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $9.86 | $10.3 | +4% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $14.4 | $15.1 | +5% |
| Apples (1kg) | $3.97 | $4.14 | +4% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.53 | $1.56 | +2% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.24 | $4.16 | +28% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $4.49 | $5.03 | +12% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $2.15 | $2.75 | +28% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.28 | $2.45 | +7% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.09 | $1.98 | -5% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.68 | $2.08 | +24% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $13.4 | $13.8 | +3% |
| Transport | 0% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.96 | $1.9 | -3% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $96.3 | $93 | -3% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.06 | $2.96 | -3% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.27 | $1.32 | +4% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.72 | $0.76 | +6% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $19,702 | $19,348 | -2% |
| Dining out | +2% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.6 | $17 | -9% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $90.1 | $92.3 | +2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $9.09 | $9.69 | +7% |
| Cappuccino | $3.69 | $4.01 | +9% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.98 | $1.91 | -4% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $4.84 | $5.35 | +11% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $6.41 | $6.13 | -4% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.65 | $1.8 | +9% |
| Telecom | +11% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $53.7 | $47.6 | -11% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $47.6 | $60.5 | +27% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.24 | $0.3 | +25% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $12.2 | $13.5 | +11% |
| Utilities & household | +10% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $131 | $155 | +18% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.15 | $0.19 | +27% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $3.69 | $4.24 | +15% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.01 | $1.3 | +29% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $19.1 | $19.4 | +2% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $59.5 | $74.6 | +25% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $10.7 | $13.5 | +26% |
| Men's haircut | $25.8 | $24.3 | -6% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $21.4 | $18.5 | -14% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,784 | $1,717 | -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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