Popular cities
Perth vs Sydney cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฆ๐บ Perth
๐ฆ๐บ Sydney
At a glance
- Where Sydney is clearly cheaper: Local meal (17%โ), Half-day tour (17%โ)
- Where Perth is clearly cheaper: SIM card (43%โ), Scooter rental (30%โ), Laundry (27%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Perth 1 vs Sydney 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Perth | Sydney | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | A$ 24$16 | A$ 20$13.3 | Sydney โ17% |
| Street food1 item | A$ 15$10 | A$ 14$9.33 | Sydney โ7% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | A$ 58$38.7 | A$ 60$40 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | A$ 6$4 | A$ 5.5$3.67 | Sydney โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | A$ 13$8.67 | A$ 12$8 | Sydney โ8% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | A$ 22$14.7 | A$ 22$14.7 | similar |
| Bottled water | A$ 3$2 | A$ 3.5$2.33 | Perth โ14% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | A$ 4$2.67 | A$ 4.5$3 | Perth โ11% |
| Taxi5 km in town | A$ 17$11.3 | A$ 19$12.7 | Perth โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | A$ 11$7.33 | A$ 12$8 | Perth โ8% |
| Transitone ride | A$ 3.5$2.33 | A$ 3.3$2.2 | Sydney โ6% |
| Scooter rentalper day | A$ 35$23.3 | A$ 50$33.3 | Perth โ30% |
| Hotel night3-star | A$ 190$127 | A$ 220$147 | Perth โ14% |
| Studio rent (month) | A$ 2,500$1,667 | A$ 2,800$1,867 | Perth โ11% |
| Laundry | A$ 5.5$3.67 | A$ 7.5$5 | Perth โ27% |
| SIM card1 week data | A$ 17$11.3 | A$ 30$20 | Perth โ43% |
| Haircutcut | A$ 40$26.7 | A$ 40$26.7 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | A$ 90$60 | A$ 90$60 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | A$ 120$80 | A$ 100$66.7 | Sydney โ17% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | A$ 37$24.7 | A$ 45$30 | Perth โ18% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Perth or Sydney?
Perth is 6% cheaper than Sydney. Daily budget $256 vs $274; a month $5,718 vs $6,088.
Which is easier to travel, Perth or Sydney?
About the same: Perth 1.4/5, Sydney 1.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Perth and Sydney?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Perth is about $5,718 and Sydney about $6,088 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.