Cost of Living: Gold Coast vs Perth (2026)

Australia vs Australia — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Gold Coast

Perth

$2,267/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,821/mo

$21k/yr

Take-home savings

At each city's local median pay

$31k/yr

Freelance setup

Sole Trader with ABN

VAT-free under €46k
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sole Trader with ABN

VAT-free under €46k
€600/yr accountant

WiseStripe

Sourced from Numbeo · Updated April 2026

TL;DRPerth is 20% cheaper on rent ($1,821/mo vs $2,267/mo). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Too close to call — 69 vs 66. Perth has a slight edge, but Gold Coast might suit you better depending on your priorities.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇺 Perth

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇦🇺 Gold Coast

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Sydney vs Perth

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Gold Coast

Metric

Perth

$763/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$611/mo✓

$13,623

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$11,432✓

85 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

86 / 100

0.8 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

0.8 / 100k

4.5 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

4.5 / 100k

53 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

58 / 100✓

82°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

84°F

52°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

48°F

7.3 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

5.3 μg/m³✓

87 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

86 / 100

8.8 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

8.8 / 10

78 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

78 / 100

100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100

$72k

💼

GDP per capita

higher is better

$72k

3.2% · Boringly steady

📈

Inflation

lower is better

3.2% · Boringly steady

95/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

95/100

A median Software Engineer in Gold Coast takes home $6,333/mo under Standard employee. In Perth: $6,333/mo under Standard employee.

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$107k

💰

Gross income

$107k

−$27k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$27k

−$4k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$4k

$76k/yr

$6k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$76k/yr

$6k/mo

−$55k

🏠

Cost of living

−$45k

$21k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$31k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Perth

$446/mo cheaper on rent alone

Sun

How much sky you actually get

75% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

78% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

13.9h

Shortest day

Dec

14.2h

10.4h

Longest day

Jun

10.1h

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

stable →

Democracy trend

stable →

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

24 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

Legal in all states/territories; gestational limits vary by state (16-24 weeks on request).

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Gold Coast vs Perth — Common Questions

Is Gold Coast cheaper than Perth?▾

Perth is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1821/month there vs $2267/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Gold Coast or Perth?▾

Perth is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Gold Coast has a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 and Perth has 0.83 per 100,000.

Should I move to Gold Coast or Perth?▾

Too close to call — 69 vs 66. Perth has a slight edge, but Gold Coast might suit you better depending on your priorities. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

What's the cost of rent in Gold Coast vs Perth?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1821/month in Perth, $2267/month in Gold Coast (Numbeo). That's 20% cheaper rent in Perth.