Cost of Living: Sydney vs Perth (2026)

Australia vs Australia — relocation comparison

Your passport:

Livability Score

Sydney

Perth

$2,506/mo

Rent

1BR centre

$1,821/mo

$19k/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 27% cheaper on rent ($1,821/mo vs $2,506/mo). Both countries will let you complain about the government in public — and mean it.

Sydney and Perth are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin.

Verdict delivered. Your move.

Heads

🇦🇺 Perth

Full profile, in case the coin says so.

Tails

🇦🇺 Sydney

Full profile, in case it says otherwise.

Plot twist

Sydney vs Gold Coast

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Sydney

Metric

Perth

$705/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$611/mo✓

$14,866

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$11,432✓

87 / 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

✓66 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

58 / 100

79°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

84°F

50°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

48°F

114 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

—

9.4 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

8.3 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

8.3 / 9

78 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

78 / 100

100/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

100/100

$72k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

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 Sydney 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

−$57k

🏠

Cost of living

−$45k

$19k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$31k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

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

💰

Cost of Living

Perth

$685/mo cheaper on rent alone

☀️

Weather

—

79°F vs 84°F summers

Sun

How much sky you actually get

71% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

78% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

14.4h

Shortest day

Dec

14.2h

9.9h

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

Sydney vs Perth — Common Questions

Is Sydney cheaper than Perth?▾

Perth is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $1821/month there vs $2506/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Sydney or Perth?▾

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

Should I move to Sydney or Perth?▾

Sydney and Perth are almost suspiciously well-matched. Flip a coin. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Which has better weather, Sydney or Perth?▾

Perth is warmer in summer (84°F vs 79°F). Sydney has milder summers, which suits those who prefer cooler weather. Climate preference is personal — use the weather section above to compare seasons.

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

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $1821/month in Perth, $2506/month in Sydney (Numbeo). That's 27% cheaper rent in Perth.