Cost of living in Perth today ?
Perth has some expensive areas and also its cheaper areas, and some districts which are in the middle it’s important to research where you want to live in relation to where you study and or work, the cost of food and transport can be high so look at the total mix of costs including accommodation, careful research is important.
The items that absorb most of the cash are rent, transport and food so let’s examine these in more details.
Food
Fast food restaurant or food hall will cost between $8 and $15.
Red meats are expensive, look for the price per Kilo, chicken is usually a good cost effective purchase at a price of $9 a Kilo. Ready cooked chicken can cost as little as $8 in Coles. Aldi is even cheaper for people on a budget, less choice but good prices.
The cost of fruit and vegetables is usually high in big brand supermarkets, try the fruit and vegetable markets and you can find the same fruit for half the price. Also look out for the farmers markets on weekends.
There are many Asian shops in Perth, the price of foods such as Rice and lentils is well below that of the Supermarkets so the key is to shop around, to get the best prices you will have to look around
Accommodation
One bedroom unit can cost from $175 to $500 per week depending on the suburb.
Two bedroom units can cost $200 to $425 per week, there are more expensive option available within the Perth CBD and West Perth and Crawley, if you have the budget
Renting a whole house, for three people on a budget close to the city can cost around $250 per week each and can be more cost effective than living in an apartment. In the outer suburbs 3 or 4 bedroom houses can cost as little as $350 a week. Transport cost and travel time should also be considered.
Travel and transport in Perth
Reasonable second hand cars can cost from $2000 to $5000, make sure you have a friend who understands cars with you, or take the car into a garage to get a mechanics opinion. RAC offer a service as well.
Our advice buy a small car which is not too old, you can get good small cars for around 3000$.
The cost of unleaded Petrol in Perth is around $1.32 to 160 a litre per litre depending on the day you but your petrol, Monday is the best day to fill up.. Checkout the smaller brands they are cheaper. Get loyalty cards and you can pick up a discount at Caltex or Shell
There is a good suburban railway network as well as a bus service in Perth, in the inner city transport is free on the CAT services http://www.transperth.wa.gov.au/