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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in Perth: $87,000/year — $8,346 above the Australia median. Cost index 118, purchasing power 73729/100. Compare incomes across Western Australia below.
Average salary in Perth: $87,000/year — $8,346 above the Australia median. Cost index 118, purchasing power 73729/100. Compare incomes across Western Australia below.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 2 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 3 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
| 4 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
| 5 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 6 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 8 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 9 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 10 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 11 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 12 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 13 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
Perth: cost index 118 (+5 vs national avg 113), rent $2,650/month.
Western Australia region average cost index: 113. Perth is +5 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 63/100 — safety 68, healthcare 80, walkability 58.
Safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 48.5/1k). National average: 66/100.
One stat flips the usual narrative: Perth has a cost index of 118 — 5 points above the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $87,000 with rent at $2,650/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 37%. That's a strong position by any measure.
And there's one more thing: looking at Western Australia as a whole, the spread across all 13 cities is 18 points on the cost index. Cairns sits at the other end with index 100 and rent of $1,820/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Perth scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (80), and walkability (58) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Perth — cost index 118, rent $2,650/mo, income $87,000, QoL 63/100.
Canberra — cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000, QoL 67/100.
Sydney — cost index 132, rent $3,200/mo, income $90,000, QoL 62/100.
Melbourne — cost index 124, rent $2,750/mo, income $84,500, QoL 62/100.
Brisbane — cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo, income $80,000, QoL 62/100.
The median gross income in Perth is $87,000/year — above the Australia national average of $78,654.
The Western Australia region of average QoL score is 63/100. Perth leads with 63/100, reflecting safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Perth: cost index 118, rent $2,650/mo, income $87,000/yr, QoL 63/100. Canberra: cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000/yr, QoL 67/100.
This analysis uses data from ABS, CoreLogic, ATO to rank cities in Australia. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.