Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Perth vs Canberra in 2026: cost index 118 vs 120, rent $2,650 vs $2,750, income $87,000 vs $101,000, QoL 63 vs 67.
Perth vs Canberra in 2026: cost index 118 vs 120, rent $2,650 vs $2,750, income $87,000 vs $101,000, QoL 63 vs 67.
Perth: cost index 118 (+5 vs national avg 113), rent $2,650/month.
Western Australia region average cost index: 119. Perth is -1 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.
Let's cut to what actually matters here. 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 gap is hard to ignore.
On quality of life, Perth scores a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (80), and walkability (58) metrics. And there's one more thing: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Perth has a cost index of 118 (national avg: 113), rent $2,650/mo, median income $87,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 63/100.
The Western Australia region of average QoL score is 65/100. 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.