Cost of living comparison

 Perth, Australia
compared to
 Washington (DC), United States
Washington vs. Perth Cost of Living Summary

Washington is 34.7% more expensive than Perth.

Restaurants
pay 21.5% more in Washington
Groceries
pay 44.5% more in Washington
Transportation
pay 6.8% less in Washington
Housing
pay 42.1% more in Washington
Childcare
pay 94.6% more in Washington
Entertainment and Sports
pay 32.3% more in Washington
Clothing
pay 14.4% more in Washington

The cost of childcare, groceries, housing, entertainment and sports, restaurants, and clothing in Washington are more expensive than in Perth. Notably, childcare is significantly more expensive in Washington.

Washington vs. Perth Cost Breakdown

If you lived in Washington instead of Perth, you would:

pay 21.5% more for restaurants

 
Perth
Washington
Basic meal with drink at inexpensive restaurant $16.48
A$25.62
$25.00
 
Fast food combo meal
McDonalds, or similar
$10.54
A$16.39
$12.00
 
Bottle of Coca-Cola (11 fl. oz) $2.43
A$3.78
$2.78
 

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pay 44.5% more for groceries

 
Perth
Washington
Bread
1 loaf
$2.46
A$3.82
$4.34
 
Local cheese (8 oz) $4.52
A$7.03
$7.84
 
Milk (1 gallon) $5.49
A$8.54
$4.14
 

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pay 6.8% less for transportation

 
Perth
Washington
Gasoline (1 gallon) $4.62
A$7.18
$3.66
 
Monthly public transit pass $110.72
A$172.14
$75.00
 
New Volkswagen Golf 1.4 (standard edition) $29,141.31
A$45,309.26
$35,699.74
 

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pay 42.1% more for housing

 
Perth
Washington
Internet connection
50 mbps or faster, cable/dsl
$52.92
A$82.28
$66.46
 
1-Bedroom apartment in downtown area $1,546.87
A$2,405.10
$2,582.95
 
1-Bedroom apartment outside city center $1,149.56
A$1,787.35
$2,028.70
 

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pay 94.6% more for childcare

 
Perth
Washington
Private preschool for 1 child, monthly $1,836.50
A$2,855.41
$2,273.25
 
Middle school for 1 child, two semesters $14,416.28
A$22,414.60
$38,250.00
 

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pay 32.3% more for entertainment and sports

 
Perth
Washington
Domestic/local beer (1 pint) $7.91
A$12.30
$8.00
 
Cappuccino in mid-range area $3.55
A$5.53
$5.55
 
Pack of cigarettes
Marlboro or similar
$32.95
A$51.23
$11.75
 

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pay 14.4% more for clothing

 
Perth
Washington
Regular jeans
Levi's brand
$77.02
A$119.75
$74.13
 
Regular dress
from H&M or similar store
$49.23
A$76.55
$50.77
 
Running shoes
Nike or Adidas
$102.97
A$160.10
$105.47
 

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The statistics used to build this comparison are calculated using data from users just like you. We average the price of thousands of data points entered by users across the world. Learn more about our data sources. Page last updated: June 2025
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