Personnel Relocations · 2026 - 2027 Cost of Living Tool
What will it really cost to live in Australia?
Compare costs, build your budget or find the best-fit city for your finances.
Note: this comparison covers day-to-day living costs only — schooling and childcare are not included.
Items below are preselected based on your household size — tick, untick or adjust the quantity of anything to match your own situation.
How we calculate your costs ⓘ
* Rent Note: Monthly rent is calculated by dividing the weekly rate by 7 to get a daily rate, multiplying by 365 days, and then dividing by 12 months.
† Water Bill Note: Quarterly water rates are displayed as raw baseline quarter costs, but are divided by 3 when calculated inside the tracking column to ensure a proper monthly budget conversion.
‡ School Fees Note: Yearly state primary school fees are divided by 10 to show an equivalent monthly cost for budgeting purposes. Please note that Australian schools usually require these fees to be paid upfront per term or per year.
Where these numbers come from ⓘ
Estimated household costs come directly from your Build My Budget selections. We keep every ticked item and quantity the same, then substitute each city's price for that item. Weekly rent, quarterly water and annual school fees use the same monthly conversions as the detailed budget.
This makes the ranking personal to your chosen budget while comparing like with like. It remains an indicative planning estimate and does not include unticked expenses, tax or one-off relocation/setup costs.
Explore how asking rents have changed over time; this section focuses on the rental market rather than your personal budget.