cost
Cost of Living Index
Perth62.6 / 100
Melbourne71.9 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Perth leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Perth leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Perth leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Melbourne leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Perth | 62.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Melbourne | 71.9 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Perth | 67.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Melbourne | 49.2 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Perth | $2,648 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Melbourne | $2,971 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Perth | 13.4x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Melbourne | 12.4x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Perth | $3,288/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Melbourne | $4,076/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Perth | 5.6% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Melbourne | 7.2% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Perth | 61.6 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Melbourne | 62.1 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Perth | 80.3 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Melbourne | 77.2 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Perth wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Melbourne.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Perth leads cost, safety, and rent; Melbourne leads housing, salary, and health.
cost
Perth
62.6
Melbourne
71.9
safety
Perth
67.4
Melbourne
49.2
housing
Perth
$2,648
Melbourne
$2,971
housing
Perth
13.4x
Melbourne
12.4x
jobs
Perth
$3,288/mo
Melbourne
$4,076/mo
jobs
Perth
5.6%
Melbourne
7.2%
health
Perth
61.6
Melbourne
62.1
health
Perth
80.3 years
Melbourne
77.2 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Perth
3.3%
Melbourne
2.4%
education
Perth
93.5
Melbourne
67.5
transport
Perth
49.8
Melbourne
51.5
safety
Perth
24.9 per 100k
Melbourne
22.3 per 100k
safety
Perth
36.6 per 100k
Melbourne
57.3 per 100k
health
Perth
25.1%
Melbourne
29.0%
quality
Perth
5
Melbourne
7.2
housing
Perth
$11,141/sqm
Melbourne
$8,743/sqm
religion
Perth
11.6%
Melbourne
21.5%
religion
Perth
74.4%
Melbourne
75.5%
religion
Perth
57.5%
Melbourne
51.0%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.