Basket of Goods

Details: Written by: Nita Teoh; Category: Essentials; Published: 11 December 2008

So what is the cost of living like in Perth, Western Australia? With the economy booming in Perth, the cost of living has certainly also gone up. How does it affect your average local resident in Perth? Businesses and income earners who have been able to attract higher salaries due to demand for their services in sectors related to the mining industry have been able to keep pace with the higher cost of living. However, the flipside is that some income earners whose salaries may not necessarily have kept pace with Perth's higher cost of living may be finding these economic conditions a struggle.

Choice, a useful source of information for Australian consumers undertook a supermarket survey in June 2007 where it sent its mystery shoppers to purchase a basket of goods across a sample of supermarkets in Australia. The results of the survey rated Western Australian as the second most expensive State in Australia to purchase a basket of goods in comparison with Queensland which came in as the cheapest to purchase the equivalent basket of goods. Not good news for Perth people, but off course, there are all the many other benefits of living in Perth to take into account when weighing up the pros and cons of living in Perth!

Perth Walkabout took a snapshot of prices at a local supermarket for a basic basket of goods covering selected food items. For those who are thinking about migrating to Perth or who have recently arrived, the price range for selected grocery items below have been provided as a rough guide only as to what you would expect to pay at an average local supermarket. Note that there may also be slight price differentials between supermarkets depending on the location of suburbs.

Perth Walkabout Snapshot of Prices for a Basket of Goods

Grocery Item	Price ($AUS)
	Jan 2008
Bread	2.00 - 5.00
Milk - 2 litre	3.00 - 4.00
Eggs - dozen	5.00 - 7.00
Cheese - 250 gms	3.50 - 5.00
Icecream	4.00 - 6.00
Biscuits	2.00
Chocolate - 250 gms	4.00 - 5.00
Cereal - 600 gms	5.00 - 6.00
Pasta - 500 gms	1.50 - 3.00
Chicken - kg	7.00 - 17.00
Meat - kg	7.00 - 25.00
Fish - kg	15.00 - 40.00
Tea - 100 tea bags	4.00 - 5.00
Coffee - 150 gms	8.00
Jams and Spreads	3.00 - 6.00
Newspaper	2.20