Living in Perth

If you’re looking for a city that offers the ideal combination of career growth and a laid-back lifestyle, Perth could be the right choice for you. At just over two million residents, the city is a globally significant employment hub and boasts some of the world’s most spectacular natural beauty as well as a myriad of cultural offerings.

To make moving to Perth easier, take a look at our guide to living in the city.

Where to live in Perth

Deciding where to live in Perth is one of the biggest decisions you can make when moving to the city. Spanning over 6,400 square kilometres, the Greater Perth area is big enough to offer living environments to suit a wide range of lifestyles.

Here’s a quick guide to some of the neighbourhoods in and around Perth.

Perth City – the most central suburb of the city, which lies on the northern banks of the Swan River. Home to the central business district, the stock exchange, and a major shopping area. Residential housing in this area is relatively sparse.

Subiaco – inner-western suburb 4 km west of Perth CBD. Traditionally a working-class district, it’s been reinvented as a stylish and cosmopolitan hotspot with plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops.

Northbridge – 1 km north of the Perth CBD, Northbridge is known for its restaurants, bars, and nightlife. Easily accessible from Perth railway station and Wellington Street bus station.

Applecross – affluent area 7 km from Perth near parks and schools, making it a good choice for families.

Willetton – 15 km south of the CBD. Home to an ethnically diverse population with a variety of housing available for couples and families.

The Perth jobs market

Traditionally, Perth and Western Australia’s jobs market and economy have relied heavily on the mining and resources sector. Today, however, employment opportunities are on the rise across a number of industries.

As of the 2011 Census, the top three industries within the City of Perth were professional, scientific and technical services (21.4%), public administration and safety (13.7%), and healthcare and social assistance (11.1%).

Looking ahead, growth is predicted in a number of key sectors including tourism, the arts, and retail. And, with employment projected to increase by 9.8% in Greater Perth by the end of the year, it is one of the most promising metropolitan regions in Australia.

Salaries in Perth

Western Australia has the second highest average annual wages of any state in Australia, at $88,327. This is especially favourable considering the lower cost of living compared to other major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. To find out more about salary benchmarks in your sector in WA, take a look at the Michael Page Salary Centre.

Renting in Perth

Renting property in Perth can be organised through a real estate agency, or sometimes directly through a private landlord. Properties available to rent can be found on property websites such as Domain or realestate.com.au. To apply for a property, you’ll typically need to fill out a form for the real estate agency and provide details such as your financial standing, rental history, and a list of referees.

Before moving into your new home, you will need to pay a bond to the Rental Bond Board, which is equal to four weeks’ rent, unless the weekly rent is over $1200. The bond will be returned to you when moving out provided you have met the terms of the rental agreement. Find out more about rental bonds.

You can also find share accommodation through services like Flatmate Finders and flatmates.com.au if you’d prefer to have housemates.

Household utilities

When you rent a home in Perth, it is the landlord/property manager’s responsibility to make sure that all utilities and appliances are fully functional on the day that you move in. Your tenancy agreement will outline how the cost of utilities should be paid. For example, landlords will usually pay for water rates and pass the consumption costs on to the tenant.

The lease will also state whether the electricity, gas, and water services to your rental property are separately metered – if not, it will include a calculation about how your utility costs will be worked out (such as for a single unit in a multi-unit building).

Find out more about renting in Perth.

If you own a property, you’ll be responsible for setting up utilities yourself. Some of the largest energy providers include:

Energy Australia – electricity and gas

AGL – electricity, gas, and solar

Origin – electricity and gas

You will also need to set up the internet at your new home. Major internet providers include:

Telstra

Optus

TPG

These companies also offer bundled internet, home phone, and mobile phone plans.

The National Broadband Network (infrastructure to provide more reliable broadband internet) is currently being rolled out across Perth – check to see if your address is eligible for nbn internet plans here.