Shoppers pay nation's highest prices
Perth shoppers face the highest prices of any State capital and among the most expensive in the world.
A global comparison of prices shows Perth is the 13th most expensive major city in the world, eclipsing Paris, London, Tokyo and Dublin.
The numbeo.com aggregates real prices of everyday goods and services from major centres, ranking cities on everything from the cost of bottled water to tennis court rental rates.
It found a trolley of Perth grocery prices are now 6.5 per cent higher than those in Sydney, 6.7 per cent higher than those in Melbourne and 8.2 per cent higher than those in Brisbane.
From a kilogram of cheese ($11.19 in Perth but $8.91 in Brisbane) to a domestic beer ($5.12 in Perth to $4.54 in Melbourne), Perth came out on top too often.
A small bottle of water at a Perth restaurant ($2.76) is up to 13 per cent more expensive than in Eastern States restaurants.
Perth also tops the cost of meals in expensive restaurants by up to a third.
According to Numbeo, a combination meal at McDonald's or a similar family-type restaurant will cost you $9 in Perth. It is more expensive than Brisbane ($8.80), Sydney ($8.50) and Melbourne ($8.05).
Even basic utilities for a small apartment, covering power and water, are more expensive in Perth than elsewhere.
"Workers' expectations were set in the boom times but we're now in a transition phase that's going to go on for some years," WA Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist John Nicolaou said.
"We need a more productive and a more profitable business sector and a key part of that is going to be wages."
In the past fortnight the WA Industrial Relations Commission lifted the State's minimum wage by $20 a week to $665.90, well above the Federal minimum wage of $640.90 a week.
Another measure of costs, by the seekingservice.com.au website, pulled together quotes for renovation services.
It found WA electricians, carpenters, plasterers and plumbers, were regularly the most expensive among capital cities.
But the State does appear to have the nation's cheapest tilers.
