Moving from Melbourne to Perth as a GP: Earnings, Costs, and Lifestyle in 2026
Last updated: October 2026
If you’re a GP (general practitioner) in Melbourne wondering whether Perth is worth the move, the short answer is, for a lot of GPs, yes, but not for the reason it used to be. A few years ago we’d have pointed you to cheaper houses. That’s no longer true. Today the case for Perth is about work: busy books, strong billings and practices that will genuinely help you relocate.
- Perth’s outer suburbs are short of GPs, so books fill fast. Some of our Perth roles advertise up to $650K a year.
- Perth houses now cost more than Melbourne’s, so don’t plan your move around old property prices.
- A shared removal truck from Melbourne to Perth averages around $2,500. A full truck for a family home is more like $3,000 to $8,000.
- Your AHPRA registration moves with you. Your Medicare provider number doesn’t, so you’ll need a new one.
Why GPs in Perth are in demand
Perth has grown outwards along the coast, and the new suburbs have grown faster than the number of doctors. Drive up to Butler, Currambine or Joondalup in the north, or down to Secret Harbour in the south, and you’ll find practices with waiting lists and not enough GPs to clear them.
That’s why most of our current GP jobs in Perth are in these corridors, and why several of them sit in a DPA (Distribution Priority Area). A DPA is the government’s way of flagging areas short of GPs, and it decides where doctors with Medicare restrictions are allowed to bill.
What does that mean day to day? Your book fills quickly, which is what drives your income. And because practices are competing for doctors, you’re in a good position to ask for a sign-on bonus, relocation help or the session pattern you want.
You can see what’s open right now on our GP jobs Perth page. Not ready to commit? A few months of locum GP jobs in Perth is a good way to test the waters.
Do GPs earn more in Perth than in Melbourne?
Often, yes, although the city itself isn’t really what sets your income. Three things do: the percentage of billings you’re on, how the practice bills (bulk, mixed or private), and how quickly your appointments fill. Two GPs on the same percentage can earn very different amounts if one is in a well-supplied Melbourne suburb and the other is in a Perth suburb where patients are waiting weeks.
A few of the Perth roles we’re recruiting for right now give you a feel for it. A GP job near Secret Harbour advertises earnings of up to $650K a year. There’s a high-earning DPA GP job in Butler, and a GP job in Perth’s northern coastal corridor that comes with a $50K bonus and PR sponsorship.
It’s not just doctors, either. Western Australians earn more than anyone else in the country on average, about $2,227 a week for full-time workers according to WA Treasury’s wages data.
If you want the detail, our GP salary Australia guide and 2025 GP Salary Survey results break it all down.
Is housing in Perth cheaper than Melbourne?
Not anymore, and we’d rather tell you that up front. When we first wrote this guide, Perth houses were a bargain next to Melbourne’s. Then Perth had one of the biggest property runs in the country. Home values there rose about 91% in the five years to May 2026, while Melbourne’s rose about 3%, according to Cotality’s Home Value Index. Through 2026, Cotality reported Perth values still accelerating while Melbourne slipped into a downturn.
So if you’re planning to buy, budget for Perth prices that now sit above Melbourne’s, and check the latest figures before you lock in a number. If you own in Melbourne, selling in a soft market can make the timing tricky.
Our advice? Rent first. Most GPs we work with rent for 6 to 12 months, get to know the suburbs and the commute, and buy once they know where they want to be. The good news is that the suburbs where GPs are most needed tend to be more affordable than the western beachside suburbs and the inner city.
Working as a GP in the Perth CBD vs. the suburbs
A general practitioner in the Perth CBD sees a lot of office workers, corporate health checks and people passing through, mostly during business hours. Out in the suburbs, it’s families, older patients and chronic disease care. You get to know people, you do more procedures, and your book is usually fuller.
If earnings and choice are what matter most, the suburbs and outer metro areas are where you’ll find them, including most of the DPA roles. The CBD suits you if you like shorter consults, weekday hours and being in the middle of the city. We’ve written more on why working in the suburbs can beat the CBD.
How much does it cost to move from Melbourne to Perth?
It’s about 3,400 km by road, so nearly everyone uses an interstate removalist and flies. What you’ll pay mostly comes down to how much stuff you’re taking and how flexible your dates are.
| Cost item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Backloading (shared truck space) | About $2,460 average | Average job of about 11 cubic metres (Muval Melbourne to Perth data). Cheapest if your dates can move. |
| Dedicated interstate truck, 3-bedroom home | $3,000 to $8,000 | National 2026 removalist cost guide. Melbourne to Perth is at the top end because of the distance. |
| Professional packing | $300 to $800 | For a 3-bedroom home. |
| Car transport, flights, temporary accommodation, rental bond | Varies | Get quotes, and ask your new practice what they’ll cover. |
Two things will bring your moving costs from Melbourne to Perth down. First, ask about relocation support. Lots of Perth practices offer it, and negotiating it is part of our job when we put your offer together. Second, if you can be flexible on dates, backloading means you only pay for space on a truck that’s heading west anyway.
Your relocation checklist: Melbourne to Perth
- Lock in your Perth role first. Get your practice, start date and relocation package sorted before you book anything. Talk to a consultant if you’d like help.
- Check 19AB and DPA requirements. If you’re under the 10-year moratorium or other Medicare restrictions, your new location has to meet the rules, and Services Australia assesses your section 19AB exemption each time you apply for a new provider number. You can look up any Perth address on the Department of Health’s Health Workforce Locator. Our guides to 19AB exemptions, Distribution Priority Areas and the latest DPA map updates explain the rest.
- Sort out your Medicare provider numbers. Provider numbers are tied to a location, so you’ll need an additional provider number for each new practice location, and you should close the one for any Melbourne practice you leave. Our Medicare provider number guide walks you through it.
- Update AHPRA (the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency). Registration is national, so there’s no need to re-register. You just update your principal place of practice within 30 days of the change.
- Tell your indemnity insurer your new practice address.
- Swap over your licence and rego. New WA residents need to apply for a WA driver’s licence within 3 months. If your Victorian licence is current, there’s no theory or driving test.
- Book your removalist and car transport. Get quotes for both backloading and a dedicated truck.
- Find somewhere to stay for the first few weeks while you look around.
What’s life like after the move?
The first thing most people notice is the weather. Perth is the sunniest capital in Australia, with close to 9 hours of sunshine a day on average. Summers are hot and dry, winters are mild, and on a scorcher you’ll learn to wait for the “Fremantle Doctor”, the sea breeze that rolls in off the Indian Ocean in the afternoon.
The beach is never far away. Most suburbs are a short drive from the coast, and the wineries and surf of the South West are an easy weekend trip. Have a look at Western Australia’s South West if you haven’t been.
Then there’s the time zone. Perth is two or three hours behind Melbourne depending on the time of year (WA doesn’t do daylight saving), which puts you closer to family in 🇬🇧 UK, Europe and Asia. Bali and Singapore are short hops. Qantas flies non-stop from London to Perth, although at the moment the Perth to London leg stops in Singapore to refuel.
And the pace is different. Perth is smaller and more relaxed than Melbourne, and plenty of GPs tell us that’s what they end up valuing most.
If you’d like to hear it from someone who’s done it, read From England to Perth: a GP’s relocation story.
Current GP jobs in Perth
- GP job 10 minutes south of Fremantle
- DPA GP job near Currambine
- GP job near Joondalup
- General practitioner opportunities in Midvale
- General practitioner opportunity in Seville Grove
You can browse every GP job in Perth, or compare with GP jobs in Melbourne.
Thinking about the move?
We know Perth’s practices well, and we only work with the ones that meet our standards. We’ll help you find the right fit, negotiate your package and relocation support, and steer you through provider numbers and DPA rules along the way. Get in touch with a consultant and we’ll start with a chat.
Frequently asked questions about moving from Melbourne to Perth
Is moving from Melbourne to Perth worth it for a GP?
For many GPs, yes. Perth’s growth suburbs are short of doctors, so books fill quickly and billings follow, and practices often help with relocation. Houses now cost more than in Melbourne, though, so look at earnings and property costs together before you decide.
How much does it cost to move from Melbourne to Perth?
A shared (backloaded) removal averages about $2,460. A dedicated truck for a 3-bedroom home usually costs $3,000 to $8,000. On top of that you’ll have car transport, flights and somewhere to stay at first, and many Perth practices will contribute.
Do GPs in Perth earn more than GPs in Melbourne?
Often, because books in Perth’s high-demand suburbs fill faster. Some Perth roles advertise up to $650K a year. What you actually earn depends on your billing percentage, how the practice bills and how many hours you work.
Do I need to re-register with AHPRA if I move from Victoria to Western Australia?
No. AHPRA registration is national, so you just update your principal place of practice within 30 days. You will need a new Medicare provider number for each Perth practice you work at.
Can I work as a general practitioner in the Perth CBD?
Yes. CBD practices mostly see office workers and do corporate health during business hours. Suburban and outer-metro practices usually have fuller books, more continuity of care and more DPA roles.
Are Perth suburbs DPA locations?
Some outer-metro Perth areas are DPA, and the classification is reviewed every year. You can check any address on the Health Workforce Locator, read our DPA map updates or just ask us about a specific suburb.
