Cottesloe vs FremantleTwo Perth suburbs compared for a home loan
Cottesloe (WA 6011) is approximately 12 km west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast. Fremantle (WA 6160) is approximately 19 km south-west of the Perth CBD, at the mouth of the Swan River. At the 2021 Census, Cottesloe had 7,750 residents with a median age of 44, and Fremantle had 9,251 residents with a median age of 41.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 19% of occupied dwellings in Cottesloe and 27% in Fremantle, while 27% of Cottesloe households rented compared with 42% in Fremantle. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
WA 6011 · Perth's western suburbs
Cottesloe
Cottesloe is a beachside suburb in Perth's western suburbs, with large houses, a minority of older flats, Fremantle Line stations and coastal planning.
Town of Cottesloe. Approximately 12 km west of the Perth CBD, on the Indian Ocean coast.
Read the full Cottesloe guideWA 6160 · South-west metropolitan Perth
Fremantle
Fremantle is Perth's historic port city, with heritage cottages, townhouses and apartments, a rail terminus and a high share of renters.
City of Fremantle. Approximately 19 km south-west of the Perth CBD, at the mouth of the Swan River.
Read the full Fremantle guide
What buying in Cottesloe and Fremantle would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Cottesloe and Fremantle.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Cottesloe to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Fremantle to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Cottesloe and Fremantle: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Cottesloe | Fremantle |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 7,750 | 9,251 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 44 | 41 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $3,351 | $1,822 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $550 | $380 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $3,925 | $2,167 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 27% | 42% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 26% | 28% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 45% | 29% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 69% | 40% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 12% | 32% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 19% | 27% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 26% | 52% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 37% | 13% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 14% | 14% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Cottesloe and Fremantle
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Cottesloe
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Large loans may attract lower maximum loan-to-value ratios, second valuations or extra credit checks, so a larger deposit is commonly needed.
- Valuations of high-value houses can vary because comparable sales are few and view premiums are difficult to measure.
- Lenders mortgage insurance may be unavailable or restricted at higher loan amounts, which limits the scope for a small deposit.
- Coastal exposure raises maintenance, strata levy and insurance costs, which lenders count when assessing capacity to repay.
- Heritage listing can restrict alterations, and valuers factor these limits and the cost of compliant repairs into their assessments.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer.
Fremantle
- Upgraders
- Downsizers
- Investors
- First home buyers
- Heritage listing on the local Heritage List or the State Register can restrict alterations, and valuers factor these limits and repair costs into their assessments.
- Western Australian contracts have no mandatory cooling-off period, so finance and inspection conditions need to be written into the offer before it is signed.
- Mixed-use buildings and converted warehouses may be assessed more conservatively by some lenders, which can lower the maximum loan-to-value ratio offered.
- Small apartments and older flats may fall below the minimum internal floor area that certain lenders and mortgage insurers require.
- Strata levies, reserve fund balances and planned remedial works in older or coastal buildings affect both valuation and borrowing capacity assessments.
- Unusual period homes have fewer comparable sales, so a valuation below the contract price is a possibility that buyers with small deposits may wish to plan for.
Housing stock in Cottesloe and Fremantle compared
Cottesloe
- Large detached houses
- The dominant dwelling type, with 1,998 separate houses among 2,892 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, from early 1900s homes to contemporary builds.
- Older low-rise flats and apartments
- A minority of the stock; 537 occupied flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census, mostly in low-rise blocks.
- Townhouses and villas
- A small segment of 361 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, often held by downsizers.
Fremantle
- Heritage cottages and period homes
- Limestone and brick cottages, terraces and Federation homes, many subject to local or state heritage controls.
- Townhouses and terraces
- Semi-detached, terrace and townhouse dwellings made up 1,306 of the occupied homes counted at the 2021 Census.
- Apartments and older flats
- Mid-century walk-up flats and newer strata complexes near the town centre and harbour, some in mixed-use buildings.
- Warehouse and commercial conversions
- Former wool stores and warehouses adapted to apartments, which some lenders assess more conservatively.
Official sale price and rent figures for Cottesloe and Fremantle
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Cottesloe
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Cottesloe, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Fremantle
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Fremantle, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Cottesloe and Fremantle
Cottesloe
Transport
- Cottesloe Station (train)
- Grant Street Station (train)
- Victoria Street and Mosman Park stations (train)
- Stirling Highway (road)
- Curtin Avenue and West Coast Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- North Cottesloe Primary School (primary, government)
- Cottesloe Primary School (Peppermint Grove) (primary, government)
- Presbyterian Ladies' College (Peppermint Grove) (combined, independent)
Amenities
- Cottesloe Beach
- North Cottesloe Beach
- Sea View Golf Club
- Cottesloe Civic Centre grounds
- Cottesloe foreshore reserve
Fremantle
Transport
- Fremantle Station (train)
- Fremantle Station bus services (bus)
- Fremantle Traffic Bridge (road)
Schools and campuses
- John Curtin College of the Arts (secondary, government)
- Fremantle Primary School (primary, government)
- CBC Fremantle (secondary, catholic)
- University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Fremantle Hospital
- Fremantle Markets
- Fremantle Prison
- WA Maritime Museum
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the Western Australia education department.
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