It all depends, generally employers wear a fair amount of the cost of rent for their employees. You really need to look at that before considering moving into the Pilbara. There is limited rental properties, hence why some jobs are FIFO.
Companies like Skilled, Conneq and Pilbara Logistics are the main contractors to BHP, Plus mining contractors like McMahons and HWE and even Downer EDI. Then there are builders like Mams etc. As well as Rio Tinto, FMG, Atlas Iron etc.
BHP are the pick for Newman. Rent is heavily subsidised, we are paying $70 per week before tax and heavily subsidised power and water.
So paying high rents like quoted is a little misleading, if they want you to live in town they may subsidise your rent, though it may be possible your employer is paying that sort of figure. A friend of mine has just rented his house out for $2k a week to a company. Standard 3 bed houses here sell for about $700,000 and there is usually maybe 3 or 4 only for sale at once.
Though there is a big building and refurbishment program going on in Newman at present.

