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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Cairns leads with a cost index of 95 and rent of $1,600/month.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Cairns leads with a cost index of 95 and rent of $1,600/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairns | 95 | $1,600 | $62,000 |
| 2 | Darwin | 112 | $2,100 | $76,000 |
| 3 | Hobart | 94 | $1,700 | $64,000 |
| 4 | Perth | 110 | $2,300 | $82,000 |
| 5 | Adelaide | 96 | $1,800 | $68,000 |
| 6 | Geelong | 102 | $1,800 | $68,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 105 | $2,000 | $72,000 |
| 8 | Gold Coast | 102 | $2,100 | $68,000 |
| 9 | Brisbane | 105 | $2,200 | $76,000 |
| 10 | Wollongong | 108 | $2,050 | $70,000 |
| 11 | Canberra | 116 | $2,500 | $96,000 |
| 12 | Melbourne | 118 | $2,400 | $80,000 |
| 13 | Sydney | 125 | $2,800 | $85,000 |
Cairns ranks #1 with a cost index of 95 and rent of $1,600/month.
The median city is Newcastle — cost index 105, rent $2,000/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 107 (0 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 64/100. Top: Cairns at 64/100.
Safest city: Canberra (78/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Cairns stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 95 and median income of $62,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Australia. That's a strong position by any measure.
But here's the flip side: the spread across all 13 cities is 30 points on the cost index. Sydney sits at the other end with index 125 and rent of $2,800/mo. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Hobart leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (72), and walkability (62) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Cairns — cost index 95, rent $1,600/mo, income $62,000, QoL 64/100.
Darwin — cost index 112, rent $2,100/mo, income $76,000, QoL 56/100.
Hobart — cost index 94, rent $1,700/mo, income $64,000, QoL 70/100.
Perth — cost index 110, rent $2,300/mo, income $82,000, QoL 65/100.
Adelaide — cost index 96, rent $1,800/mo, income $68,000, QoL 69/100.
The country average QoL score is 64/100. Cairns leads with 64/100, reflecting its safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Cairns (ranked #1) has a cost index of 95 and rent of $1,600/mo. Sydney (#13) has index 125 and rent $2,800/mo — a 30-point gap.
This analysis uses data from ABS, CoreLogic, ATO to rank cities in Australia. The cost of living index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Quality of life scores combine safety, healthcare, walkability, air quality, green space, and transit metrics. Salary ranges use national occupation data adjusted for local cost differences. Data is updated regularly to reflect current market conditions.