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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Average salary in Canberra: $101,000/year — $22,346 above the Australia median. Cost index 120, purchasing power 84167/100. Compare incomes across Australian Capital Territory below.
Average salary in Canberra: $101,000/year — $22,346 above the Australia median. Cost index 120, purchasing power 84167/100. Compare incomes across Australian Capital Territory below.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 2 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
| 3 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 4 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
| 5 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 6 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 8 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 9 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 10 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 11 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 12 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 13 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
Canberra: cost index 120 (+7 vs national avg 113), rent $2,750/month.
Australian Capital Territory region average cost index: 113. Canberra is +7 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 67/100 — safety 78, healthcare 85, walkability 48.
Safety score: 78/100 (crime rate 28.5/1k). National average: 66/100.
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Canberra has a cost index of 120 — 7 points above the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $101,000 with rent at $2,750/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 33%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
But here's the flip side: looking at Australian Capital Territory as a whole, the spread across all 13 cities is 20 points on the cost index. Cairns sits at the other end with index 100 and rent of $1,820/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Canberra scores a composite score of 67/100 — reflecting its safety (78), healthcare (85), and walkability (48) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Canberra — cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000, QoL 67/100.
Sydney — cost index 132, rent $3,200/mo, income $90,000, QoL 62/100.
Perth — cost index 118, rent $2,650/mo, income $87,000, QoL 63/100.
Melbourne — cost index 124, rent $2,750/mo, income $84,500, QoL 62/100.
Brisbane — cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo, income $80,000, QoL 62/100.
The median gross income in Canberra is $101,000/year — above the Australia national average of $78,654.
The Australian Capital Territory region of average QoL score is 63/100. Canberra leads with 67/100, reflecting 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.
Canberra: cost index 120, rent $2,750/mo, income $101,000/yr, QoL 67/100. Sydney: cost index 132, rent $3,200/mo, income $90,000/yr, QoL 62/100.
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.