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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Canberra leads with a cost index of 116 and rent of $2,500/month.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Canberra leads with a cost index of 116 and rent of $2,500/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canberra | 116 | $2,500 | $96,000 |
| 2 | Sydney | 125 | $2,800 | $85,000 |
| 3 | Perth | 110 | $2,300 | $82,000 |
| 4 | Melbourne | 118 | $2,400 | $80,000 |
| 5 | Brisbane | 105 | $2,200 | $76,000 |
| 6 | Darwin | 112 | $2,100 | $76,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 105 | $2,000 | $72,000 |
| 8 | Wollongong | 108 | $2,050 | $70,000 |
| 9 | Geelong | 102 | $1,800 | $68,000 |
| 10 | Gold Coast | 102 | $2,100 | $68,000 |
| 11 | Adelaide | 96 | $1,800 | $68,000 |
| 12 | Hobart | 94 | $1,700 | $64,000 |
| 13 | Cairns | 95 | $1,600 | $62,000 |
Canberra ranks #1 with a cost index of 116 and rent of $2,500/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: Canberra at 68/100.
Safest city: Canberra (78/100 safety score).
One stat flips the usual narrative: Canberra stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 116 and median income of $96,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
And there's one more thing: the spread across all 13 cities is 21 points on the cost index. Cairns sits at the other end with index 95 and rent of $1,600/mo. That's a difference you notice every single month.
On quality of life, Hobart leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (72), and walkability (62) 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 116, rent $2,500/mo, income $96,000, QoL 68/100.
Sydney — cost index 125, rent $2,800/mo, income $85,000, QoL 64/100.
Perth — cost index 110, rent $2,300/mo, income $82,000, QoL 65/100.
Melbourne — cost index 118, rent $2,400/mo, income $80,000, QoL 63/100.
Brisbane — cost index 105, rent $2,200/mo, income $76,000, QoL 64/100.
The country average QoL score is 64/100. Canberra leads with 68/100, 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.
Canberra (ranked #1) has a cost index of 116 and rent of $2,500/mo. Cairns (#13) has index 95 and rent $1,600/mo — a 21-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.