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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cities with the best quality of life in Queensland. Cairns tops the list with a QoL score of 63/100, combining safety (58), healthcare (62), walkability (55), and air quality metrics.
Cities with the best quality of life in Queensland. Cairns tops the list with a QoL score of 63/100, combining safety (58), healthcare (62), walkability (55), and air quality metrics.
Cairns ranks #1 with a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,820/month.
The median city is Brisbane — cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 107 (-6 vs national average of 113).
Average quality of life: 62/100. Top: Cairns at 63/100.
Safest city: Brisbane (66/100 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 100 and median income of $66,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Australia. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Cairns leads with a composite score of 63/100 — reflecting its safety (58), healthcare (62), and walkability (55) metrics. And there's one more thing: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income | QoL | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 | 63 | 58 |
| 2 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 | 62 | 66 |
| 3 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 | 60 | 62 |
Cairns — cost index 100, rent $1,820/mo, income $66,000, QoL 63/100.
Brisbane — cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo, income $80,000, QoL 62/100.
Gold Coast — cost index 109, rent $2,400/mo, income $72,000, QoL 60/100.
Cairns ranks #1 in Queensland for this analysis with a cost index of 100 and median income of $66,000.
The region average QoL score is 63/100. Cairns leads with 63/100, 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.
Cairns (ranked #1) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,820/mo. Gold Coast (#3) has index 109 and rent $2,400/mo — a 9-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.