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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Brisbane leads with a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,550/month.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Brisbane leads with a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,550/month.
Brisbane: cost index 112 (-1 vs national avg 113), rent $2,550/month.
Queensland region average cost index: 113. Brisbane is -1 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 66, healthcare 78, walkability 62.
Safety score: 66/100 (crime rate 50.8/1k). National average: 66/100.
Here's the surprising part: Brisbane has a cost index of 112 — 1 points below the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $80,000 with rent at $2,550/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 38%. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Brisbane scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (78), 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.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 2 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
Brisbane — cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo, income $80,000, QoL 62/100.
Wollongong — cost index 113, rent $2,300/mo, income $74,000, QoL 63/100.
Brisbane has a cost index of 112 (national avg: 113), rent $2,550/mo, median income $80,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The Queensland region of average QoL score is 63/100. Brisbane leads with 62/100, 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.
Brisbane: cost index 112, rent $2,550/mo, income $80,000/yr, QoL 62/100. Wollongong: cost index 113, rent $2,300/mo, income $74,000/yr, QoL 63/100.
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.