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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Hobart leads with a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,920/month.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Hobart leads with a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,920/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 2 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
| 3 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 4 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 5 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 6 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 7 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 8 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 9 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 10 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 11 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 12 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
| 13 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
Hobart ranks #1 with a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,920/month.
The median city is Wollongong — cost index 113, rent $2,300/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 113 (0 vs national average of 113).
Average quality of life: 63/100. Top: Hobart at 68/100.
Safest city: Canberra (78/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Hobart stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 100 and median income of $68,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Australia. This combination is rare — and valuable.
Zooming out, the spread across all 13 cities is 32 points on the cost index. Sydney sits at the other end with index 132 and rent of $3,200/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Hobart leads with a composite score of 68/100 — 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.
Hobart — cost index 100, rent $1,920/mo, income $68,000, QoL 68/100.
Cairns — cost index 100, rent $1,820/mo, income $66,000, QoL 63/100.
Adelaide — cost index 104, rent $2,100/mo, income $72,000, QoL 67/100.
Gold Coast — cost index 109, rent $2,400/mo, income $72,000, QoL 60/100.
Geelong — cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000, QoL 62/100.
The country average QoL score is 63/100. Hobart leads with 68/100, 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.
Hobart (ranked #1) has a cost index of 100 and rent of $1,920/mo. Sydney (#13) has index 132 and rent $3,200/mo — a 32-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.