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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Brisbane vs Cairns in 2026: cost index 105 vs 95, rent $2,200 vs $1,600, income $76,000 vs $62,000, QoL 64 vs 64.
Brisbane vs Cairns in 2026: cost index 105 vs 95, rent $2,200 vs $1,600, income $76,000 vs $62,000, QoL 64 vs 64.
Brisbane ranks #1 with a cost index of 105 and rent of $2,200/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 100 (-7 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 64/100. Top: Brisbane at 64/100.
Safest city: Brisbane (66/100 safety score).
Most comparisons stop at rent. We didn't. Brisbane stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 105 and median income of $76,000, it offers below-average costs relative to the rest of Australia. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Brisbane leads with a composite score of 64/100 — reflecting its safety (66), healthcare (78), and walkability (62) 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.
The country average QoL score is 64/100. Brisbane leads with 64/100, 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.
Brisbane (ranked #1) has a cost index of 105 and rent of $2,200/mo. Cairns (#2) has index 95 and rent $1,600/mo — a 10-point gap.