Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Melbourne vs Hobart in 2026: cost index 118 vs 94, rent $2,400 vs $1,700, income $80,000 vs $64,000, QoL 63 vs 70.
Melbourne vs Hobart in 2026: cost index 118 vs 94, rent $2,400 vs $1,700, income $80,000 vs $64,000, QoL 63 vs 70.
Melbourne ranks #1 with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,400/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 106 (-1 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 67/100. Top: Melbourne at 63/100.
Safest city: Hobart (75/100 safety score).
Think you know which city wins? The data might disagree. Melbourne stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 118 and median income of $80,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. That's a strong position by any measure.
On quality of life, Hobart leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (72), and walkability (62) metrics. Looking at the bigger picture, 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. Melbourne leads with 63/100, 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.
Melbourne (ranked #1) has a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,400/mo. Hobart (#2) has index 94 and rent $1,700/mo — a 24-point gap.