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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Geelong air quality: AQI 20 — excellent. Green space 25%. Compared to Victoria cities in 2026.
Geelong air quality: AQI 20 — excellent. Green space 25%. Compared to Victoria cities in 2026.
Geelong: cost index 107 (-6 vs national avg 113), rent $2,050/month.
Victoria region average cost index: 113. Geelong is -6 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 62/100 — safety 68, healthcare 72, walkability 58.
Safety score: 68/100 (crime rate 45.5/1k). National average: 66/100.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 2 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 3 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
| 4 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 5 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 6 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 7 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 8 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 9 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 10 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 11 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 12 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
| 13 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
Strip away assumptions, and something unexpected emerges. Geelong has a cost index of 107 — 6 points below the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $72,000 with rent at $2,050/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 34%. That's a strong position by any measure.
Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. looking at Victoria as a whole, the spread across all 13 cities is 17 points on the cost index. Melbourne sits at the other end with index 124 and rent of $2,750/mo. That's not a marginal difference — it reshapes your monthly budget.
On quality of life, Geelong scores a composite score of 62/100 — reflecting its safety (68), healthcare (72), and walkability (58) metrics. Zooming out, affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Geelong — cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000, QoL 62/100.
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.
Darwin — cost index 116, rent $2,350/mo, income $80,000, QoL 55/100.
Perth — cost index 118, rent $2,650/mo, income $87,000, QoL 63/100.
Geelong has a cost index of 107 (national avg: 113), rent $2,050/mo, median income $72,000/yr, and a quality of life score of 62/100.
The Victoria region of average QoL score is 63/100. Geelong 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.
Geelong: cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000/yr, QoL 62/100. Hobart: cost index 100, rent $1,920/mo, income $68,000/yr, QoL 68/100.
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.