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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Melbourne leads with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,400/month.
Ranking of cities in Australia for 2026. Melbourne leads with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,400/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Melbourne | 118 | $2,400 | $80,000 |
| 2 | Sydney | 125 | $2,800 | $85,000 |
| 3 | Brisbane | 105 | $2,200 | $76,000 |
| 4 | Gold Coast | 102 | $2,100 | $68,000 |
| 5 | Perth | 110 | $2,300 | $82,000 |
| 6 | Adelaide | 96 | $1,800 | $68,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 105 | $2,000 | $72,000 |
| 8 | Cairns | 95 | $1,600 | $62,000 |
| 9 | Hobart | 94 | $1,700 | $64,000 |
| 10 | Geelong | 102 | $1,800 | $68,000 |
| 11 | Canberra | 116 | $2,500 | $96,000 |
| 12 | Darwin | 112 | $2,100 | $76,000 |
| 13 | Wollongong | 108 | $2,050 | $70,000 |
Melbourne ranks #1 with a cost index of 118 and rent of $2,400/month.
The median city is Newcastle — cost index 105, rent $2,000/mo.
Average cost index across these cities: 107 (0 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 64/100. Top: Melbourne at 63/100.
Safest city: Canberra (78/100 safety score).
The conventional wisdom says one thing. The data says another: 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. Financially, that's significant.
And there's one more thing: the spread across all 13 cities is 10 points on the cost index. Wollongong sits at the other end with index 108 and rent of $2,050/mo. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Hobart leads with a composite score of 70/100 — reflecting its safety (75), healthcare (72), and walkability (62) metrics. But here's the flip side: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Melbourne — cost index 118, rent $2,400/mo, income $80,000, QoL 63/100.
Sydney — cost index 125, rent $2,800/mo, income $85,000, QoL 64/100.
Brisbane — cost index 105, rent $2,200/mo, income $76,000, QoL 64/100.
Gold Coast — cost index 102, rent $2,100/mo, income $68,000, QoL 62/100.
Perth — cost index 110, rent $2,300/mo, income $82,000, QoL 65/100.
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. Wollongong (#13) has index 108 and rent $2,050/mo — a 10-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.