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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Ranking of cities in Northern Territory for 2026. Darwin leads with a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,100/month.
Ranking of cities in Northern Territory for 2026. Darwin leads with a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,100/month.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darwin | 112 | $2,100 | $76,000 |
Darwin ranks #1 with a cost index of 112 and rent of $2,100/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 112 (+5 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 56/100. Top: Darwin at 56/100.
Safest city: Darwin (48/100 safety score).
1 out of 1 cities keep rent under 30% of a A$120K gross income.
Here's what the headline numbers don't tell you: Darwin stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 112 and median income of $76,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Darwin leads with a composite score of 56/100 — reflecting its safety (48), healthcare (58), and walkability (52) metrics. Pair that with the housing data, and the pattern sharpens. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Darwin ranks #1 in Northern Territory for this analysis with a cost index of 112 and median income of $76,000.
In Darwin, rent would be about 21% of your gross monthly income on A$120K. Well within the recommended 30% threshold.
The region average QoL score is 64/100. Darwin leads with 56/100, 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.
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.