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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Cost of living in Darwin, Australia (2026): cost index 116 (+3 vs national avg), rent $2,350/mo, median income $80,000/yr. Rent takes 35% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Northern Territory peers below.
Cost of living in Darwin, Australia (2026): cost index 116 (+3 vs national avg), rent $2,350/mo, median income $80,000/yr. Rent takes 35% of gross income. Full breakdown vs Northern Territory peers below.
| # | City | Cost Index | Rent/mo | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darwin | 116 | $2,350 | $80,000 |
| 2 | Cairns | 100 | $1,820 | $66,000 |
| 3 | Hobart | 100 | $1,920 | $68,000 |
| 4 | Adelaide | 104 | $2,100 | $72,000 |
| 5 | Geelong | 107 | $2,050 | $72,000 |
| 6 | Gold Coast | 109 | $2,400 | $72,000 |
| 7 | Newcastle | 110 | $2,250 | $76,000 |
| 8 | Brisbane | 112 | $2,550 | $80,000 |
| 9 | Wollongong | 113 | $2,300 | $74,000 |
| 10 | Perth | 118 | $2,650 | $87,000 |
| 11 | Canberra | 120 | $2,750 | $101,000 |
| 12 | Melbourne | 124 | $2,750 | $84,500 |
| 13 | Sydney | 132 | $3,200 | $90,000 |
Darwin: cost index 116 (+3 vs national avg 113), rent $2,350/month.
Northern Territory region average cost index: 113. Darwin is +3 vs region peers.
Quality of life: 55/100 — safety 48, healthcare 58, walkability 52.
Safety score: 48/100 (crime rate 85.4/1k). National average: 66/100.
This is the kind of finding that changes plans. Darwin has a cost index of 116 — 3 points above the Australia national average of 113. Median income is $80,000 with rent at $2,350/month, putting the rent-to-income ratio at 35%. This combination is rare — and valuable.
What's equally notable: looking at Northern Territory as a whole, the spread across all 13 cities is 16 points on the cost index. Sydney sits at the other end with index 132 and rent of $3,200/mo. Financially, that's significant.
On quality of life, Darwin scores a composite score of 55/100 — reflecting its safety (48), healthcare (58), and walkability (52) metrics. Layer in taxes, though, and the math changes. affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
Darwin — cost index 116, rent $2,350/mo, income $80,000, QoL 55/100.
Cairns — cost index 100, rent $1,820/mo, income $66,000, QoL 63/100.
Hobart — cost index 100, rent $1,920/mo, income $68,000, QoL 68/100.
Adelaide — cost index 104, rent $2,100/mo, income $72,000, QoL 67/100.
Geelong — cost index 107, rent $2,050/mo, income $72,000, QoL 62/100.
Darwin has a cost index of 116 (national avg: 113). Median rent is $2,350/month, median income $80,000/year, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 35%.
The Northern Territory region of average QoL score is 63/100. Darwin leads with 55/100, 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.
Darwin: cost index 116, rent $2,350/mo, income $80,000/yr, QoL 55/100. Cairns: cost index 100, rent $1,820/mo, income $66,000/yr, QoL 63/100.
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.