Let’s face it: the cost-of-living crisis here in Sydney is real. Our property market is the second most expensive in the world, and finding a cup of coffee for less than $5 is a struggle (though not impossible). If you’re done crying every time you fill up on petrol or pay for a bag of lettuce, a new study has revealed the ten most affordable major cities in Australia where you have the most money to play with – with one NSW city coming in at number four. While Sydney didn’t rank among the most affordable (no surprise there), it’s not the most unaffordable either – with seven Aussie cities (including Darwin, Canberra and Adelaide) all ranking as more unaffordable than the Harbour City. We’ll clink a (happy hour) glass to that.
To compile the rankings, researchers at StandOut Resume looked at six basic life expenses in Australia’s 20 most populous cities: rent, electricity, gas, internet, grocery costs and public transport. They then compared these costs to the local median net income to reveal where your paycheque goes the furthest – but also where it barely scrapes by.
On the list of the 10 least affordable cities in Australia, Sydney came in at number eight – with 73.3 per cent of the average income going towards rent, utilities, transport and food. According to the research, things are harder in seven other Aussie cities. The Gold Coast has earned the unfortunate title of Australia’s least affordable city to live in right now. With one of the lowest median net salaries ($48,447) and the highest percentage spent on basics (79.1 per cent), locals are left with just $10,127 a year to spare. Rent is the biggest culprit — at $536 a week, it’s the second-most expensive in Australia (after Sydney and joint with Canberra) but the higher salaries in Sydney and Canberra offered a bit more breathing room. You can check out the full rankings below and read more over here.
The 10 least affordable cities in Australia
- Gold Coast, QLD
- Canberra, ACT
- Geelong, VIC
- Cairns, QLD
- Darwin, NT
- Adelaide, SA
- Logan City, QLD
- Sydney, NSW
- Newcastle, NSW
- Toowoomba, QLD
Northern Australia’s largest city, Townsville, came out as the most affordable place to live in the country. Thanks to a higher-than-average salary of $56,858 (after income tax), locals only spend around half of their earnings (51.74 per cent) on the essentials, leaving $27,442 for saving or spending on entertainment, spontaneous getaways or meals at schmick restaurants.
Rockingham in Western Australia was the second most affordable city, where essentials take up $31,815 of the $58,702 net income, leaving a solid $26,887 to play with. Launceston followed in third, with the lowest percentage of income spent on the basics (51.71 per cent), leaving $25,664 to splash on the fun stuff. A big reason for Launceston’s affordability was that it has the cheapest average rent in the study at just $331 per week, which is more than 25 per cent below the $444 study average. Here in NSW, the coastal city of Wollongong ranked at number four, with an average remaining income of $25,135 every year.
Surprisingly, Melbourne – Australia’s second-most populous city – ranked as the fifth-most affordable major city nationwide. While rent, gas and public transport costs are all higher than average, the city has the second-highest median salary of $60,051 (second only to Sydney), helping to balance things out. This leaves $24,078 of their income to save or splurge.
The 10 most affordable cities in Australia
- Townsville, QLD
- Rockingham, WA
- Launceston, TAS
- Wollongong, NSW
- Melbourne, VIC
- Perth, WA
- Ballarat, VIC
- Hobart, TAS
- Brisbane, QLD
- Bendigo, VIC