Australian cities compared: where should you live?

Most people pick a city because it’s the one they’ve heard of. Australia’s eight capitals are very different places to live, with different rents, weather and pace. Here they are side by side, so you can choose on purpose.

At a glance

City	People (June 2025)	House rent / week	Unit rent / week
Sydney	5.64 million	$835	$780
Melbourne	5.44 million	$600	$600
Brisbane	2.83 million	$700	$660
Perth	2.45 million	$750	$700
Adelaide	1.49 million	$650	$550
Canberra	485,000	$700	$580
Hobart	255,000	$625	$525
Darwin	159,000	$800	$650

Two things jump out. Sydney is in a league of its own on rent. And Melbourne, the second biggest city, currently has some of the lowest median asking rents of the big capitals.

City by city

Sydney. The biggest city and the most expensive to rent. Warm, humid summers and mild winters, the harbour and beaches. According to the ABS, more people moved out of Sydney to other parts of Australia in 2024–25 than moved in, while overseas migration kept it growing.

Melbourne. Close behind Sydney in size, and it added more people than any other capital in 2024–25. Known for food, coffee, sport and the arts. The weather is famously changeable, with hot spells in summer and cool, grey winters.

Brisbane. Subtropical: hot, humid summers and mild, dry winters. Rents have risen fast and are now level with Canberra for houses. Brisbane gained people from the rest of Australia as well as from overseas.

Perth. The fastest-growing capital in 2024–25 according to the ABS, with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It’s also one of the tightest rental markets: Domain put the vacancy rate at 0.4% in September 2026. It’s a long way from the east coast, closer in time zone to Asia.

Adelaide. Smaller and slower paced, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Unit rents are the second lowest of the capitals, but finding a place is hard: vacancies were 0.4% in September 2026. For migration purposes, Adelaide counts as regional. See why a regional city might beat Sydney or Melbourne.

Canberra. The national capital and home of the federal government. Hot summers and cold, frosty winters. Rental supply improved over the past year, according to Domain, with listings up and house rents easing.

Hobart. The smallest southern capital, with the coolest climate and wilderness on the doorstep. The lowest median unit rent of any capital, but very few vacancies: 0.3% in September 2026.

Darwin. Tropical, with a wet season and a dry season rather than four seasons. The smallest capital, and rents rose faster there than anywhere else over the year to September 2026.

How to choose

Still deciding about the move itself? Start with is Australia right for you? For what the weather is really like, see Australia’s seasons.