Rent in Australia by city: what you will really pay
Rent will probably be your biggest cost in Australia, and it varies a lot between cities. Here are the latest median asking rents for every capital, how fast they’re rising, and how hard it is to find a place.
Median weekly rent by city
| City | House | Unit | Vacancy rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $835 | $780 | 1.2% |
| Darwin | $800 | $650 | 0.3% |
| Perth | $750 | $700 | 0.4% |
| Brisbane | $700 | $660 | 0.7% |
| Canberra | $700 | $580 | 1.5% |
| Adelaide | $650 | $550 | 0.4% |
| Hobart | $625 | $525 | 0.3% |
| Melbourne | $600 | $600 | 1.4% |
| All capitals | $700 | $690 |
A “unit” is an apartment, flat or townhouse. Across regional Australia, Domain put the median house rent at $620 a week.
How fast rents are rising
Over the year to September 2026, rents rose in every capital. According to Domain:
- Darwin rose fastest: houses up 14.3% and units up 12.1%.
- Hobart units rose 9.4%, and Perth houses and units both rose more than 7%.
- Brisbane houses rose 6.1%, Sydney houses 5.7% and Adelaide houses 4.8%.
- For houses, Melbourne (up 3.4%) and Canberra (up 1.4%) rose the slowest.
The latest quarter was flatter. Domain found rents held steady in most capitals between June and September 2026, and fell slightly for houses in Sydney and Canberra.
How hard it is to find a place
The vacancy rate is the share of rentals sitting empty. The lower it is, the more people you’re competing with at each inspection. Rates under 1% are very tight, and in September 2026 that included Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin. Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra had a little more choice, but still well under 2%.
Medians hide a lot
A city median mixes cheap outer suburbs with expensive inner ones. The same budget can get you a small apartment near the beach or a family house an hour out. Before you pick a suburb, look at real listings and test the commute at peak hour.
What it means for you
New to renting here? Read how renting works in Australia, then compare the bigger picture in Australian cities compared.
Sources
Checked in October 2026. Rents are medians of advertised asking rents and change every quarter. We’ll update this page as new data comes out. General information only, not financial advice.
