Cost of living in Canberra
Australia's capital. Strong public-sector employment supports above-average median income, partly offsetting house rents that sit near Sydney levels.
The numbers
| Item | AUD | Period | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median unit rent | $580 | weekly | $30,160 |
| Median house rent | $700 | weekly | $36,400 |
| Weekly groceries (one person) | $150 | weekly | $7,800 |
| Public transport | $140 | monthly | $1,680 |
| Utilities | $240 | monthly | $2,880 |
| Essential outlay (unit rent baseline) | - | $42,520 | |
Check your budget in Canberra
The graduate budget calculator applies the 50/30/20 framework to your take-home weekly wage. Pick Canberra from the dropdown to see whether the $580 median weekly unit rent fits the 50 percent needs envelope on a graduate salary.
Careers that can comfortably afford median unit rent here
We define "comfortable" as weekly take-home pay at least twice the median unit rent in Canberra. Take-home pay is estimated with the 2024-25 ATO resident tax scale, the 2% Medicare levy and HECS-HELP compulsory repayment.
$1850/week before tax
$2750/week before tax
$2500/week before tax
$1800/week before tax
$1950/week before tax
$2000/week before tax
$3000/week before tax
$1900/week before tax
$2200/week before tax
$1850/week before tax
$1700/week before tax
$1700/week before tax
$1700/week before tax
$2500/week before tax
$1900/week before tax
$2200/week before tax
$2500/week before tax
$1700/week before tax