Cost of living in Canberra
Typical asking rents in Canberra are $599 a week for a unit and $793 for a house (SQM Research, September 2026). The Australian Capital Territory had 484,630 residents at 30 June 2025 (ABS).
Population is the ABS estimated resident population of the Australian Capital Territory (Greater Capital City Statistical Area) at 30 June 2025.
The numbers
| Item | AUD | Period | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit rent | $599 | weekly | $31,148 |
| House rent | $793 | weekly | $41,236 |
SQM Research weekly asking rents index for Canberra, week ending 20 September 2026: all units $598.99, all houses $792.78. Asking rents are advertised prices, not signed leases.
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 $599 weekly unit rent fits the 50 percent needs envelope on a graduate salary.
Careers that can comfortably afford 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 2026-27 ATO resident tax scale, the 2% Medicare levy and the 2026-27 marginal HELP compulsory repayment.
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