Cost of living in Newcastle
New leases in the City of Newcastle had a median rent of $600 a week for a flat or unit and $720 for a house in the June quarter 2026 (NSW rental bond data). The council area had 178,935 residents at 30 June 2025 (ABS).
Population is the ABS estimated resident population of the City of Newcastle local government area at 30 June 2025; the wider Newcastle - Maitland urban area had 541,634.
The numbers
| Item | AUD | Period | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit rent | $600 | weekly | $31,200 |
| House rent | $720 | weekly | $37,440 |
NSW Department of Communities and Justice Rent and Sales Report, June quarter 2026: median weekly rent for new bonds in the City of Newcastle local government area, all flats and units $600, all houses $720.
Check your budget in Newcastle
The graduate budget calculator applies the 50/30/20 framework to your take-home weekly wage. Pick Newcastle from the dropdown to see whether the $600 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 Newcastle. 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.
$1841/week before tax
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$1755/week before tax
$1597/week before tax
$1787/week before tax
$1926/week before tax
$1828/week before tax
$2264/week before tax
$2308/week before tax
$1688/week before tax
$1855/week before tax
$2284/week before tax