What's getting more expensive in Sydney
The ABS publishes the Consumer Price Index for whole capital cities, so this covers Sydney as a whole, not individual suburbs. The chart overlays the national figure or any other capital; the city comparisons go category by category.
Annual change by category
Year to the most recent quarter, Sydney. Open a category for its trend.
Sydney prices rose most in Education (+5.4%) over the year to the most recent quarter.
Show the data table
| Category | Annual change |
|---|---|
| Furnishings, household equipment and services | +0.8% |
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages | +2.9% |
| Communication | +1.9% |
| Recreation and culture | +2.8% |
| Health | +4.4% |
| Alcohol and tobacco | +4.6% |
| Education | +5.4% |
| Transport | +1.3% |
| Clothing and footwear | +1.9% |
| Insurance and financial services | +1.9% |
| Housing | +3.7% |
The headline rate over time
Brisbane annual CPI moved from 5.6% in 2023-Q3 to 2.9% in 2025-Q3, against 3.2% nationally most recently.
Show the data table
| Year | Brisbane | National |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-Q3 | 5.6% | 5.4% |
| 2023-Q4 | 4.2% | 4.1% |
| 2024-Q1 | 3.8% | 3.6% |
| 2024-Q2 | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| 2024-Q3 | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| 2024-Q4 | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| 2025-Q1 | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| 2025-Q2 | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| 2025-Q3 | 2.9% | 3.2% |
Renting in Sydney
Median weekly rent for new bonds lodged with the Residential Tenancies Authority, Greater Sydney. The RTA advises comparing year-on-year — quarterly moves are seasonal.
Cheapest to rent · 2026-Q1
Priciest to rent · 2026-Q1
- Rose Bay - Vaucluse - Watsons Bay$1,300
- Avalon - Palm Beach$1,200
- Frenchs Forest - Oxford Falls$1,200
- Belrose$1,200
- Forestville - Killarney Heights$1,150
- Matraville - Chifley$1,150
All dwellings, suburbs with at least 20 new bonds this quarter. Full rankings at the rankings hub.
Which suburb fits your budget?
Cost of living is largely set by where you live. Answer four quick questions and the finder matches you to Greater Sydney suburbs on rent, direction and lifestyle.
Which direction or corridor interests you?
Choose a region, or “Open to any direction” to match across all 336 Greater Sydney suburbs.
Sydney against other cities
A side-by-side read, category by category, for every mainland and island capital.