Where to Live in Australia

Australia does exceptionally well in the Economist Intelligence Unit's Global Liveability Index. In the 2026 edition Melbourne placed third worldwide behind Copenhagen and Vienna, Sydney fourth and Adelaide eighth — the only country with three cities that high.

That index measures stability, healthcare, culture, environment, education and infrastructure. It does not measure whether you can get a visa to live there, what you will pay in rent, or whether your occupation is on that state's nomination list. For someone already settled in Australia those omissions do not matter. For someone choosing where to migrate, they are most of the decision.

Rents are median asking figures as at March 2026; dwelling values are medians as at May 2026. Regional status determines whether living in that city satisfies the subclass 491 regional requirement and earns its 15 points.

This is the part that makes a migrant's list different from a resident's. The subclass 491 awards 15 points for regional nomination, and in most of the world's understanding of the word, a city of two million is not regional. Australia disagrees: Perth and Adelaide are both designated regional areas, as are Hobart and Canberra. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are not.

For an applicant whose points score sits just under the invitation threshold, that is frequently the difference between an invitation and none. It means the honest answer to "where is the best place to live" often starts with "where can you actually get nominated" — and the answer to that depends on your occupation appearing on that state's list, which changes each program year.

Our Western Australia and South Australia guides set out how each state's nomination works, including the requirement Western Australia applies to the 190 that it does not apply to the 491. Whether your occupation appears on either list is the occupation list question.

This surprises people who left Australia a decade ago and everyone repeating older advice. On May 2026 medians, Sydney remains far and away the most expensive capital at about $1.28 million. But Brisbane at roughly $1.13 million and Perth at $1.05 million have both overtaken Melbourne, and Adelaide at $951,000 is close behind — leaving Melbourne, at around $813,000, the sixth most expensive capital.

The mining-state and south-east Queensland booms have reordered the map. If you are choosing a city on the assumption that Melbourne is expensive and Brisbane or Perth are the affordable alternatives, that assumption is now several years out of date on purchase prices.

Renting tells a different story again: Sydney is clearly the most expensive at around $820 a week against a combined capitals median of $724, while Hobart at $601 and Adelaide sit below it. Perth and Brisbane are the fastest-rising, both around 6.7% annually — so today's affordability there is not guaranteed to last.

Almost every migrant rents before buying, which makes rent the number that decides your first two years rather than the purchase price — our guide to finding accommodation covers how the rental market actually works here. Australian renters now commit around a third of gross median household income to rent, a record high, so the gap between a $600 and an $820 weekly median is a material difference to your standard of living.

There is also a rule that catches people planning to buy on arrival: foreign persons — which generally includes temporary visa holders — were barred from purchasing established dwellings for two years from 1 April 2025, with new and off-the-plan properties still available subject to Foreign Investment Review Board approval. If your plan assumes buying quickly, check your status first.

Answer these in order. Each one narrows the list, and the first two matter far more than any ranking.