Affordability Snapshot

Brisbane rent affordability — Q1 2026

Data period: January – March 2026 · Source: Queensland residential bond data + ABS Census · 236 suburbs tracked

Median 1BR rent
$470/wk
1-bedroom weekly
Median 2BR rent
$625/wk
2-bedroom weekly
Median 3BR rent
$680/wk
3-bedroom weekly
Salary for 1BR
$81,467/yr
At 30% income rule
Salary for 2BR
$108,334/yr
At 30% income rule
Rental stress suburbs
174 / 236
74% of all suburbs

Top movers

Quarter-on-quarter change

Quarter-on-quarter rent series data is not yet available for Brisbane. This section will show top movers once the data pipeline publishes quarterly bond figures for QLD. Annual change data for individual suburbs is available on each suburb's page.

Most affordable suburbs

By lowest 1-bedroom weekly rent

1
Cleveland
$244/wk
2
Woodridge
$290/wk
3
Logan Reserve
$310/wk
4
Joyner
$320/wk
5
Caboolture
$330/wk
6
Northgate
$340/wk
7
Kallangur
$350/wk
9
Fairfield
$380/wk
10
Rocklea
$390/wk

Least affordable suburbs

By highest 1-bedroom weekly rent

2
Newstead
$685/wk
3
Bulimba
$660/wk
5
Teneriffe
$650/wk
6
Hamilton
$645/wk
7
Stones Corner
$630/wk
8
Toowong
$625/wk
9
Brisbane
$620/wk

Affordability geography

Where affordability patterns cluster

The most budget-friendly 1-bedroom options are in Cleveland ($244/wk) and Woodridge ($290/wk) in the south. Inner-city riverside suburbs command top dollar: South Brisbane ($700/wk), Newstead ($685/wk), and Bulimba and Teneriffe ($660/wk) anchor the premium tier. The middle ring — Joyner, Caboolture — offers a moderate $310–$330/wk for 1-bedrooms.

The 30% rule in context

What income do these rents require?

1-Bedroom
$470/wk
Requires $81,467/yr at 30% rule
2-Bedroom
$625/wk
Requires $108,334/yr at 30% rule
3-Bedroom
$680/wk
Requires $117,867/yr at 30% rule

The 30% rule is a common benchmark: spending more than 30% of gross income on rent is considered rental stress. Figures above use the median rent per bedroom type across all 236 tracked suburbs in Brisbane.

Methodology

Rent figures are derived from residential rental bond lodgement data published by state tenancy authorities and cross-referenced with ABS Census household income data. Medians are calculated across all bonds active within the quarter, grouped by bedroom count.

Read the full methodology →

Update schedule

This snapshot covers January – March 2026 bond data. It is a permanent archive — this page remains live as Q2 and later snapshots publish.

Next snapshot expected when Q2 2026 bond data publishes (~August 2026).

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