Suburb comparison
Surry Hills
Sydney, NSW
Fitzroy
Melbourne, VIC
Rent and affordability comparison
Key differences
Data-driven deltas between these two suburbs
- Fitzroy is $100/wk cheaper ($5,200/yr)
- Median household income $5,928/yr higher in Surry Hills
- Rental stress ratio lower in Fitzroy by 2.8 percentage points
Winner
Fitzroy is $100/wk cheaper
Better for
Rule-based picks from the data — not editorial opinion
Single on $60–80k
Fitzroy
1BR rent $528/wk
Couple on $130k+
Either
Fitzroy cheaper rent; Surry Hills higher median income
Family on $180k+
Fitzroy
3BR rent $1175/wk
Side by side
Lower is better for costs, higher is better for income
Surry Hills
Fitzroy
Rent
Weekly rent
$800/wk
$700/wk
Monthly rent
$3,467/mo
$3,033/mo
Salary needed
$138,667/yr
$121,334/yr
Annual change
+2.6%
—
Rent by type
House
$1,338/wk
$848/wk
Unit
$760/wk
$528/wk
Rent by bedrooms
1 bedroom
$700/wk
$528/wk
2 bedroom
$1,085/wk
$750/wk
3 bedroom
$1,495/wk
$1,175/wk
Demographics
Median household income
$2,308/wk
$2,194/wk
Median age
35
35
Avg household size
1.8
2
Activity
Bonds lodged
644
—
Schools
Primary schools (3km)
17
19
Secondary schools (3km)
8
10
Avg ICSEA
1125
—
Transport
Transit score
—
50/100
Train/tram stops (800m)
—
33
Bus stops (800m)
—
10
Surry Hills — weekly budget
$1,124/week total
Rent
$700/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk
Fitzroy — weekly budget
$952/week total
Rent
$528/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk
More comparisons
Common questions
Is Surry Hills or Fitzroy cheaper to rent in?
Fitzroy is cheaper at $700/wk vs $800/wk in Surry Hills — a gap of $100/wk or $5,200/yr.
What income do you need to live in Surry Hills vs Fitzroy?
Based on the 30% affordability threshold, you need $138,667/yr for Surry Hills and $121,334/yr for Fitzroy.
How does bond activity in Surry Hills compare to Fitzroy?
Bond lodgement data is not available for this pair. Median weekly rents are $800 in Surry Hills and $700 in Fitzroy.