You'll need $142,133/yr to live in Coolum Beach.
The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.
Location
Sunshine Coast, QLD
Rent trend
Quarterly median rent
Can you afford it on your salary?
Pick your bracket to see weekly leftover, budget breakdown and cheaper alternatives in Coolum Beach
Closest to the $142,133/yr the 30% rule needs is highlighted.
Rent details
Suburb affordability ledger
ABS Census 2021 (income WPI-indexed to 2026) · rent vs household income
Household income is the 2021 Census median indexed forward to 2026 by ABS wage growth; rent-to-income and stress compare current rent to that estimate.
Nearby suburbs
About renting in Coolum Beach
Coolum Beach's median weekly rent is $820 a week, which lands in the upper half of the 65 Sunshine Coast suburbs NestLedger tracks. Most of the surrounding market is cheaper, so renters here are paying a premium over the typical local asking rent.
Rents here have climbed hard, up 9.3% over the past year, well ahead of typical wage growth. Bond-lodgement medians go from $700 in 2024-Q2 to $820 in 2026-Q1. Renters signing a new lease should budget for the current figure, not last year's.
Using the 30% affordability benchmark, a single renter needs about $142,133 a year to take on Coolum Beach's median weekly rent without overextending (based on the $820/wk all-dwellings median, single household). On the local median household income, Coolum Beach sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
If Coolum Beach stretches the budget, the nearest cheaper options NestLedger tracks are Mount Coolum ($790/wk), Marcoola ($680/wk), close enough to keep the same commute patterns while cutting the weekly rent.
Is Coolum Beach expensive to rent in?
Coolum Beach's median weekly rent is $820/wk, above the middle of the 65 Sunshine Coast suburbs NestLedger tracks (45 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in Coolum Beach?
About $142,133 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $820/wk all-dwellings median, single household.
Is rent in Coolum Beach going up?
Over the past year the median weekly rent moved +9.3%, from $700 in 2024-Q2 to $820 in 2026-Q1.
What are cheaper suburbs near Coolum Beach?
Mount Coolum at $790/wk, Marcoola at $680/wk, the closest tracked suburbs with a lower single-basis rent.
How is the salary needed calculated?
The salary needed uses the 30% rule: annual income required = (weekly rent x 52) / 0.3. This is a widely used affordability benchmark: spending more than 30% of gross income on rent is considered "rental stress".
Where does the rent data come from?
Rent data comes from government bond lodgement records: NSW DCJ, QLD RTA, VIC DFFH, SA Consumer and Business Services via SA Housing Authority, and Tasmania Department of Justice rental bond data. This covers actual bonds lodged, making it one of the most reliable rent data sources in Australia.