You'll need $72,800/yr to live in Katoomba.
The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.
Location
Regional NSW, NSW
Rent trend
Quarterly median rent
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Closest to the $72,800/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 Katoomba
Katoomba's 1-bedroom median rent is $420 a week, which lands in the upper half of the 1019 Regional NSW suburbs NestLedger tracks. Most of the surrounding market is cheaper, so renters here are paying a premium over the typical local asking rent.
Rents have been broadly steady over the past year (-1.8%). Stability makes budgeting easier, though it says nothing about how the suburb compares on price.
Using the 30% affordability benchmark, a single renter needs about $72,800 a year to take on Katoomba's 1-bedroom median rent without overextending (based on the $420/wk 1BR median, single household). On the local median household income, Katoomba sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
Within its immediate area, Katoomba is already one of the cheaper picks: nearby Wentworth Falls asks $675/wk. Renters trading down from here generally need to change area rather than suburb.
Is Katoomba expensive to rent in?
Katoomba's 1-bedroom median rent is $420/wk, above the middle of the 1019 Regional NSW suburbs NestLedger tracks (743 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in Katoomba?
About $72,800 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $420/wk 1BR median, single household.
Is rent in Katoomba going up?
Over the past year the 1-bedroom median rent moved -1.8%.
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.