You'll need $156,000/yr to live in Mermaid Waters.
The 30%-rule benchmark for a single person, based on quarterly government bond data.
Location
Gold 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 Mermaid Waters
Closest to the $156,000/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 Mermaid Waters
Mermaid Waters's median weekly rent is $900 a week, which lands in the upper half of the 58 Gold 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 have climbed a moderate 5.9% over the past year. Bond-lodgement medians go from $800 in 2024-Q2 to $900 in 2026-Q1. That is a steady drift upward rather than a spike, but it still compounds against a flat salary.
Using the 30% affordability benchmark, a single renter needs about $156,000 a year to take on Mermaid Waters's median weekly rent without overextending (based on the $900/wk all-dwellings median, single household). On the local median household income, Mermaid Waters sits in rental stress: the median rent takes more than 30% of gross income.
If Mermaid Waters stretches the budget, the nearest cheaper options NestLedger tracks are Mermaid Beach ($650/wk), Miami ($575/wk), Broadbeach ($680/wk), close enough to keep the same commute patterns while cutting the weekly rent.
Is Mermaid Waters expensive to rent in?
Mermaid Waters's median weekly rent is $900/wk, above the middle of the 58 Gold Coast suburbs NestLedger tracks (37 tracked suburbs are cheaper).
What salary do I need to rent in Mermaid Waters?
About $156,000 a year for a single renter under the 30% rule: annual income = (weekly rent × 52) ÷ 0.3, using based on the $900/wk all-dwellings median, single household.
Is rent in Mermaid Waters going up?
Over the past year the median weekly rent moved +5.9%, from $800 in 2024-Q2 to $900 in 2026-Q1.
What are cheaper suburbs near Mermaid Waters?
Mermaid Beach at $650/wk, Miami at $575/wk, Broadbeach 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.