Affordability check · Sydney · NSW

Can I afford to live in Redfern on $75,000/yr?

No — not on this salary
Weekly take-home
$1,158/wk
1BR median rent
$725/wk
Leftover after rent + tax + costs
$9/wk
Rent share of gross
50%

The verdict

Redfern on $75,000/yr

On $75,000/yr, Redfern is unaffordable by the 30% rule — rent alone would take more than 40% of your gross income.

Salary needed (30% rule)
$125,667
/yr gross
Short of 30% rule by
$50,667
/yr
Take-home (after tax)
$60,212
/yr
Annual rent
$37,700
median
Household:

Where your salary goes

$75,000/yr gross · $1,442/wk · single household

Tax + Medicare
$284/wk
20%
1BR rent
$725/wk
50%
Essentials
$424/wk
29%
Discretionary
$9/wk
1%

Essentials use indicative averages (groceries, transport, utilities, insurance, other). Adjust them in the budget tool below.

On $75,000/yr — weekly budget

$1,149/week total

Rent
$725/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk

Closest cheaper alternatives

Still over the 30% rule on $75,000/yr, but cheaper than Redfern

Nothing nearby is comfortably affordable on this salary. These are the closest cheaper options — you'd still be over the rental-stress threshold, but less so.

Petersham
Sydney, NSW · 4.8km from Redfern
$670/wk
46% rent
Haymarket
Sydney, NSW · 1.3km from Redfern
$700/wk
49% rent
Ultimo
Sydney, NSW · 1.7km from Redfern
$700/wk
49% rent
Stanmore
Sydney, NSW · 4km from Redfern
$700/wk
49% rent
Newtown
Sydney, NSW · 2.5km from Redfern
$725/wk
50% rent

Want options under the 30% rule? Try a higher salary bracket or browse the cheapest suburbs nationally.

Rent trajectory

Redfern quarterly median vs your salary's 30%-rule ceiling

$700$725$750$775$800Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Q1 '25 → Q1 '26: +3.5%
Dashed segments are estimated from the suburb's annual rent change. They will be replaced with actual bond data as new quarters are published.
30% ceiling on $75,000/yr
$433/wk
Current median (all beds)
$775/wk
Gap above ceiling
+79%

Redfern rents rose 3.47% over the past year. At that pace, the gap to your salary ceiling is widening.

Same suburb, adjacent salary brackets

How affordability shifts in Redfern with a pay change

Want the full Redfern guide?
Schools, transport, crime, rent trend and demographics
Redfern full guide →

This suburb affordability view is one layer of your NestLedger — rent, salary and household cost context for Australian money decisions.

Estimates only. Not financial advice. See methodology. Read more