Affordability check · Sydney · NSW

Can I afford to live in St Leonards on $90,000/yr?

No — not on this salary
Weekly take-home
$1,354/wk
1BR median rent
$740/wk
Leftover after rent + tax + costs
$190/wk
Rent share of gross
43%

The verdict

St Leonards on $90,000/yr

On $90,000/yr, St Leonards is unaffordable by the 30% rule — rent alone would take more than 40% of your gross income.

Salary needed (30% rule)
$128,267
/yr gross
Short of 30% rule by
$38,267
/yr
Take-home (after tax)
$70,412
/yr
Annual rent
$38,480
median
Household:

Where your salary goes

$90,000/yr gross · $1,731/wk · single household

Tax + Medicare
$377/wk
22%
1BR rent
$740/wk
43%
Essentials
$424/wk
24%
Discretionary
$190/wk
11%

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

On $90,000/yr — weekly budget

$1,164/week total

Rent
$740/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 $90,000/yr, but cheaper than St Leonards

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.

Longueville
Sydney, NSW · 2.4km from St Leonards
$760/wk
44% rent
Lane Cove
Sydney, NSW · 2.6km from St Leonards
$760/wk
44% rent
Riverview
Sydney, NSW · 3km from St Leonards
$760/wk
44% rent
Lane Cove North
Sydney, NSW · 3.4km from St Leonards
$760/wk
44% rent
Lane Cove West
Sydney, NSW · 4.1km from St Leonards
$760/wk
44% rent

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

Rent trajectory

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

$850$863$875$888$900Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Q1 '25 → Q1 '26: +5.3%
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 $90,000/yr
$519/wk
Current median (all beds)
$895/wk
Gap above ceiling
+72%

St Leonards rents rose 5.29% over the past year. At that pace, the gap to your salary ceiling is widening.

Same suburb, adjacent salary brackets

How affordability shifts in St Leonards with a pay change

Want the full St Leonards guide?
Schools, transport, crime, rent trend and demographics
St Leonards 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