Rent Affordability Calculator
On a A$90,000 gross income, the AIHW/AHURI 30% housing-stress benchmark caps your rent at A$519.23/week (A$27,000/year). At that budget a median-priced house is affordable in none of the 8 capitals (June 2026 medians) — but not in Sydney, where the median house rents for A$850.00/week. Enter your own income and ratio below.
$519.23 max weekly rent at 30% of gross income
Gross income: $90,000/year · Max annual rent: $27,000
At this budget, a median-priced house is affordable in none of the 8 capitals (house medians). A median-priced unit is affordable in none of the 8 capitals.
Every capital city, house vs unit median (June 2026)
| Capital | House median/wk | House | Unit median/wk | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | $600.00 | ✗ $80.77 over budget | $600.00 | ✗ $80.77 over budget |
| Hobart | $625.00 | ✗ $105.77 over budget | $520.00 | ✗ $0.77 over budget |
| Adelaide | $650.00 | ✗ $130.77 over budget | $550.00 | ✗ $30.77 over budget |
| Brisbane | $700.00 | ✗ $180.77 over budget | $660.00 | ✗ $140.77 over budget |
| Canberra | $710.00 | ✗ $190.77 over budget | $580.00 | ✗ $60.77 over budget |
| Perth | $750.00 | ✗ $230.77 over budget | $700.00 | ✗ $180.77 over budget |
| Darwin | $760.00 | ✗ $240.77 over budget | $650.00 | ✗ $130.77 over budget |
| Sydney | $850.00 | ✗ $330.77 over budget | $780.00 | ✗ $260.77 over budget |
Inverse: what income do I need for a given rent?
To spend no more than 30% of gross income on a $700.00/week rent, you need about $121,333/year gross ($10,111/month).
Income entered is treated as gross (before tax); the 30% rule is the AIHW/AHURI housing-stress convention, not a lender or legal requirement. Capital-city medians are stratified median advertised rent for houses and units, Domain Group Rental Report, June 2026 quarter. How we calculate →
The 30% rule: a convention, not a law
There's no Australian law capping rent at 30% of income. The figure comes from the AIHW/AHURI "30:40" housing-stress indicator: a household is considered under housing stress when it's in the bottom 40% of incomes AND spends more than 30% of gross income on housing. It's widely used as a budgeting rule of thumb, and this calculator lets you adjust it from 20% to 40% to match a tighter or looser personal budget.
On A$100,000 gross a year, 30% works out to A$576.92 a week — exactly A$576.92 (30% of A$100,000 = A$30,000, divided by 52 weeks).
Where a typical income can afford a house — by capital city
Rents vary sharply by capital. In June 2026, the cheapest capital for a median house is Melbourne at A$600.00/week, while Sydney is the most expensive at A$850.00/week. On a A$90,000 income (max A$519.23/week at 30%), that's the difference between comfortably affording a house in Melbourne and being priced out of Sydney's median house by A$330.77/week.
Units are consistently cheaper than houses in every capital except Melbourne, where the median unit (A$600.00/week) is priced the same as the median house — worth checking both toggles if you're weighing a house vs a unit.
Working backwards: the income you need for a target rent
To afford Sydney's median house rent of A$850.00/week without exceeding 30% of gross income, you'd need about A$147,333/year gross. Lower the ratio to 20% (a tighter budget) and the required income rises proportionally; raise it to 40% and it falls — the calculator's inverse mode does this instantly for any weekly rent.
National context: rents are still rising
Nationally, the median weekly rent across all dwellings was A$670.00 in June 2026 (A$690.00 across the combined capitals) — both figures still rising year-on-year per REA Group's June 2026 report. That national backdrop is why comparing your own budget against actual capital-city medians, rather than a rule of thumb alone, matters.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of income should go to rent in Australia?
There's no legal cap — the commonly used benchmark is 30% of gross income (the AIHW/AHURI '30:40' housing-stress indicator). This calculator defaults to 30% but lets you adjust it from 20% to 40%.
How much rent can I afford on $90,000 a year?
At the 30% benchmark, A$90,000/year supports up to A$519.23/week in rent (A$27,000/year) — enough for a median house in none of the 8 capitals, per June 2026 medians.
Which Australian capital cities are cheapest to rent a house in?
As of June 2026, Melbourne (A$600.00/week) and Hobart are the cheapest capitals for a median house; Sydney (A$850.00/week) is the most expensive, followed by Darwin and Perth.
How much income do I need to afford Sydney rent?
To rent Sydney's median house (A$850.00/week) at the 30% benchmark, you'd need about A$147,333/year gross income. At a tighter 20% benchmark you'd need roughly 1.5× that.
Is the 30% rent-to-income rule based on gross or net income?
This calculator uses gross (pre-tax) income, matching how the AIHW/AHURI indicator and most rental-affordability commentary define it. Your actual take-home budget will be lower once tax is deducted.
Are units cheaper to rent than houses in every Australian capital?
Yes, in seven of the eight capitals — the exception is Melbourne, where the June 2026 median unit rent (A$600.00/week) equals the median house rent.
Researched & verified by the Calcuris Data & Research Team. How we build and check our tools →