Rent in Australia’s capital cities rose about 5.6% in the year to March 2026, according to Cotality’s quarterly rental review. Over the same period, ABS data shows electricity prices up 22.4% in the 12 months to June 2026. The Bureau said that jump reflects government rebates ending. A renter whose pay rose by less than those numbers went into 2027 with less room in the budget than the year before.
So a 2027 budget needs two things the usual templates skip: a realistic rent number for your city, and a plan for the next increase before the letter arrives. Below are the real rents, then a worked example you can copy.
What rent actually looks like: unit medians by capital city
These are median rents for units from Cotality’s March 2026 quarterly review. Monthly figures are weekly rent × 52 ÷ 12, rounded.
| City | Median unit rent (per week) | Per month | Change over the year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $768 | $3,328 | +5.9% |
| Perth | $696 | $3,016 | +7.1% |
| Brisbane | $656 | $2,843 | +6.7% |
| Darwin | $611 | $2,648 | +9.8% |
| Melbourne | $610 | $2,643 | +4.9% |
| Canberra | $604 | $2,617 | +2.0% |
| Adelaide | $557 | $2,414 | +3.7% |
| Hobart | $517 | $2,240 | +3.9% |
Source: Cotality Quarterly Rental Review, March 2026. A median across all units isn’t a one-bedroom price: smaller flats will usually cost less and larger ones more. Use these as a starting point, then check real listings in your suburb.
The worked example: a share house in Brisbane
The example is one person sharing a two-person Brisbane unit, paying half of the $656 median. Take-home pay is $4,500 a month after tax. Everything except the rent figure is an assumption, not a statistic. Replace each number with your own.
| Category | Monthly | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,581 | |
| Rent | $1,421 | Half of $656 a week |
| Electricity and gas | $95 | Your share of the bill |
| Internet | $45 | Your share |
| Contents insurance | $20 | |
| Living | $1,315 | |
| Groceries and household basics | $520 | |
| Transport | $250 | Public transport or fuel |
| Mobile phone | $35 | |
| Health | $60 | Gap fees, medication |
| Eating out and social | $300 | |
| Clothes, personal care, subscriptions | $150 | |
| Future you | $1,380 | |
| Annual costs set aside | $250 | Gifts, travel, dentist |
| Rent increase buffer | $80 | See below |
| Emergency fund | $300 | |
| Moving and bond fund | $150 | |
| Savings goal | $600 | Holiday, deposit or investing |
| Spare | $224 | Unplanned spending |
| Total | $4,500 |
In shares of take-home pay: housing 35.1%, living 29.2%, future-you 30.7%, spare 5.0%. Rent alone is 31.6%.
The line most budgets forget: the rent increase buffer
If your rent rises by the same 5.6% that capital-city rents rose over the past year, the $328-a-week share in this example becomes about $346, an extra $18 a week or roughly $80 a month. The buffer line sets that $80 aside before the increase happens.
This isn’t a forecast. It’s a way to make the increase a non-event: if it arrives, you move the $80 into rent and nothing else changes; if it doesn’t, you’ve saved it. Check the rules for your state first. Notice periods and how often rent can rise differ by state, as covered in our [state-by-state rent increase comparison] and [guide to negotiating a rent increase].
What to do if rent is above 30% of your income
The 30% mark is a common rule of thumb, and the example sits just above it at 31.6%. In a high-rent city, many renters are over it. If you are:
- Check Rent Assistance. If you receive an eligible Centrelink payment, you may be entitled to it without a separate application. From 20 September 2026, according to Services Australia’s operational rates table, the maximum is $223.80 a fortnight for a single person and $149.20 for a single sharer. Confirm current rates on the official Services Australia page, since they change each March and September. Our [Commonwealth Rent Assistance guide] explains how to check.
- Look at the second biggest bill. Energy is the one that moved most. If you haven’t checked concessions since the federal rebate ended, see our [energy bill relief guide].
- Add a housemate or negotiate a longer lease. Both change the rent line more than any amount of cutting groceries.
Before you copy this budget
- Build yours from three real numbers: your take-home pay, your rent, and your last three months of spending from your bank statements.
- Use the free tool. ASIC’s Moneysmart has a budget planner that you can use online or download as an Excel file. See Moneysmart’s cost-of-living and budgeting help.
- Set the buffer in January, not after the notice. Money you’ve already moved is money you can’t spend by accident.
Three things to do this week
- Write down your rent as a percentage of take-home pay.
- Pick one line to cut by 10% and one to protect (the emergency fund).
- Put the rent increase buffer on autopay, even if it’s only $20 a month.
Rent figures are from Cotality’s Quarterly Rental Review for March 2026. Inflation and electricity figures are from the ABS Consumer Price Index release for the year to June 2026. Rent Assistance figures are from Services Australia’s operational rates table and should be confirmed on the official page. The budget example uses assumptions, not statistics, and is not a recommendation. This is general information, not financial advice.