Median weekly rent in every suburb this map covers on the Gold Coast, cheapest first, from the 2021 Census. The middle suburb sat at $460 a week; the range ran from $380 in Labrador to $600 in Broadbeach Waters.
These are 2021 figures, not today's asking rents. The Census is the only source that covers every suburb on the same basis, which makes it good for comparing suburbs and useless as a price guide. Rents across the Gold Coast have risen substantially since.
The last column is rent as a share of the suburb's median household income — the number that actually decides whether somewhere is affordable. Anything above 30% is the conventional threshold for rental stress.
| # | Suburb | Median rent | Median household income | Rent as % of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Labrador | $380/wk | $1,188/wk | 32% |
| 2 | Coolangatta | $405/wk | $1,331/wk | 30% |
| 3 | Southport | $410/wk | $1,268/wk | 32% |
| 4 | Surfers Paradise | $410/wk | $1,323/wk | 31% |
| 5 | Broadbeach | $420/wk | $1,419/wk | 30% |
| 6 | Bilinga | $428/wk | $1,435/wk | 30% |
| 7 | Biggera Waters | $430/wk | $1,314/wk | 33% |
| 8 | Runaway Bay | $435/wk | $1,382/wk | 31% |
| 9 | Palm Beach | $445/wk | $1,721/wk | 26% |
| 10 | Ashmore | $450/wk | $1,581/wk | 28% |
| 11 | Mermaid Waters | $450/wk | $1,766/wk | 25% |
| 12 | Reedy Creek | $450/wk | $2,229/wk | 20% |
| 13 | Mermaid Beach | $460/wk | $1,895/wk | 24% |
| 14 | Tugun | $460/wk | $1,737/wk | 26% |
| 15 | Currumbin Waters | $468/wk | $1,636/wk | 29% |
| 16 | Arundel | $470/wk | $1,682/wk | 28% |
| 17 | Miami | $470/wk | $1,831/wk | 26% |
| 18 | Bundall | $480/wk | $1,957/wk | 25% |
| 19 | Burleigh Heads | $480/wk | $1,701/wk | 28% |
| 20 | Currumbin | $490/wk | $1,830/wk | 27% |
| 21 | Varsity Lakes | $490/wk | $1,646/wk | 30% |
| 22 | Burleigh Waters | $500/wk | $1,735/wk | 29% |
| 23 | Main Beach | $500/wk | $1,682/wk | 30% |
| 24 | Elanora | $525/wk | $1,744/wk | 30% |
| 25 | Benowa | $580/wk | $1,918/wk | 30% |
| 26 | Broadbeach Waters | $600/wk | $2,072/wk | 29% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census of Population and Housing (General Community Profile, SAL level). Eight suburbs have no published rent figure and are left out. See also population by suburb, school catchments and flood risk building by building — the three things worth checking before signing anything.