Mortgage repayments are now cheaper than rent in some Australian suburbs. Is yours among them?

The Guardian · 10/16/2026, 11:00:15 PM

As house prices plateau, the gap between the cost of buying and renting is narrowing in dozens of suburbs Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast High rents and falling property prices have opened a rare window for Australian tenants to become homeowners, with mortgage repayments cheaper than rent in dozens of suburbs. Guardian Australia’s analysis of Cotality data shows that median rents in inner-city Melbourne, suburban Canberra and Darwin are now nearly matching weekly home loan repayments. In one in 10 suburbs and towns across the country, repayments are less than $200 a week higher than rent, for the typical property. In some suburbs, they are actually cheaper. Continue reading...