Brisbane's median apartment price currently sits at $759,000 as of May 2026, offering significantly better value than Sydney's $830,000 median. In Brisbane, this buys a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in the inner city with river views and high-quality amenities. In Sydney, the same price often fails to secure even a one-bedroom apartment in the inner city.
Rental affordability also favors Queensland, with Brisbane rents at $660 per week compared to Sydney's $750 per week—a difference of nearly $4,700 annually. Brisbane's rental vacancy sits at just 0.8%, supporting continued rental growth with strong underlying demand.
Queensland's population surge continues, with a net gain of 19,000 interstate migrants in the 12 months to September 2025, while New South Wales experienced a net loss of 23,000 migrants. However, New South Wales is staging a comeback, with interstate migration losses reducing by 5,200 during the same period, and Sydney's apartment market showing year-on-year growth rates at their highest since mid-2022.
