Adelaide is cheaper to rent in. Brisbane and Adelaide compared on the measures we can hold level across states: rent, household income, house prices where open data exists, parks and cafés. Medians are taken over each city's scored suburbs, from official data and OpenStreetMap.
By Formada3D research · Updated 10 October 2026
| Measure | Brisbane | Adelaide |
|---|---|---|
| Median suburb rent (per week) | $400 | $330 |
| Median household income (per week, 2021 census) | $2,049 | $1,604 |
| Rent as a share of household income | 20% | 21% |
| Median house price (median suburb) | $1,260,000 | $988,625 |
| Median age | 37 | 40 |
| Park hectares per 1,000 residents (median suburb) | 5.4 | 1.8 |
| Cafés per 1,000 residents (median suburb) | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Suburbs scored | 277 | 274 |
Adelaide is cheaper to rent in. The median Adelaide suburb rents for $330/wk against $400/wk in Brisbane, about 18% less. Brisbane is where households earn more ($2,049/wk against $1,604/wk in Adelaide). Measured against local household income, rent takes about 20% in Brisbane and 21% in Adelaide.
The median house price in the median Adelaide suburb is $988,625, against $1,260,000 in Brisbane. Periods differ by state: Brisbane is Apr 2025–Mar 2026 (Queensland Regional Profiles (QGSO)), Adelaide is Apr–Jun 2026 (SA Government Metropolitan Median House Sales), so treat the gap as indicative, not exact.
Brisbane is greener per resident (5.4 ha per 1,000 against 1.8 ha per 1,000 in Adelaide). Brisbane and Adelaide are level on cafés.
We do not rank Brisbane against Adelaide on safety. Crime is recorded by different state agencies with different definitions, so a cross-state comparison would mislead. What we can do is rank suburbs within each city: see the safest suburbs in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Within each city the answer depends on what you weight. Top family suburbs: Brisbane: Ferny Grove, Corinda, Kenmore; Adelaide: Aberfoyle Park, Eden Hills, Wynn Vale. Best value: Brisbane: Brookfield, Bardon, Ashgrove; Adelaide: Westbourne Park, Hazelwood Park, Netherby.
Medians are of suburb-level figures (a median suburb, not a pooled city total). Guidance only, visit before you move. No city, agent or developer can pay for placement here. Sources and method: how we rank suburbs.