Adelaide house renters are paying $55 more per week than your typical Melbourne house renter, new data shows.
According to PropTrack, the median Adelaide house rent is $630 per week, as opposed to Melbourne where it is just $575,000.
This disparity is driven in part by the fact Adelaide’s median house rental prices have increased by 5 per cent over the past year, and Melbourne house rents have declined by 0.9 per cent.
Property rental prices are up across SA.
Adelaide rent prices have increased by 1.6 per cent over the past quarter, compared with Melbourne’s 0.9 per cent.
Adelaide’s median unit price, on the other hand, has increased by 2.8 per cent over the past quarter, and 6.8 per cent over the past year to $550.
Overall, Adelaide’s median dwelling rental price is $600 – unchanged from the previous quarter, and up 3.4 per cent for the year.
MORE NEWS
$660k Aussie home loan record forces first-home buyer rethink
The statistic that should terrify all homeowners
Southern Ocean Lodge link to Adelaide development revealed
Shock result as council forcibly sells 57 properties to recoup unpaid rates
This 100 pound Adelaide home just sold for how much?
How a simple change at the supermarket can get you into a home faster
REA Group senior economist and report author Anne Flaherty said rents would likely climb in 2026.
“The speed at which rents are rising in Australia’s capital cities has slowed from a year ago, though remains elevated in regional areas,” Ms Flaherty said.
“While a slowdown in the pace of rent growth is good news for renters, costs remain a significant challenge for many, with the annual median rent sitting $11,960 higher compared to five years ago.
REA Group senior economist Anne Flaherty
“Rents were sitting at record highs in every market in December and are expected to reach new records in 2026.
“While rent growth is expected to continue moderating in 2026, vacancy rates remain low and population growth will fuel demand for more rentals.”
Houses in regional South Australia increased 2.3 per cent over the quarter and 7.1 per cent over the past year to $450.
Adelaide rents have risen, and there are more hikes to come.
Regional unit prices are up 3.1 per cent over the quarter and 10 per cent over the past 12 months to $330, bringing the combined dwelling price up 2.4 per cent for the quarter and 7.5 per cent for the year to $430.
It comes just two months after SQM Research founder Louis Christopher forecast a 2-4 per cent increase in rents across Australia’s capitals this year.
MORE NEWS
How much you need to save to buy in every Australian suburb
This 100 pound property just sold for how much?
Block fever sparks mad rush for rundown homes
Aussie island property selling for a steal – but there’s a catch
But the figures are not likely to hold at that level, with SQM anticipating 180,000 new dwellings to be completed nationwide in 2026 – which should do a better job of accommodating population growth than recent years.
Historically, he noted most larger Australian rental markets have tracked fairly closely with the Consumer Price Index.
SQM Research director Louis Christopher
So which do you do? Rent, or buy?
Prior to the pandemic, this tracked near to 2.6 per cent – in line with the Reserve Bank’s target range for inflation.
“It should get back to pre-covid levels, and that will be reality in time,” Mr Christopher said.
“Yes, the market is going to pick up in the next year,” he said at the time, “but I think the way it’s gone for tenant’s who have turned into first-home buyers has been better over those who remained as tenants, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”
English (US) · 