What's it like to live in Canberra?
Planned national capital: high incomes, cold winters, lots of green space.
Pros of living in Canberra
- Main industries: Federal public service, defence, education.
Cons of living in Canberra
- High rents, around $680 a week for a house.
- Cold winters, with average winter days around 12°C.
Cost of living in Canberra
The reported house figure is about $1.03M (domain stratified median house sale price (houses only), Canberra, September quarter 2026). Source: Domain, September 2026 House Price Report ↗. A house rents for about $680 a week (indicative, not individually audited). Canberra has about 470,000 people (indicative). See every city's costs.
Different publishers, geographic boundaries and methods mean these house figures cannot be compared directly as a price index.
Weather in Canberra
Average summer days reach about 28°C and winter days about 12°C, with around 620 mm of rain a year. Canberra and Sydney share the same time zone all year.
What Canberra is known for
Parliament House, national museums and galleries, Lake Burley Griffin, and a city built around bush 'nature reserves'. It is the home of the federal public service.
Getting around Canberra
Buses plus a light rail line from Gungahlin to the city, being extended south. Roads are wide and congestion is light compared with the big capitals, and there are no tolls.
Day-to-day life and sport
Quiet, green and family-friendly, with some of the highest household incomes in Australia. Winters are frosty and summers are dry. Many people find the social scene smaller than in other capitals.
Rugby league (Raiders) and rugby union (Brumbies) are the biggest codes. Manuka Oval hosts cricket and some AFL games for the GWS Giants.
Sources: Transport Canberra · VisitCanberra
Jobs in Canberra
The biggest industries are federal public service, defence, education.
What locals are talking about right now
- Structural inequality deepens as basic household costs outpace wage growth for non-public-sector workers
- The Disconnect Between Canberra’s 'Affordable' Reputation and Frontline Reality
- The Affordability Gap: How Canberra's Wealth Obscures Deepening Inequity
- The Two-Speed Capital: Navigating Canberra's Cost-of-Living Crisis
- Balancing Light Rail Expansion with Everyday Transport Affordability
Frequently asked questions
Is Canberra a good place to live?
Planned national capital: high incomes, cold winters, lots of green space. The main draws are main industries: federal public service, defence, education; the main drawback is high rents, around $680 a week for a house.
Is it expensive to live in Canberra?
A published house figure is about $1.03M (Domain stratified median house sale price (houses only), Canberra, September quarter 2026; source: https://www.domain.com.au/research/house-price-report/september-2026/). Indicative house rent is about $680 a week; check current local listings before budgeting.
What is the weather like in Canberra?
Average summer days reach about 28°C and winter days about 12°C, with around 620 mm of rain a year.
What are the main jobs in Canberra?
The biggest industries are federal public service, defence, education.