> average rents in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne are about AUD$2600/month (~USD$1900) Melbourne and Sydney maybe, but Brisbane is drastically cheaper. When I was s

> average rents in Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne are about AUD$2600/month (~USD$1900) Melbourne and Sydney maybe, but Brisbane is drastically cheaper. When I was studying in Brisbane a few years ago my rent was in the ballpark of $300-400 AUD per week for 2-3 bedrooms, even at the higher end of $400/w that's only $1700AUD/m. You can even buy a two bedroom apartment for under $300k in Brisbane, compared to the $1m or more the same would run you in Sydney or Melbourne. In contrast, when I graduated and moved to Sydney for work we lived a similar distance from the city as we did in Brisbane and yet were paying $500/w for 1 bed and much less total room. I suspect Darwin, Perth, and Hobart are similarly cheaper. Generalising and saying all our capitals are expensive is incorrect, though I can understand why perceptions are driven by what happens in Melbourne and Sydney since nearly 50% of the population lives in one or the other.