Oceania · 20 cities
Australia for digital nomads: 20 cities compared (2026)
Australia has 20 cities in the dataset. Brisbane scores highest under balanced weights at 74/100; Perth is the cheapest with a city-level price at $2,613 a month. Australia has no digital-nomad visa.
Dataset 2026.10.7. How scoring works.
Cities in Australia, ranked
Balanced weights, every factor equal. Open a city for the full breakdown with sources, or rank them with your own weights.
| # | City | Score | Cost/mo | Internet | Comfortable months | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Subtropical, growing and gearing up for 2032 | 74 | $2,806 | 41.8 Mbps | 11/12 | Warm winters · River city |
| 2 | Perth Isolated, sunny and laid-back | 74 | $2,613 | 39.2 Mbps | 12/12 | Beaches · Sunniest capital |
| 3 | Sydney Harbour city with beaches in the suburbs | 72 | $3,599 | 44.2 Mbps | 10/12 | Bondi and harbour beaches · Outdoor lifestyle |
| 4 | Newcastle (NSW) Surf city two hours from Sydney at a fraction of the rent | 71 | $3,350* | 46.5 Mbps | 11/12 | City beaches · Ocean baths |
| 5 | Wollongong Sydney's cheaper beach-and-escarpment neighbour, 85 km down the coast | 69 | $3,350* | 48.5 Mbps | 7/12 | Surf beaches · Illawarra Escarpment |
| 6 | Melbourne Coffee, culture and trams | 69 | $2,869 | 42.9 Mbps | 6/12 | Coffee culture · Laneways and arts |
| 7 | Townsville North Queensland's dry-tropics city with Magnetic Island offshore | 69 | $3,350* | 38.7 Mbps | 10/12 | The Strand and Castle Hill · Magnetic Island ferry 20 min |
| 8 | Gold Coast Surf city with a light rail | 69 | $3,350* | 46.5 Mbps | 9/12 | Surf beaches · Theme parks |
| 9 | Geelong Victoria's second city: a waterfront, surf coast and a train to Melbourne | 68 | $3,350* | 63.9 Mbps | 6/12 | Waterfront and Eastern Beach · Great Ocean Road gateway |
| 10 | Byron Bay Australia's most famous beach town, and its priciest | 68 | $3,350* | 44.3 Mbps | 9/12 | Surf and beaches · Wellness scene |
| 11 | Adelaide Festivals, wine and a relaxed pace | 68 | $3,350* | 39.2 Mbps | 7/12 | Festivals · Barossa wine |
| 12 | Cairns Tropical gateway to the Great Barrier Reef | 67 | $3,350* | 40.6 Mbps | 7/12 | Great Barrier Reef · Daintree rainforest |
| 13 | Port Douglas Reef-and-rainforest resort village an hour north of Cairns | 67 | $3,350* | 41 Mbps | 7/12 | Four Mile Beach · Great Barrier Reef trips |
| 14 | Sunshine Coast Beaches and hinterland an hour north of Brisbane | 67 | $3,350* | 45.7 Mbps | 9/12 | Noosa and Mooloolaba beaches · Glass House Mountains |
| 15 | Canberra Planned capital of parks, museums and cycling paths | 65 | $3,350* | 46.7 Mbps | 5/12 | National museums · Cycling city |
| 16 | Alice Springs Outback town in the Red Centre, remote and sun-baked | 64 | $3,350* | 41.6 Mbps | 7/12 | MacDonnell Ranges · Aboriginal art galleries |
| 17 | Darwin Australia's tropical frontier capital, closest to Asia | 63 | $3,350* | 43.6 Mbps | 4/12 | Kakadu · Closer to Bali than Sydney |
| 18 | Launceston Tasmania's second city: gorge, cool-climate wine and a UNESCO food scene | 62 | $3,350* | 38.5 Mbps | 4/12 | Cataract Gorge · Tamar Valley wineries |
| 19 | Hobart Small island capital with wilderness close by | 62 | $3,350* | 38.9 Mbps | 3/12 | MONA · Wilderness |
| 20 | Broome Pearling town on Cable Beach, the gateway to the Kimberley | 62 | $3,350* | 40.1 Mbps | 5/12 | Cable Beach sunsets · Kimberley gateway |
* national estimate
National figures shared by every city
These come from country-level sources and apply to every city in Australia; city pages add the local numbers.
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide rate | 0.94 per 100,000 people | Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), 2024 |
| Political stability | 79 (percentile, World Bank WGI) | Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), 2025 |
| Health coverage index | 89 (WHO UHC index, 0–100) | UHC service coverage index, 2023 |
| Life expectancy | 83.1 years | Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, 2021 |
| Human Development Index | 0.958 | Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), 2023 |
| English proficiency | native | EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), 2024 |
| Starlink | available | Starlink availability map, 2026-10 |
Visas and entry
What three common passports get at the border, from the passport index. Pick your own passport on the ranker for the full picture.
| Passport | Entry rule |
|---|---|
| US passport | eTA required |
| EU passport | eTA required |
| UK passport | eTA required |
Rank Australia's cities for your passport →
No long-stay guide for Australia yet. Entry rules above are for short visits.
Compare cities in Australia
Head-to-head pages for the pairs people look at most.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Australia good for digital nomads?
- Brisbane scores 74/100 under balanced weights, which ranks it 22 of 1,000 cities in the dataset. Australia's 20 cities average 67.3/100. Strongest factors in Brisbane: quality of life and air quality; weakest: cost of living.
- What is the cheapest city in Australia for a remote worker?
- Perth, at about $2,613 a month for one person including rent (WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages), 2026-09). Sydney is the most expensive city-priced option at $3,599.
- Does Australia have a digital nomad visa?
- Not according to the sources the dataset uses. Short visits follow the entry rules for your passport.
- How long can a US, EU or UK citizen stay in Australia without a visa?
- US passport: eTA required. EU passport (Germany as reference): eTA required. UK passport: eTA required. Source: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), 2026-02.
- Which city in Australia has the fastest internet?
- Geelong, with a measured median download of 63.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024). Measured speeds run below advertised plans everywhere; 40 Mbps measured is already good.
- How safe is Australia?
- Australia records 0.94 homicides per 100,000 people (Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year), 2024) and sits at the 79th percentile for political stability (World Bank WGI, 2025). These are national figures; city pages note local caveats.
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