FAST FACTS

Cost of living*

Whether you are buying a house, parking the car or sipping a coffee, you’ll find it’s cheaper in Canberra. Here’s how some of the costs stack up, in $AUD:

  • All day parking in the city: $7.50 - $10.50
  • Cappuccino: $3.50
  • Movie ticket: Adult $16.50; Concession $14.00; Child $12.00
  • Single adult bus ticket: $4.00 (Children under 5 travel free)
  • Adult Faresaver bus ticket: $25.20 (10 tickets)
  • Single concession / student bus ticket: $2.00
  • Concession Faresaver bus ticket: $12.60 (10 tickets)
  • Entry to Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, Canberra Glassworks: Free
  • Pool admission: Adult $5.25; Concession $3.50
  • Entry to National Zoo and Aquarium: Adults $30.00; Children up to three years $2; Children 4 to 15 years $18.50; Family (two adults and 3 children) $89.50
  • Floriade entry (flower festival): Free
  • Median three bedroom house rent: $430 per week^
  • Median three bedroom house price: $490,000^
  • Median two bedroom unit / town house rent: $445 per week^
  • Median two bedroom unit / town house price: $420,000^

Climate

Someone once said, ‘Canberra is just full of hot air’ – and it is! Watching our colourful balloons dancing across Lake Burley Griffin in autumn truly is one of life’s magic moments. And speaking of autumn, Canberra is one of the few places in Australia where you really can enjoy four distinct seasons with buckets of sunshine all year round.

You can expect warm to hot summers, clear, crisp winters, spectacular springs and balmy colourful autumns. Fact: Canberra enjoys more hours of sunshine than Sydney or the Gold Coast.

Average maximum temperatures

Summer (December-February) – 27 degrees
Autumn (March-May) – 20 degrees
Winter (June-August) – 12 degrees
Spring (September-November) – 19 degrees

ACT school holidays

In Australia, the school year begins in late January - early February, with short breaks in April, July and September. The school year finishes just before Christmas, with the long school holidays over the Australian summer in December and January.

Fast facts*

  • Population: 353,000
  • Median age: 34 years
  • Average full time weekly income: $1,443 (Australia $1,243)
  • Average commute time to work: 15-20 minutes
  • Driving time to Sydney: 3 hours
  • Driving time to NSW coast: 2 hours
  • Driving time to NSW ski fields: 2.5 hours
  • Unemployment rate: 3.3% (5.2% nationally)

* All statistics are approximate and current at March 2010.

^ Housing statistics obtained from REIA Market Facts - March 2010 quarter