Living in Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast is in Australia; its population was 79,293 in August 2021. Median personal income was A$783 per week in August 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 10.1% of the population in 2021.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Sunshine Coast?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Sunshine Coast.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median rent was A$290 per week, and median monthly mortgage repayment was A$1,419 in August 2021.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	44.23 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	58.57 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,819 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	15.25 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	37.63 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	122 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast⁷Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Dwellings	31,595 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings	28,494 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median Weekly Rent Aud	290 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 3.6% in March 2026. Median household income was A$1,545 per week in August 2021.

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Sunshine Coast is 3.6%. Of 100 cities with data, 29 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment Full Time Count	22,604 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Employment rate	57.6 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median Household Income Aud Week	1,545 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median Personal Income Aud Week	783 AUD/week	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median gross salary (regional)	1,776 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	www.abs.gov.au⁶Official
Unemployment rate	3.6 %country median 4.4%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026⁸Independent

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sunshine Coast. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Sunshine Coast. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Language Other Than English At Home Share Percent	6.65 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Sunshine Coast. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) — State Language Course

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For eligible migrants, humanitarian entrants.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridfree

Open official information

Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) — Newcomer Adaptation

Australian Government Department of Home Affairs

For humanitarian entrants.

In Person, Hybridfree

Open official information

Open the full Australia section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Sunshine Coast.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Average daytime high by month	Jan 29.1 · Feb 28.9 · Mar 27.9 · Apr 26.1 · May 23.6 · Jun 21.4 · Jul 21.2 · Aug 22.2 · Sep 24.4 · Oct 25.6 · Nov 27.3 · Dec 28.4 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT, 1991-2020²Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 21.3 · Feb 21.3 · Mar 20.2 · Apr 17.1 · May 13.6 · Jun 11.5 · Jul 9.7 · Aug 9.8 · Sep 13 · Oct 15.7 · Nov 17.9 · Dec 19.9 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT, 1991-2020²Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 144.8 · Feb 207.5 · Mar 176.8 · Apr 148.8 · May 151.6 · Jun 119 · Jul 66.4 · Aug 71.1 · Sep 53.3 · Oct 92.5 · Nov 79.8 · Dec 149.9 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT, 1991-2020²Official

Cities of a similar size in Australia

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Australia cities

Bunbury76,452 residents Maryborough84,333 residents Dubbo74,195 residents Cairns73,747 residents Launceston90,953 residents Albury - Wodonga97,793 residents

Population and city profile

The city covered 1,633.1 km² in 2016. Population density was 217.8 people per km² in 2021.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	1,633 km²	1 Jul 2016	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁴Official
Foreign-resident share	16.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official
Foreign residents	80,659 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.³Official
Population density	217.8 people/km²	30 Jun 2021	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁵Official
Population Female	39,772 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Population Male	39,522 people	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Population	79,293 people	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

Population rose 25.9% between 2001 and 2025, from 66,303 to 83,508.

International community in Sunshine Coast

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G09 PERSONS total across age groups and sex · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total	79,293	100.0%
Australia	66,020	83.3%
Country of birth not stated	5,235	6.6%
New Zealand	1,128	1.4%
England	1,001	1.3%
Philippines	991	1.2%
India	642	0.8%
Born elsewhere(d)	484	0.6%
China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)(c)	436	0.5%
South Africa	392	0.5%
Vietnam	328	0.4%

Show 40 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Sri Lanka	237	0.3%
Nepal	223	0.3%
Brazil	171	0.2%
Zimbabwe	167	0.2%
Papua New Guinea	150	0.2%
Scotland	145	0.2%
Fiji	135	0.2%
United States of America	120	0.2%
Germany	111	0.1%
Thailand	106	0.1%
Canada	97	0.1%
Netherlands	97	0.1%
Bangladesh	95	0.1%
Malaysia	80	0.1%
Myanmar	79	0.1%
Ireland	67	0.1%
Korea, Republic of (South)	51	0.1%
Pakistan	50	0.1%
Singapore	45	0.1%
Indonesia	42	0.1%
Afghanistan	39	0.0%
Hong Kong (SAR of China)(c)	35	0.0%
Japan	35	0.0%
Taiwan	33	0.0%
Iran	31	0.0%
Wales	29	0.0%
Italy	28	0.0%
Samoa	20	0.0%
Egypt	17	0.0%
France	17	0.0%
Greece	14	0.0%
Poland	11	0.0%
Cambodia	9	0.0%
Iraq	9	0.0%
Malta	9	0.0%
Croatia	7	0.0%
Lebanon	5	0.0%
Mauritius	5	0.0%
Turkey	5	0.0%
Chile	4	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Country of birth

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	79,293	100.0%
Australia	66,020	83.3%
Elsewhere (excludes country of birth not stated)	8,037	10.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Citizenship

Persons usually resident in the ABS Significant Urban Area; 2021 Census G01 total persons denominator · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total persons	79,293	100.0%
Australian citizen	69,562	87.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source³

Is Sunshine Coast a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker55%strong on work, weak on air quality · range 45–65%

Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–71%

Student55%strong on education, weak on safety · range 47–63%

Family59%strong on family, weak on safety · range 50–68%

Retirement56%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 43–69%

Foreign residents80,659 people10 Aug 2021Official source · Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.

Population79,293 people10 Aug 2021Official source · 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia

Dwellings31,595 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Employment rate57.6 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Australian Bureau of Statistics

Median gross salary (regional)1,776 EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · www.abs.gov.au

Unemployment rate3.6 %31 Mar 2026Independent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-08-27

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	10.14 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Households	28,494 households	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Labour force participation rate	60.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Australian Bureau of Statistics³Official
Median age	36 years	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official
Median Monthly Mortgage Repayment Aud	1,419 AUD/month	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia³Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sunshine Coast when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around Sunshine Coast?

The median gross salary is 1,776 EUR/month. Source: www.abs.gov.au.

What is the unemployment rate in Sunshine Coast?

The unemployment rate is 3.6 %. Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How many people live in Sunshine Coast?

The published population is 79,293 people. Source: 2021 Census General Community Profile — Significant Urban Areas, Australia.

How many foreign residents live in Sunshine Coast?

80,659 people residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

Is Sunshine Coast a good place to live?

Sunshine Coast may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Afghanistan live in Sunshine Coast?

The official country of birth distribution records 39 people (0.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). Sunshine Coast, Australia: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/sunshine-coast/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sunshine-coast-australia-rent-salary_f0bd65b6f4f8,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sunshine Coast, Australia: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/sunshine-coast/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Sunshine Coast, Australia: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/sunshine-coast/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-03
BOM monthly climate statistics — SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area_albers_sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
www.abs.gov.au abs.gov.au · checked 2026-08-27
Cost of Living in Sunshine Coast. Jun 2026. Prices in Sunshine Coast numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.