Canberra: A Great Place to Live…If You Can Afford to Stay
The last few months have felt like a literal financial scam and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Without wanting to give a stereotypical “Canberra bubble whinge,” I’ve honestly never felt so much financial pressure before.
With a near-double electricity bill compared to previous years...
Car registration,
Fuel,
Groceries,
Coffee,
Rates
it’s all up and up. And for the first time, it’s starting to feel like this just isn’t working out.
It all really hit in July, right after tax time. Like many millennials and Gen Zs, that “tax bill shock” was real TikTok is full of people venting about it. I always plan ahead and set some money aside from my small business income, but this year’s bill was unreal payment-plan-level unreal.
Then came the snowball.
- Electricity prices in the ACT jumped again in 2024, contributing to a 22% rise in housing-related costs over the past five years (ACT Cost of Living Report 2025: )
- Fuel prices have hovered stubbornly high; Canberra regularly ranks among the most expensive capitals for petrol (NRMA Fuel Reports:).
- Food prices rose around 21% since 2019, so a quick shop of bananas, milk, bread and two extras can easily hit $50–$100 (ACT Cost of Living Report 2025).
Even healthcare feels tighter. Our family GP thankfully still bulk bills, but with Canberra’s bulk billing dropping down to near nothing (at least it feels like that) It is so hard to get into our regular doc. Recent stats show bulk billing rate down according to ABC the lowest in the country. (ABC News:).
It’s actually so stressful especially with sick babies when appointments now take 1–2 weeks in advance, just to see someone who knows our history.
When you zoom out, some of the data I’ve seen seems to back it up.
- Canberra now ranks as Australia’s most expensive city to live in, with average monthly living costs around $2,049 per person (including rent) (LivingCost.org: https://livingcost.org/cost/australia/canberra).
- Over the last five years, overall inflation in Canberra hit ~19.6% higher than national averages for essentials (ACT Cost of Living Report 2025).
I mean, is this enough to justify my “feelings”… I don’t know :/
It leaves me wondering:
“Is the cost adding up to the value I’m getting here?”
Don’t get me wrong I love this city. It’s clean, calm, and community-focused. But there are so many beautiful places across Australia with strong communities and that classic beach-or-bush lifestyle that’s starting to feel more appealing.
They say the grass isn’t always greener on the other side but hey, at least there might be a beach.
I know a lot of this comes down to policy, economics, and global chaos things way above my pay grade. Still, I can’t help but ask:
“Are we really getting value here?”
Because even with two full-time incomes and a roof over our heads, it’s starting to feel harder to actually live comfortably.
Maybe it is just a Canberra bubble whinge. Or maybe, like me, you’re wondering if this is just the new normal.
What do you think — am I overreacting? Or are you feeling it too?
Let me know in the DMs → The Mortz
This blog was written with the assistance of AI for things such as grammar, spelling, SEO restructuring and research purposes.