Get all the data you need about the real estate market in Canberra
This blog post covers apartment purchase prices in Canberra as of 2026, and we update it regularly so the data you see here stays current.
Canberra's apartment market is more varied than most people expect, with prices ranging from well under $300,000 in outer districts to well over $800,000 in the inner south.
Whether you are looking at your first purchase or comparing suburbs before making a move, this guide breaks down what apartments actually cost across the city's key neighborhoods.
And if you're planning to buy a property in Canberra, you may want to download our real estate pack about Canberra.
A quick summary table
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Most expensive Canberra neighborhood for apartments | Barton |
| Most affordable Canberra neighborhood for apartments | Gungahlin |
| Average price per square meter across all Canberra neighborhoods | AUD 7,550 |
| Canberra city-wide median apartment price (February 2026) | AUD 598,000 |
| Lowest realistic starting budget to buy a Canberra apartment | AUD 275,000 (Gungahlin) |
| Most expensive Canberra apartment type by bedroom count | Two-bedroom (Barton: AUD 850,000) |
| Most affordable Canberra apartment type by bedroom count | Studio (Gungahlin: AUD 299,000) |
| Average price for a studio apartment in Canberra | AUD 387,000 (across all neighborhoods) |
| Average price for a one-bedroom apartment in Canberra | AUD 444,000 (across all neighborhoods) |
| Average price for a two-bedroom apartment in Canberra | AUD 620,000 (across all neighborhoods) |
| Price gap between the most and least expensive Canberra neighborhoods | AUD 279,000 (Barton vs Gungahlin median) |
| Price spread per square meter across Canberra apartment neighborhoods | AUD 5,700 (Gungahlin) to AUD 9,900 (Barton) |
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Canberra apartment neighborhoods in 2026 ranked by purchase price
This table ranks the top neighborhoods in the Canberra apartment market by purchase price, from the most expensive to the most affordable.
For each neighborhood, the table includes the average price per square meter, the median property price, the starting budget, the average price for a studio apartment, a one-bedroom apartment, and a two-bedroom apartment, the typical buyer profile, the key advantages, the key drawbacks, and the market segment.
Finally, please note you'll find much more detailed data in our real estate pack about Canberra.
| Rank | Neighborhood | Average Price per Square Meter | Median Property Price | Starting Budget | Average Price for a Studio Apartment | Average Price for a One-Bedroom Apartment | Average Price for a Two-Bedroom Apartment | Typical Buyers | Key Pros | Key Cons | Market Segment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barton | AUD 9,900 | AUD 662,000 | AUD 445,000 | AUD 486,000 | AUD 553,000 | AUD 850,000 | Diplomatic-area professionals and government-adjacent buyers | Walkable to Parliament House, Kingston Foreshore, and major offices; tightly held apartment stock keeps pricing strong | Small market with limited choice, and premium prices for apartment sizes that are often modest | Luxury |
| 2 | Campbell | AUD 8,650 | AUD 577,000 | AUD 415,000 | AUD 449,000 | AUD 510,000 | AUD 700,000 | Prestige lifestyle buyers and inner-south owner-occupiers | Close to Russell offices, Lake Burley Griffin, and Campbell shops; newer apartment buildings feel polished and well-finished | Stock is limited and many apartments trade at a clear premium over comparable areas | Luxury |
| 3 | Kingston | AUD 8,450 | AUD 566,000 | AUD 410,000 | AUD 444,000 | AUD 505,000 | AUD 680,000 | Foreshore lifestyle buyers and owner-occupiers who value cafes and walkability | Strong cafe and foreshore appeal with broad buyer demand and good resale liquidity | Parking, traffic, and lifestyle premiums can push prices beyond practical value | Premium |
| 4 | Griffith | AUD 8,300 | AUD 554,000 | AUD 405,000 | AUD 440,000 | AUD 500,000 | AUD 658,000 | Established local upgraders and inner-south owner-occupiers | Near Manuka and Kingston with mature streets and strong owner-occupier appeal | Apartment supply is thin, so choice can be patchy and pricing stays firm even when broader markets soften | Premium |
| 5 | Turner | AUD 7,800 | AUD 521,000 | AUD 360,000 | AUD 391,000 | AUD 445,000 | AUD 655,000 | City-fringe professionals and buyers who want Civic access without Braddon noise | Very close to Civic and light rail, with quieter streets than Braddon and good everyday amenity | Older apartment stock is uneven in quality, and better units still price like premium city-fringe homes | Premium |
| 6 | Braddon | AUD 7,750 | AUD 520,000 | AUD 375,000 | AUD 409,000 | AUD 465,000 | AUD 623,000 | Central-location professionals and buyers drawn to Canberra's best hospitality strip | Best entertainment access in Canberra and deep apartment stock that makes comparison shopping easier | Noise, investor-heavy buildings, and variable body-corporate quality can reduce long-term liveability | Premium |
| 7 | Dickson | AUD 7,500 | AUD 501,000 | AUD 355,000 | AUD 388,000 | AUD 441,000 | AUD 610,000 | Rail-linked owner-occupiers and buyers seeking inner-north value | Strong light rail links, Chinatown precinct, and improving town-centre amenity support consistent buyer demand | Some projects feel dense and main-road exposure can reduce residential appeal on certain streets | Mid-Market |
| 8 | Phillip | AUD 7,100 | AUD 474,000 | AUD 335,000 | AUD 363,000 | AUD 413,000 | AUD 584,000 | Hospital workers, Woden office buyers, and practical value seekers | Woden jobs, hospital access, and ongoing redevelopment keep apartment demand broad and relatively stable | Streetscape is still uneven and some buildings feel more practical than charming | Mid-Market |
| 9 | Lyneham | AUD 6,800 | AUD 454,000 | AUD 335,000 | AUD 365,000 | AUD 415,000 | AUD 530,000 | Value-seeking inner-north buyers who want suburb quiet without leaving the city fringe | Inner-north location with better value than Braddon or Turner and solid local amenities | Smaller buyer pool for apartments and less brand recognition than nearby premium suburbs | Mid-Market |
| 10 | Belconnen | AUD 6,250 | AUD 417,000 | AUD 295,000 | AUD 322,000 | AUD 366,000 | AUD 510,000 | First-home apartment buyers and budget-conscious owner-occupiers | One of Canberra's most accessible apartment entry markets, with lake precinct amenity and major retail nearby | High apartment supply can cap price growth and create stronger competition at resale time | Affordable |
| 11 | Bruce | AUD 6,150 | AUD 412,000 | AUD 305,000 | AUD 330,000 | AUD 375,000 | AUD 484,000 | Students, university-sector workers, and health-sector buyers near UC and AIS | Close to the University of Canberra, AIS, and hospital-related employment, with generally accessible apartment prices | Resale demand can depend heavily on investor sentiment and tenant-driven micro-locations within the suburb | Affordable |
| 12 | Gungahlin | AUD 5,700 | AUD 383,000 | AUD 275,000 | AUD 299,000 | AUD 340,000 | AUD 462,000 | Budget-conscious first-home buyers targeting Canberra's newest apartment stock | Canberra's lowest apartment entry pricing among major centers, with modern buildings and light rail access | Deep supply can slow capital growth and many buildings can feel similar to one another | Budget |
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Key insights about apartment purchase prices in Canberra
Insights
- Barton apartments cost around 73% more per square meter than Gungahlin apartments, which means the inner-south premium in Canberra is not subtle: it adds roughly AUD 4,200 per square meter compared to the city's most affordable district.
- The gap between Barton's median apartment price and Gungahlin's is about AUD 279,000, which in Canberra terms is roughly the full purchase price of a Gungahlin apartment on its own.
- Turner edges out Braddon on price per square meter (AUD 7,800 vs AUD 7,750), which surprises many buyers who assume Braddon, with its higher profile, must be the more expensive of the two city-fringe suburbs.
- Dickson stands out as Canberra's strongest middle-ground apartment market in 2026: it sits on the light rail line, close to the city, and is meaningfully cheaper than Braddon or Turner without sacrificing urban access.
- The jump from a one-bedroom to a two-bedroom apartment is steepest in Barton, where two-bedroom apartments average AUD 850,000 compared to AUD 553,000 for one-bedrooms, a gap of almost AUD 300,000 for one extra room.
- Phillip is no longer a bargain-basement apartment market: at AUD 7,100 per square meter, Woden now sits comfortably in Canberra's mid-market range, above both Lyneham and Belconnen.
- Canberra's four most expensive apartment neighborhoods (Barton, Campbell, Kingston, Griffith) are all inner-south or inner-central, not Belconnen or Gungahlin, which are often assumed to be more central than they actually are in price terms.
- Belconnen and Bruce are very close in pricing (AUD 6,250 vs AUD 6,150 per square meter), which means that for buyers choosing between these two suburbs in 2026, building quality and specific location matter more than the suburb label itself.
- Lyneham offers inner-north positioning at a lower price than Braddon, without the nightlife noise premium: at AUD 6,800 per square meter, it gives buyers roughly 12% better value per square meter than Braddon at the same general location tier.
- Canberra's city-wide median apartment value sat at around AUD 598,000 in February 2026, which already places it above all but the top four neighborhoods in this ranking, showing that the inner-south premium pulls the city average up significantly.
- Gungahlin's entry-level studio apartments start at around AUD 299,000 in 2026, making it the only Canberra neighborhood where a buyer with a modest deposit can realistically access new apartment stock close to light rail.
- Griffith gives buyers near-Kingston access (it borders Kingston and Manuka) at around AUD 150 less per square meter, which translates to roughly AUD 13,000 in savings on a typical two-bedroom apartment: a meaningful difference for owner-occupiers comparing similar lifestyle suburbs.
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About our methodology
We also believe it is important to show our reasoning. It is one of the ways we make our work solid, transparent, and rigorous, just as you will see in our real estate pack about Canberra.
First, please note that this data is updated regularly, so what you see here reflects the current values as of today.
In order to get reliable data about Canberra apartment purchase prices, we applied a strict source filter. We only used authoritative, verifiable sources focused on the ACT property market, not random listings or unsupported figures. More on that point below.
For each Canberra neighborhood, we aggregated the freshest apartment purchase price data available as of April 2026. When possible, we cross-checked multiple sources to confirm the same price range across the suburb.
This allowed us to estimate the average price per square meter and the median property price for each neighborhood in the Canberra apartment market.
We also calculated the starting budget, which represents the lowest realistic entry point to buy an apartment in that Canberra suburb. This is not the cheapest possible listing, but a real, achievable floor for a standard apartment purchase in that area.
For each apartment category, we estimated an average purchase price based on a consistent sizing framework used across all 12 neighborhoods: a studio at 45 square meters, a one-bedroom at 58 square meters, and a two-bedroom at 85 square meters.
These estimates were not applied as one flat number across the city. They were adjusted by neighborhood and apartment type to better reflect local pricing conditions in each Canberra suburb.
This table should therefore be read as a structured market estimate, not as an exact guarantee of transaction prices. Honesty, quality, and rigor are at the core of our work, and they are also what you will find in our real estate pack about Canberra.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our real estate pack about Canberra, we rely on verifiable sources and a transparent methodology.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Domain - Barton suburb profile | Domain is one of Australia's largest property data platforms and publishes verified suburb-level sales medians by bedroom count. | We used it to extract Barton's apartment medians by bedroom count and identify current listing anchors. We also used it to confirm that Barton sits at the top end of the Canberra apartment market. |
| Domain - Kingston suburb profile | Domain provides suburb-level apartment sales data that is widely used by buyers, agents, and market analysts across Australia. | We used it to capture Kingston's apartment medians and compare them with other inner-south Canberra suburbs. We also used it to anchor the starting-budget range for buyers looking at Kingston apartments. |
| Domain - Campbell suburb profile | Domain provides recent suburb-level apartment sales evidence for the ACT, not just opinion or estimates. | We used it to benchmark Campbell's apartment pricing across studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom categories. We also used it to confirm that Campbell belongs in Canberra's luxury apartment band. |
| Domain - Griffith suburb profile | Domain is a mainstream market source with transparent suburb pages and recent transaction data for ACT neighborhoods. | We used it to extract Griffith's apartment medians and compare them with Kingston and Barton. We also used it to position Griffith within Canberra's premium apartment pricing band. |
| Domain - Braddon, Turner, and Dickson suburb profiles | Domain publishes recent apartment sales medians by bedroom type at suburb level across all Canberra inner-north areas. | We used these profiles to pull unit medians and recent listing evidence for Canberra's main city-fringe suburbs. We also used them to compare Braddon, Turner, and Dickson across price per square meter and bedroom category. |
| Domain - Belconnen and Bruce suburb profiles | Domain provides clear suburb-level views of Canberra's apartment-heavy northern districts, including recent transaction data. | We used these profiles to extract apartment medians and realistic entry points for Canberra's affordable northwest. We also used them to measure the price gap between Belconnen and Bruce versus inner-south markets. |
| Domain - Gungahlin suburb profile | Domain is a recognized national property data source with suburb-level unit medians for ACT growth areas including Gungahlin. | We used it to measure Gungahlin apartment pricing and entry-level affordability. We also used it to compare newer town-centre apartment stock with older central Canberra neighborhoods. |
| NAB and Cotality - Canberra Property Market Insights, February 2026 | NAB and Cotality are two of Australia's most reliable institutional sources for city-level property market data and residential price tracking. | We used this report to anchor the Canberra city-wide median apartment value at AUD 598,000 as of February 2026. We also used it to cross-check the broader apartment price backdrop against our neighborhood-level estimates. |
| JLL - Q4 2025 Canberra Residential Update | JLL is a global real estate advisory firm that publishes quarterly residential market reports for Australian capital cities including Canberra. | We used this report to confirm that Canberra apartment prices ended 2025 broadly flat overall, with larger apartments holding up better than smaller ones. We also used it to verify that unit sales were running above their five-year average heading into 2026. |
| ACT Government - Land and Property Reporting | The ACT Government publishes official land and property transaction data for the Australian Capital Territory, which is the most direct source for local sales activity. | We used ACT Government property data to cross-reference suburb-level apartment sales volumes and confirm pricing trends across inner and outer Canberra districts. We also used it to check that our estimated starting budgets aligned with actual transaction records in the territory. |
| ABS - Dwelling Price Series | The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's official national statistics agency and publishes authoritative data on dwelling values and price movements across capital cities. | We used the ABS dwelling series to understand broader residential price trends in the ACT and frame Canberra's apartment market in a national context. We also used it to cross-check year-on-year price movement patterns against our suburb-level estimates. |
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