Best Airbnb Markets Australia in 2025

Name: Best Airbnb Markets in Australia
Creator: Airbtics

Based on Airbtics data from September 2024 to August 2025, this page shows the top Airbnb locations to invest in Australia with key statistics and information, like short-term rental regulations, number of listings, occupancy rate, average daily rate, and annual revenue. This allows you to discover the most profitable cities to invest in, buy, and own Airbnb rental properties in Australia.

Why Invest in Airbnb Australia in 2025?

** Last updated: 2025-10-04

In recent years, Australia has emerged as one of the best locations for investing in short-term rentals thanks to its popular tourist attractions, thriving business activities, growing digital nomad presence, and vibrant cities like Whitsunday islands, The whitsundays & hamilton island and Noosa heads qld. With millions of international visitors coming each year, the demand for vacation rental accommodations is growing, making Airbnb Australia a lucrative option for both local and foreign investors.

Due to strong demand from travelers, Australia offers competitive average daily rates (ADR), healthy occupancy rates, and attractive revenue potential in the best Airbnb markets. Whether you’re looking to start your first Airbnb business with a modest budget or to add a luxury short-term rental property to your portfolio, Australia has a profitable location to meet your budget and aspirations as an investor.

Note on Methodology: The Airbtics Market Score indicates how attractive a location is for investing in an Airbnb rental property. We determine this score based on the following criteria:

Short-term rental yield: The ratio between annual revenue and property price, as a percentage. Locations with higher Airbnb rental yield score better.
Short-term rental regulations: How STR-friendly the local Airbnb rules and laws are. Markets with more lenient regulations get a higher score.
Market size: The number of Airbnb listings. Larger vacation rental markets get a higher score as it is easier for investors to buy and sell properties.
Growth: How fast the market is becoming saturated. Priority is given to markets that are already developed but are not approaching saturation yet.
Seasonality: To what degree Airbnb performance is affected by seasonality. Less seasonal impact is preferred as investors can enjoy a more stable short-term rental performance throughout the year.

Based on this methodology, the best places to buy Airbnb in Australia are:

Learn more about how we collect the data and accuracy

Top 20 Australia Cities for Airbnb in 2025

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Melbourne	Lenient	20,704	67%	$224	$56,563	12.3%	34.5%
2	Melbourne region	Lenient	15,493	72%	$197	$53,283	12.3%	34.5%
3	Sydney	Strict	12,592	78%	$258	$75,205	12.3%	34.5%
4	Gold coast	Lenient	6,385	79%	$320	$94,118	12.3%	34.5%
5	Brisbane	Lenient	5,642	81%	$211	$63,966	12.3%	34.5%
6	Perth	Strict	5,598	85%	$212	$67,325	12.3%	34.5%
7	Sunshine coast	Lenient	4,942	73%	$355	$96,509	12.3%	34.5%
8	Mornington peninsula	Lenient	4,306	49%	$440	$81,602	12.3%	34.5%
9	Adelaide	Lenient	4,012	70%	$238	$62,450	12.3%	34.5%
10	Mornington peninsula	Lenient	3,992	49%	$446	$82,940	12.3%	34.5%
11	Shoalhaven	Strict	3,824	50%	$451	$84,174	12.3%	34.5%
12	Great ocean road	Lenient	3,549	51%	$342	$65,046	12.3%	34.5%
13	Surf coast - bellarine peninsula	Lenient	2,839	48%	$396	$71,292	12.3%	34.5%
14	Victoria's high country	Lenient	2,773	51%	$376	$71,484	12.3%	34.5%
15	Surfers paradise	Lenient	2,675	83%	$331	$102,172	12.3%	34.5%
16	Gippsland - south west	Lenient	2,662	48%	$340	$61,294	12.3%	34.5%
17	Richmond valley - coastal	Strict	2,560	65%	$395	$95,399	12.3%	34.5%
18	Augusta - margaret river - busselton	Strict	2,537	71%	$361	$95,957	12.3%	34.5%
19	Central coast	Strict	2,341	50%	$424	$80,161	12.3%	34.5%
20	Gippsland	Lenient	2,215	53%	$264	$52,687	12.3%	34.5%

Find the Best Airbnb Markets with Our Interactive Tool

Use our interactive Market Explorer to find the best places to start an Airbnb in COUNTRY. Compare multiple markets side by side, apply filters like regulations, budget (property or rent prices), and market size, and even export the results to Excel.

Explore Interactive Tool

Best Cities for Airbnb in Australia by Budget

Affordable Airbnb Markets: Under $150,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Broken hill and far west	Strict	112	70%	$185	$48,565	12.3%	34.5%

Mid-Range Airbnb Markets: $150,000-$300,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	West coast	Strict	321	62%	$228	$52,782	12.3%	34.5%
2	Inverell - tenterfield	Strict	159	59%	$232	$51,584	12.3%	34.5%
3	Outback - north and east	Lenient	96	56%	$205	$42,772	12.3%	34.5%
4	Wheat belt - south	Strict	94	73%	$188	$51,485	12.3%	34.5%
5	Limestone coast	Lenient	715	57%	$256	$54,925	12.3%	34.5%
6	Kempsey	Strict	588	62%	$258	$59,965	12.3%	34.5%
7	Wheat belt - north	Strict	441	59%	$273	$60,816	12.3%	34.5%
8	Manjimup	Strict	420	66%	$238	$58,673	12.3%	34.5%
9	Murray and mallee	Lenient	342	58%	$294	$63,931	12.3%	34.5%
10	Mid north	Lenient	98	54%	$206	$41,724	12.3%	34.5%
11	Charters towers - ayr - ingham	Lenient	65	60%	$167	$37,604	12.3%	34.5%
12	Burnie	Strict	63	77%	$200	$56,983	12.3%	34.5%
13	Maryborough	Lenient	251	70%	$310	$80,593	12.3%	34.5%
14	Mildura	Lenient	215	62%	$226	$52,932	12.3%	34.5%
15	Lower north	Lenient	213	64%	$256	$61,271	12.3%	34.5%
16	Campaspe	Lenient	188	56%	$262	$55,068	12.3%	34.5%
17	Murray river - swan hill	Lenient	122	52%	$193	$37,642	12.3%	34.5%
18	Gladstone	Lenient	432	64%	$273	$65,615	12.3%	34.5%
19	Gympie	Lenient	402	69%	$252	$65,519	12.3%	34.5%
20	Mid west	Strict	380	77%	$232	$66,340	12.3%	34.5%
21	Dubbo	Strict	297	61%	$266	$61,085	12.3%	34.5%
22	Burnie - ulverstone	Strict	188	72%	$196	$52,231	12.3%	34.5%
23	Gascoyne	Strict	181	74%	$376	$103,398	12.3%	34.5%
24	Maryborough - pyrenees	Lenient	104	47%	$214	$37,656	12.3%	34.5%
25	Bundaberg	Lenient	393	71%	$197	$53,008	12.3%	34.5%
26	Devonport	Strict	304	71%	$209	$55,011	12.3%	34.5%
27	Moira	Lenient	277	45%	$401	$67,766	12.3%	34.5%
28	Armidale	Strict	168	68%	$200	$50,865	12.3%	34.5%
29	Shepparton	Lenient	138	57%	$249	$53,467	12.3%	34.5%
30	Latrobe valley	Lenient	128	63%	$205	$48,393	12.3%	34.5%
31	Darling downs (west) - maranoa	Lenient	81	44%	$142	$24,186	12.3%	34.5%
32	Geraldton	Strict	56	84%	$224	$70,079	12.3%	34.5%
33	Gippsland - south west	Lenient	2,662	48%	$340	$61,294	12.3%	34.5%
34	Wodonga - alpine	Lenient	1,562	55%	$375	$76,372	12.3%	34.5%
35	Colac - corangamite	Lenient	1,175	52%	$319	$62,263	12.3%	34.5%
36	Kempsey - nambucca	Strict	865	61%	$255	$58,424	12.3%	34.5%
37	Gippsland - east	Lenient	846	52%	$272	$53,245	12.3%	34.5%
38	East gippsland	Lenient	844	52%	$270	$52,956	12.3%	34.5%
39	Albany	Strict	721	73%	$262	$71,231	12.3%	34.5%
40	Yorke peninsula	Lenient	589	54%	$269	$54,475	12.3%	34.5%
41	Rockhampton	Lenient	500	68%	$237	$60,433	12.3%	34.5%
42	Kangaroo island	Lenient	406	68%	$285	$72,157	12.3%	34.5%
43	Taree - gloucester	Strict	405	50%	$293	$55,270	12.3%	34.5%
44	Wagga wagga	Strict	402	60%	$235	$52,940	12.3%	34.5%
45	Eyre peninsula and south west	Lenient	353	62%	$215	$50,129	12.3%	34.5%
46	Wangaratta - benalla	Lenient	350	51%	$240	$45,824	12.3%	34.5%
47	Greater taree	Strict	331	49%	$297	$55,226	12.3%	34.5%
48	Albury	Strict	261	72%	$221	$59,512	12.3%	34.5%
49	Esperance	Strict	186	69%	$282	$72,643	12.3%	34.5%
50	Young - yass	Strict	158	50%	$259	$48,831	12.3%	34.5%

Upper-Mid Airbnb Markets: $300,000-$500,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Warrnambool	Lenient	751	57%	$294	$62,456	12.3%	34.5%
2	South east coast	Strict	526	68%	$275	$69,622	12.3%	34.5%
3	Bathurst	Strict	417	54%	$300	$60,702	12.3%	34.5%
4	Granite belt	Lenient	321	58%	$276	$59,848	12.3%	34.5%
5	Bass coast	Lenient	2,091	46%	$342	$58,963	12.3%	34.5%
6	Cairns	Lenient	1,991	77%	$272	$78,106	12.3%	34.5%
7	Gosford	Strict	1,607	50%	$457	$86,211	12.3%	34.5%
8	Phillip island	Lenient	1,369	45%	$343	$57,778	12.3%	34.5%
9	Upper goulburn valley	Lenient	1,113	46%	$414	$71,541	12.3%	34.5%
10	Great lakes	Strict	1,045	52%	$396	$76,878	12.3%	34.5%
11	Townsville	Lenient	883	69%	$253	$65,708	12.3%	34.5%
12	Clarence valley	Strict	800	61%	$338	$76,898	12.3%	34.5%
13	Onkaparinga	Lenient	738	62%	$302	$70,388	12.3%	34.5%
14	Launceston	Strict	714	72%	$224	$60,565	12.3%	34.5%
15	Mansfield	Lenient	671	45%	$524	$88,217	12.3%	34.5%
16	Geelong	Lenient	667	62%	$218	$51,113	12.3%	34.5%
17	Wyong	Strict	658	52%	$370	$73,159	12.3%	34.5%
18	South gippsland	Lenient	624	54%	$322	$65,396	12.3%	34.5%
19	Grampians	Lenient	538	56%	$221	$46,697	12.3%	34.5%
20	Ballarat	Lenient	530	60%	$206	$46,694	12.3%	34.5%
21	Wellington	Lenient	405	48%	$212	$38,471	12.3%	34.5%
22	Kingborough	Strict	345	63%	$243	$57,243	12.3%	34.5%
23	Barossa	Lenient	317	58%	$331	$71,116	12.3%	34.5%
24	Barossa valley	Lenient	303	59%	$331	$72,415	12.3%	34.5%
25	Glenelg - southern grampians	Lenient	275	56%	$208	$43,683	12.3%	34.5%
26	Nambour	Lenient	275	66%	$221	$54,829	12.3%	34.5%
27	Tamworth - gunnedah	Strict	247	64%	$211	$50,397	12.3%	34.5%
28	Upper murray exc. albury	Strict	222	51%	$322	$61,322	12.3%	34.5%
29	Mackay	Lenient	221	76%	$176	$50,123	12.3%	34.5%
30	Meander valley - west tamar	Strict	218	66%	$203	$49,837	12.3%	34.5%
31	Baw baw	Lenient	210	54%	$240	$48,088	12.3%	34.5%
32	Ipswich hinterland	Lenient	205	65%	$270	$65,612	12.3%	34.5%
33	Goulburn - mulwaree	Strict	173	51%	$247	$47,308	12.3%	34.5%
34	Sorell - dodges ferry	Strict	169	68%	$218	$55,443	12.3%	34.5%
35	Queanbeyan	Strict	158	54%	$228	$45,946	12.3%	34.5%
36	Lachlan valley	Strict	158	60%	$221	$49,944	12.3%	34.5%
37	Moorabool	Lenient	113	51%	$246	$47,028	12.3%	34.5%
38	Barwon - west	Lenient	107	52%	$234	$45,694	12.3%	34.5%
39	Burnett	Lenient	93	68%	$170	$43,721	12.3%	34.5%
40	Darling downs - east	Lenient	80	68%	$262	$66,288	12.3%	34.5%
41	Batemans bay	Strict	73	59%	$308	$70,120	12.3%	34.5%
42	Upper hunter	Strict	67	67%	$267	$66,614	12.3%	34.5%
43	Caboolture hinterland	Lenient	66	61%	$304	$68,707	12.3%	34.5%
44	Griffith - murrumbidgee (west)	Strict	60	58%	$228	$49,532	12.3%	34.5%
45	Litchfield	Lenient	59	65%	$155	$37,133	12.3%	34.5%
46	Perth	Strict	5,598	85%	$212	$67,325	12.3%	34.5%
47	Adelaide	Lenient	4,012	70%	$238	$62,450	12.3%	34.5%
48	Shoalhaven	Strict	3,824	50%	$451	$84,174	12.3%	34.5%
49	Augusta - margaret river - busselton	Strict	2,537	71%	$361	$95,957	12.3%	34.5%
50	Hunter valley	Strict	1,851	55%	$354	$72,739	12.3%	34.5%

Premium Airbnb Markets: $500,000-$1,000,000

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	St kilda	Lenient	619	74%	$180	$50,193	12.3%	34.5%
2	Broadbeach - burleigh	Lenient	1,725	79%	$338	$99,274	12.3%	34.5%
3	Kiama - shellharbour	Strict	875	54%	$494	$99,155	12.3%	34.5%
4	Noosa	Lenient	1,962	73%	$434	$117,610	12.3%	34.5%
5	Brunswick heads	Strict	101	66%	$369	$90,164	12.3%	34.5%
6	The whitsundays & hamilton island	Lenient	320	86%	$728	$229,738	12.3%	34.5%
7	Sydney	Strict	12,592	78%	$258	$75,205	12.3%	34.5%
8	Noosa heads qld	Lenient	1,022	78%	$472	$136,271	12.3%	34.5%
9	Byron bay	Strict	1,031	65%	$512	$123,033	12.3%	34.5%

Emerging vs Established Airbnb Markets in Australia

Top 20 Emerging Short-Term Rental Markets in Australia

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Ipswich	Lenient	187	77%	$180	$51,942	12.3%	34.5%
2	Brisbane inner	Lenient	1,756	85%	$241	$76,902	12.3%	34.5%
3	Brisbane	Lenient	5,642	81%	$211	$63,966	12.3%	34.5%
4	Fraser coast	Lenient	627	73%	$243	$66,045	12.3%	34.5%
5	Burnie	Strict	63	77%	$200	$56,983	12.3%	34.5%
6	Litchfield	Lenient	59	65%	$155	$37,133	12.3%	34.5%
7	Sydney	Strict	12,592	78%	$258	$75,205	12.3%	34.5%
8	Daly - tiwi - west arnhem	Lenient	52	58%	$300	$64,771	12.3%	34.5%
9	Dubbo	Strict	297	61%	$266	$61,085	12.3%	34.5%
10	Darling downs (west) - maranoa	Lenient	81	44%	$142	$24,186	12.3%	34.5%
11	Bundaberg	Lenient	393	71%	$197	$53,008	12.3%	34.5%
12	Australian capital territory	Lenient	1,912	72%	$194	$52,783	12.3%	34.5%
13	Redcliffe	Lenient	222	78%	$331	$97,816	12.3%	34.5%
14	Canberra	Lenient	1,863	72%	$194	$52,783	12.3%	34.5%
15	North canberra	Lenient	804	74%	$196	$54,666	12.3%	34.5%
16	Baw baw	Lenient	210	54%	$240	$48,088	12.3%	34.5%
17	Melbourne region	Lenient	15,493	72%	$197	$53,283	12.3%	34.5%
18	Lachlan valley	Strict	158	60%	$221	$49,944	12.3%	34.5%
19	Surfers paradise	Lenient	2,675	83%	$331	$102,172	12.3%	34.5%
20	Darling downs - east	Lenient	80	68%	$262	$66,288	12.3%	34.5%

Top 12 Established Short-Term Rental Markets in Australia

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Brisbane	Lenient	5,642	81%	$211	$63,966	12.3%	34.5%
2	Sydney	Strict	12,592	78%	$258	$75,205	12.3%	34.5%
3	Melbourne region	Lenient	15,493	72%	$197	$53,283	12.3%	34.5%
4	Gold coast	Lenient	6,385	79%	$320	$94,118	12.3%	34.5%
5	Melbourne	Lenient	20,704	67%	$224	$56,563	12.3%	34.5%
6	Perth	Strict	5,598	85%	$212	$67,325	12.3%	34.5%
7	Adelaide	Lenient	4,012	70%	$238	$62,450	12.3%	34.5%
8	Sunshine coast	Lenient	4,942	73%	$355	$96,509	12.3%	34.5%
9	Mornington peninsula	Lenient	3,992	49%	$446	$82,940	12.3%	34.5%
10	Shoalhaven	Strict	3,824	50%	$451	$84,174	12.3%	34.5%
11	Great ocean road	Lenient	3,549	51%	$342	$65,046	12.3%	34.5%
12	Mornington peninsula	Lenient	4,306	49%	$440	$81,602	12.3%	34.5%

50 Best Places for Airbnb Arbitrage in Australia

Position	Market Name	Regulation	No of Listings	Avg. Occupancy Rate	Avg. Daily Rate	Revenue	Short-term Rental Yield	Rent Gap
1	Whitsunday islands	Lenient	329	86%	$740	$233,555	12.3%	34.5%
2	The whitsundays & hamilton island	Lenient	320	86%	$728	$229,738	12.3%	34.5%
3	Gascoyne	Strict	181	74%	$376	$103,398	12.3%	34.5%
4	Whitsunday	Lenient	830	78%	$433	$124,396	12.3%	34.5%
5	Geraldton	Strict	56	84%	$224	$70,079	12.3%	34.5%
6	Snowy river	Strict	1,386	49%	$568	$103,013	12.3%	34.5%
7	Snowy mountains	Strict	1,447	50%	$547	$101,204	12.3%	34.5%
8	West coast	Strict	321	62%	$228	$52,782	12.3%	34.5%
9	Redcliffe	Lenient	222	78%	$331	$97,816	12.3%	34.5%
10	Margaret river	Strict	440	82%	$294	$90,035	12.3%	34.5%
11	Maryborough	Lenient	251	70%	$310	$80,593	12.3%	34.5%
12	Richmond valley - coastal	Strict	2,560	65%	$395	$95,399	12.3%	34.5%
13	Outback - north and east	Lenient	96	56%	$205	$42,772	12.3%	34.5%
14	Tweed valley	Strict	1,139	66%	$381	$93,993	12.3%	34.5%
15	Murray and mallee	Lenient	342	58%	$294	$63,931	12.3%	34.5%
16	Barossa valley	Lenient	303	59%	$331	$72,415	12.3%	34.5%
17	Ipswich hinterland	Lenient	205	65%	$270	$65,612	12.3%	34.5%
18	Albany	Strict	721	73%	$262	$71,231	12.3%	34.5%
19	Darling downs - east	Lenient	80	68%	$262	$66,288	12.3%	34.5%
20	Manjimup	Strict	420	66%	$238	$58,673	12.3%	34.5%
21	Darwin	Lenient	983	74%	$262	$72,447	12.3%	34.5%
22	Dubbo	Strict	297	61%	$266	$61,085	12.3%	34.5%
23	Mid west	Strict	380	77%	$232	$66,340	12.3%	34.5%
24	Broken hill and far west	Strict	112	70%	$185	$48,565	12.3%	34.5%
25	South east coast	Strict	526	68%	$275	$69,622	12.3%	34.5%
26	Cairns	Lenient	1,991	77%	$272	$78,106	12.3%	34.5%
27	Augusta - margaret river - busselton	Strict	2,537	71%	$361	$95,957	12.3%	34.5%
28	Burnie	Strict	63	77%	$200	$56,983	12.3%	34.5%
29	Kimberley	Strict	191	64%	$329	$78,018	12.3%	34.5%
30	Coles bay	Strict	141	68%	$331	$83,499	12.3%	34.5%
31	Esperance	Strict	186	69%	$282	$72,643	12.3%	34.5%
32	Kangaroo island	Lenient	406	68%	$285	$72,157	12.3%	34.5%
33	Barossa	Lenient	317	58%	$331	$71,116	12.3%	34.5%
34	Wodonga - alpine	Lenient	1,562	55%	$375	$76,372	12.3%	34.5%
35	Palm cove	Lenient	503	72%	$358	$95,761	12.3%	34.5%
36	Tweed heads nsw	Strict	1,186	71%	$381	$100,640	12.3%	34.5%
37	Wheat belt - south	Strict	94	73%	$188	$51,485	12.3%	34.5%
38	Onkaparinga	Lenient	738	62%	$302	$70,388	12.3%	34.5%
39	Upper hunter	Strict	67	67%	$267	$66,614	12.3%	34.5%
40	Colac - corangamite	Lenient	1,175	52%	$319	$62,263	12.3%	34.5%
41	Bunbury	Strict	105	80%	$221	$66,381	12.3%	34.5%
42	Wagga wagga	Strict	402	60%	$235	$52,940	12.3%	34.5%
43	Magnetic island	Lenient	322	65%	$337	$81,848	12.3%	34.5%
44	Meander valley - west tamar	Strict	218	66%	$203	$49,837	12.3%	34.5%
45	Limestone coast	Lenient	715	57%	$256	$54,925	12.3%	34.5%
46	Rockhampton	Lenient	500	68%	$237	$60,433	12.3%	34.5%
47	Adelaide hills	Lenient	390	66%	$282	$69,451	12.3%	34.5%
48	Burnie - ulverstone	Strict	188	72%	$196	$52,231	12.3%	34.5%
49	Albury	Strict	261	72%	$221	$59,512	12.3%	34.5%
50	Fleurieu - kangaroo island	Lenient	1,671	58%	$302	$66,034	12.3%	34.5%

Starting an Airbnb in Australia? Check out our guide on how to start an Airbnb in Australia (Startup cost, profitability, and nationwide vacation rental statistics)
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