Sunshine Coast vs Gold Coast: Prices, Rents, Growth and Where to Buy in 2026
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
Sunshine Coast vs Gold Coast: on the latest figures, the Gold Coast is the dearer and much bigger market, while the Sunshine Coast is a little cheaper, growing faster for its size and tighter for renters. In the June 2026 quarter, the median house sold for $1.42 million on the Gold Coast and $1.32 million on the Sunshine Coast, and the median unit for $930,000 and $889,500.[1]
Which coast is better depends on what you are buying for. This guide compares prices, rents, vacancy, population growth and the rail and road projects on each coast, then sets out who each one suits, with Noosa and Brisbane for context.
Key takeaways
- Median house: $1,420,000 on the Gold Coast and $1,320,000 on the Sunshine Coast in the June 2026 quarter.[1]
- The Gold Coast market is far bigger: 8,408 house and 6,904 unit sales in the year to June 2026, against 6,275 and 2,236 on the Sunshine Coast.[1]
- Three-bedroom houses rented for $1,100 to $1,200 a week in the Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads postcodes, against $750 to $875 in the six Sunshine Coast postcodes we checked.[2]
- Rental vacancy was 1.5% on the Gold Coast and 0.9% on the Sunshine Coast in June; both sit in the REIQ’s tight range.[3]
- The Sunshine Coast grew 2.0% in 2024–25 and the Gold Coast 1.8%, though the Gold Coast added more people.[4]
Sunshine Coast vs Gold Coast at a glance
| Measure | Gold Coast | Sunshine Coast |
|---|---|---|
| Median house, June 2026 quarter[1] | $1,420,000 | $1,320,000 |
| Median unit, June 2026 quarter[1] | $930,000 | $889,500 |
| House sales, year to June 2026[1] | 8,408 | 6,275 |
| Unit sales, year to June 2026[1] | 6,904 | 2,236 |
| Rental vacancy, June 2026 quarter[3] | 1.5% | 0.9% |
| People, 30 June 2025[4] | 691,230 | 381,957 |
| Growth in 2024–25[4] | 11,944 (1.8%) | 7,659 (2.0%) |
Prices and population are for the Gold Coast City and Sunshine Coast Regional council areas, and the population figures are preliminary estimates. Noosa is a separate council, covered below.
House and unit prices
Gold Coast houses lead by about $100,000. The median house rose 1.79% over the June 2026 quarter to $1,420,000 on the Gold Coast, and 1.54% to $1,320,000 on the Sunshine Coast. Across the full year to June, the median houses sold for $1,350,000 and $1,251,000, and both coasts were up about 14% to 15% on a year earlier.[1]
Units are closer. The median unit eased 1.74% to $930,000 on the Gold Coast and 0.61% to $889,500 on the Sunshine Coast.[1] The bigger difference is the size of the unit market: the Gold Coast sold more than three times as many units over the year.[1] More sales means more choice when you buy, and more comparable sales to value against.
The wider Queensland market has cooled. The statewide median house eased 0.91% to $983,000 over the June quarter, and the REIQ’s chief executive, Antonia Mercorella, summed it up: “After years of rapid gains, the market is taking a breath.”[1] For buyers, a steadier market means more time to do the checks. Our Gold Coast property market and Sunshine Coast property market guides go deeper on each.
Rents are highest in the Gold Coast’s beachside postcodes; elsewhere the two coasts are closer. These are median weekly rents on new bonds lodged from July to September 2026:[2]
| Postcode | 3-bed house / 2-bed unit[2] |
|---|---|
| Gold Coast 4217 (Surfers Paradise) | $1,100 / $860 |
| Gold Coast 4218 (Broadbeach) | $1,200 / $855 |
| Gold Coast 4220 (Burleigh Heads) | $1,100 / $850 |
| Gold Coast 4226 (Robina) | $1,000 / $920 |
| Gold Coast 4215 (Southport) | $830 / $760 |
| Gold Coast 4209 (Coomera) | $740 / $667.50* |
| Sunshine Coast 4573 (Coolum Beach) | $875 / $800 |
| Sunshine Coast 4558 (Maroochydore) | $850 / $700 |
| Sunshine Coast 4575 (Birtinya) | $850 / $700 |
| Sunshine Coast 4556 (Buderim) | $832.50 / $650 |
| Sunshine Coast 4557 (Mooloolaba) | $830 / $690 |
| Sunshine Coast 4551 (Caloundra) | $750 / $670 |
*Only 10 bonds; the RTA says to use small samples with caution.[2]
Higher rents come with higher prices, so compare rent with price at the suburb level before you decide; our investment calculator helps. Both coasts are short of rentals. In the June 2026 quarter, vacancy was 1.5% on the Gold Coast, up 0.4 percentage points and its highest since the pandemic began, against 0.9% on the Sunshine Coast and 2.2% in Noosa. The REIQ counts 2.6% to 3.5% as healthy.[3] By the September quarter, 48 of the 50 regions it tracks were in the tight range, and the Maroochy Coast and Sunshine Coast Hinterland had tightened by 0.5 points.[5]
The Gold Coast is the bigger city, with 691,230 people at 30 June 2025 against 381,957 on the Sunshine Coast. The Gold Coast added 11,944 people in 2024–25 and the Sunshine Coast 7,659, which is faster growth for its size: 2.0% against 1.8%.[4] One Sunshine Coast area stands out. Caloundra West – Baringa had the largest growth of any area outside Australia’s capital cities, up by 2,000 people.[6]
Both coasts are part of South East Queensland’s growth. Seven of Queensland’s ten largest councils by population at 30 June 2025 were in the south-east.[4]
On the Gold Coast, the work is under way. Cross River Rail is building three new stations on the Gold Coast line: Pimpama opened on 20 October 2025, Hope Island on 18 May 2026, and Merrimac is under construction.[7] The Coomera Connector’s 16 km first stage, from Coomera to Nerang, is open between Shipper Drive and Helensvale Road, with the rest under construction. It is the first part of a future 45 km motorway from Loganholme to Nerang, and gives the growing Coomera and Helensvale areas an alternative to the M1.[8] Those projects centre on the northern growth corridor, covered in our northern Gold Coast suburbs guide.
On the Sunshine Coast, the big project is still coming. The Wave is a planned heavy rail line from Beerwah to Caloundra (Stage 1), extended to Birtinya (Stage 2), with stations planned at Beerwah, Bells Creek (Aura), Caloundra, Aroona and Birtinya. It will join the North Coast Line and is expected to save passengers more than 45 minutes against driving at peak times. The Australian and Queensland governments have committed $2.75 billion each to Stage 1, which is expected to cost $5.5 billion to $7 billion. Stage 2 is still subject to funding, and preliminary works have started.[9]
Buy on what is funded and being built, not on a promise. If a station is part of your reason for buying, check how far the home is from it and which stage it belongs to.
- The Gold Coast may suit buyers who want the deepest market, unit buyers in particular, and investors chasing the higher rents in the beachside postcodes from Surfers Paradise to Burleigh Heads.[1][2] It also suits buyers in the northern corridor near the new stations and motorway.[7][8] Start with our best Gold Coast suburbs guide.
- The Sunshine Coast may suit buyers who want a lower median house price than the Gold Coast,[1] and investors who value very low vacancy.[3] It also suits buyers backing the growth around Caloundra and the planned Wave corridor, as long as they keep Stage 2’s funding in mind.[9] See our best Sunshine Coast suburbs guide.
- Noosa is the dearest of the three, with a median house of $1,670,000 and a median unit of $1,150,000.[1] See our Noosa property market guide.
- Families can compare schools on both coasts in our guides to the Gold Coast’s top state primary schools and the Sunshine Coast and Noosa’s.
- Moving from interstate? Read our guides to moving to the Gold Coast and moving to the Sunshine Coast.
If you are weighing up all three, Brisbane’s median house was the dearest at $1,480,000 in the June 2026 quarter, but its median unit, at $875,000, was cheaper than on either coast.[1] Brisbane’s vacancy rate was 1.0%.[3] Our Brisbane suburb reports break it down by suburb.
IPS Buyer’s Agents works only for buyers. On the Sunshine Coast, we secured a Mount Coolum townhouse for $1.28 million after a 90-minute negotiation when the auction paused at $1.251 million, and it now rents for $1,000 a week. We also secured a Sippy Downs home for $1.07 million using a 21-day settlement. See our local Sunshine Coast buyer’s agent and local Gold Coast buyer’s agent pages, or read how a buyer’s agent differs from a real estate agent.
- Price. The Sunshine Coast median house is about $100,000 below the Gold Coast’s.[1]
- Size. The Gold Coast sells far more homes, especially units.[1]
- Rent. The Gold Coast’s beachside postcodes rent for more, and both coasts have very few vacancies.[2][3]
- Growth. The Sunshine Coast grew faster for its size in 2024–25; the Gold Coast added more people.[4]
- Projects. New Gold Coast stations and motorway are open or being built; The Wave’s first stage is funded, its second is not yet.[7][9]
This article is general information only, current at November 2026. Medians and rents are for the periods shown and change every quarter. It is not financial advice and does not consider your circumstances. Check the figures for the suburb and property you are considering before you act.
If you are deciding between the coasts, book a time with Tim Allen to talk it through.
- Real Estate Institute of Queensland — Queensland property market takes a breath after years of rapid growth, with house and unit median sales tables for the June 2026 quarter (Cotality data) (31 August 2026)
- Residential Tenancies Authority — Median rents quick finder, new bonds lodged July to September 2026 (read 9 November 2026)
- Real Estate Institute of Queensland — State of flux in Queensland’s rental market, says REIQ: Residential Vacancy Rate Report, June 2026 quarter (30 July 2026)
- Queensland Government Statistician’s Office — Population estimates: regions, and Estimated resident population by local government area, Queensland, 2001 to 2025p (read 9 November 2026)
- Real Estate Institute of Queensland — Healthy vacancy rates kept at bay, says REIQ: Residential Vacancy Rate Report, September 2026 quarter (26 October 2026)
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — Regional population, 2024–25 financial year (released 31 March 2026)
- Cross River Rail Delivery Authority — Gold Coast: new stations at Pimpama, Hope Island and Merrimac (read 9 November 2026)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads — Coomera Connector (Stage 1), Coomera to Nerang (last updated 29 September 2026)
- Department of Transport and Main Roads — The Wave, Stages 1 and 2 (rail) (read 9 November 2026)
Is the Sunshine Coast cheaper than the Gold Coast?
Yes, on the median. In the June 2026 quarter, the median house was $1,320,000 on the Sunshine Coast against $1,420,000 on the Gold Coast, and the median unit $889,500 against $930,000. Noosa is dearer than both, at $1,670,000 for a house. Prices vary widely by suburb, so compare the suburbs you are considering, not just the council medians.
Which has higher rents, the Gold Coast or the Sunshine Coast?
The Gold Coast’s beachside postcodes. From July to September 2026, three-bedroom houses rented for $1,100 to $1,200 a week in the Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and Burleigh Heads postcodes, against $750 to $875 in the six Sunshine Coast postcodes we checked. Coomera and Southport were closer to Sunshine Coast levels, at $740 and $830.
Which coast is growing faster?
For its size, the Sunshine Coast. Its population grew 2.0% in 2024–25, to 381,957, against 1.8% on the Gold Coast, which reached 691,230. The Gold Coast still added more people, 11,944 against 7,659. Caloundra West – Baringa, on the Sunshine Coast, had the largest growth of any area outside Australia’s capital cities.
Is The Wave rail line funded?
Stage 1, from Beerwah to Caloundra, is: the Australian and Queensland governments have committed $2.75 billion each, against an expected cost of $5.5 billion to $7 billion. Stage 2, from Caloundra to Birtinya, is still subject to funding. Preliminary works have started, and the line is expected to save more than 45 minutes against driving at peak times.
Gold Coast vs Sunshine Coast vs Brisbane: which is dearest?
For houses, Brisbane’s median was the highest of the three in the June 2026 quarter at $1,480,000, ahead of the Gold Coast’s $1,420,000 and the Sunshine Coast’s $1,320,000. Units were the other way round: Brisbane’s median unit, at $875,000, was cheaper than the Gold Coast’s $930,000 and the Sunshine Coast’s $889,500.
Which coast has fewer rental vacancies?
The Sunshine Coast. Its vacancy rate was 0.9% in the June 2026 quarter, against 1.5% on the Gold Coast, which was the Gold Coast’s highest since the pandemic began. Both are in the REIQ’s tight range of 2.5% or less, well below the 2.6% to 3.5% it counts as healthy.