A laidback lifestyle, beautiful beaches, stunning landscapes and endless sunny days are just some of the reasons to make the Gold Coast your home.
Here are five of our top reasons to make the move to the sunshine state.
1. Housing Affordability
One of the key reasons for many to move to the Gold Coast is its affordability. While many are priced out of the market in metropolitan Sydney and Melbourne, they can still afford the Australian dream of owning a home, on the Gold Coast.
The median house price for the Gold Coast, as at December 2022, is around $821,000 (which is a decline of -14% on the peak of $950,000 in May 2022). Compare that to greater Sydney’s median house price of $1,413,000 and it is no surprise so many are making the move.
Units are also much more affordable and make a good investment, the medium price for an apartment is $620,000.
The suburbs on the Gold Coast that showed the most growth, where the median price for a house soared by +45% over the past 12 months, were Guanaba, Worongary and Mermaid Beach.
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2. The Sunniest Place in Australia
With an average of 300 days of sunshine the Gold Coast tops one of the sunniest places in Australia.
It has a subtropical climate, with summer temperatures averaging 21-29°C, typically are the short and intense tropical storms that roll in in the late afternoon and early evening. Humidity in the summer months can be high, 60-75%, but the cool sea breezes offset this.
Autumn and winter are what we live for, that’s when you reap the rewards of living on the Goldie. Beautiful clear, sunny and dry days and cooler nights. Temperatures range from 15° to 25°C during the day time.
Spring is equally beautiful with sunny days and mild tropical evenings. The days can be a little windy though.
3. Best Beaches in the World
When it comes to beaches, you’re spoilt for choice on the Gold Coast. There’s a total of 53km of golden sand and crystal clear water, from Rainbow Bay in the South to Stradbroke Island in the North. The surf is always epic somewhere along this continual stretch of 21 beautiful beaches. Whether you're looking to surf, swim or simply soak up the sun, there's a beach for you.
Here’s a full list of the GC beaches listed from the Southern end to the North tip:
4. Year-round Active Outdoor Lifestyle
With its excellent weather year-round and beautiful beaches, waterways, national parks, and green spaces, the Gold Coast is a great place to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle. There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation, such as kayaking, boating, fishing, cycling, SUPing, surfing and swimming.
The City of Gold Coast is determined to promote an active and healthy lifestyle for all its residents and offers a range of free/low-cost Active & Healthy Program activities for people of all ages, shapes and sizes.
With plenty of parks, hiking trails, and water activities, you'll never be short on things to do. Plus, the city is home to many fantastic outdoor events and festivals.
5. Conveniently Central
Located centrally on the Eastern Australian seaboard, the Gold Coast is developing into a hub for Australian and International visitors. There are over 380 flights each week and the airport welcomes more than 5.7million passengers each year.
Domestically there are daily flights from Sydney (1h), Melbourne (2h 5m), Canberra (1h 35m), Cairns (2h 15m), Adelaide (2h 20m), Perth (4h 30m), Newcastle (1h 5m) and Rockhampton (1h 10m) with Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tigerair and Qantas.
With the recent extension of the runway and the addition of a brand-new International Terminal the airport also started welcoming more international flights from Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Japan and New Zealand. Making it a springboard into Australia for international arrivals and a gateway to Europe, South/North America and Asia from Australia. International carriers include Air New Zealand, Air Asia, Scoot, Hong Kong Airlines, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tigerair and Qantas.
With Brisbane Airport only approximately 1 hour drive away this opens up the rest of Australia and the world. From here a further 31 airlines fly to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, totaling over 700 flights a week.
Average Frequency of flights to the Gold Coast:
Sydney: 25+ flights a day with Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Tigerair and Qantas
Melbourne (Tullamarine): 15+ flights a day with Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Tigerair and Qantas
Melbourne (Avalon): Daily flights with Jetstar
Cairns: up to 2 flights per day with Jetstar
Newcastle: 1 flight per day with Jetstar
Adelaide: 2 flights per day with Jetstar and Virgin Australia
Perth: 4 times per week with Jetstar
Canberra: 6 times per week with Virgin Australia
Tokyo: 6 times per week with Jetstar
Hong Kong: 5 times per week with Hong Kong Airlines
Auckland: up to 4 flights a day with Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Air Asia X
Christchurch: 5 flights per week with Jetstar and Air New Zealand
Queenstown: 3 flights a week with Jetstar
Wellington: 3 flights a week with Jetstar
Singapore: 4 flights a week with Scoot
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 11 flights per week with Air Asia.
