‘Can’t imagine’: 26-year-old shares the amount of rent she pays a week that left her neighbour shocked

A young woman shared with her neighbour how much she pays in rent – which was met with shock – exposing a huge generational divide.

A Melbourne woman has come to a grim conclusion about renting after speaking with two of her older neighbours.

Chloe Ferrari, 26, spoke to two separate neighbours, and both were shocked to learn that she was paying $800 a week in rent.

In Australia, the median rental price has now soared above $600, and the 26-year-old is paying a premium to live close to amenities and work. Ms Ferrari explained that it is convenience she needs because she’s a single mum.

The mum-of-one said that one of her neighbours was so surprised when she told her how much she paid weekly in rent that, at first, she thought she was telling her the monthly amount.

“This is what made me realise she’s been living in this building for 10 years right? She thinks $800 (a month) is a normal rate,” she said.

Chloe Ferrari shared how much she pays in rent. Picture: Instagram/chloefferrari

The single mum says older people aren’t aware how much young people are paying in rent. Picture: Instagram/chloefferrari

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The conversation encouraged her to tell another older neighbour about her $800 weekly rent, and her reaction was similar – shock and disbelief.

That neighbour remarked, “Oh god, I can’t imagine paying that a week,” confirming Ms Ferrari’s theory that there’s a massive disconnect between Gen Zers and Boomers.

“No wonder people from the older generation think we’re just s**t with our money,” she said.

Ms Ferrari said it would be “so easy” to buy a home if she wasn’t paying so much in rent.

“Imagine not paying $800 in rent,” she said.

The 26-year-old then pointed out that she pays $40,000 yearly in rent and that if she didn’t spend so much, she’d have enough for a house deposit.

“Like, that is a deposit on a house just not paying that much in rent? Damn, no wonder they think we spend all our money on lattes and avocados,” she said.

She said “no wonder” older people think Gen Zers are bad with money. Picture: Instagram/chloefferrari

Some argued Ms Ferrari was paying too much in rent because of where she’s choosing to live. Picture: Instagram/chloefferrari

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Speaking to news.com.au, Ms Ferrari said that what she pays in rent is “the standard in Melbourne city.”

When she looked at two-bedroom apartments in the area she’s in now, the average was between $550 and $750, but there were zero amenities in the building and she ended up paying $800 because she needed a place quickly when she relocated for work.

She also pointed out that rent always ends up costing more than advertised. For instance, an apartment is advertised for $600 weekly, but the monthly rent is $2580, not $2400.

“I know there isn’t exactly 4 weeks in a month but if you get paid weekly, they’ve stated 600 a week, it ends up being a lot more,” she said. “It feels like a scam.”

Ms Ferrari also argued that she feels “safe” where she lives in the middle of the CBD, which is a priority as a single woman.

Young people jumped into share their own rental experiences. Picture: Instagram/chloefferrari

Despite Ms Ferrari’s honesty and the fact we’re in a rental crisis, some people online chose to claim it was her fault she was paying so much in rent.

Someone pointed out that she’s choosing to live in the city and have a certain “lifestyle”, which costs extra.

Ms Ferrari responded that she’s not complaining about how much she pays in rent; she’s simply trying to make a point that someone in the same building as her, who bought the property when she was a child, is “completely unaware” of how much rent costs these days.

The 26-year-old said that this particular neighbour has paid off her mortgage, so she pays $130 infrequently to cover body corporation fees.

“Why would you pay that? Live somewhere else,” another suggested.

“To be fair, if you can afford $800 a week rent, you’re doing pretty well for yourself,” one pointed out.

It wasn’t just criticism. Most of the responses were from young people sharing their experiences of older people not understanding how much housing costs in 2025.

“So sick of Boomers saying ‘just move further out’, Do those geniuses not realise we need to be close to the CBD to earn the level of income needed to survive these days,” another argued.

Someone else jumped in and said it isn’t even “that much cheaper regionally” and that they’re paying $580 in rent weekly to live in regional NSW.

Meanwhile, another argued that the cost of living crisis is insane, so it is unfair that older people act like young people are “s**t at saving”.

“We have paid more rent in 7 years than the owners purchased the house for in the 90s and we aren’t even paying high market rent. It is crazy,” another shared.

“When I tell my parents what our mortgage is they think I’m lying. Like no $1000 a week is normal but I mean … we need shelter,” one admitted.

“My dad was shook I hadn’t paid down my mortgage yet. I was like, Dad, ‘I’ve been here 4 years, what!”