How much it costs to live at Australia’s 10 best beaches
Fancy a slice of coastal paradise to call your own?
Tourism Australia’s Best Australian Beaches 2025 highlights stunning coastlines in regional areas, where buyers can pick up a property for as little as $500,000 ... or splurge on a multimillion-dollar waterfront home.
This is how much it costs to buy into Australia’s best beaches.
The Bay of Fires in north-east Tasmania has been crowned Australia’s best beach. Credit: Andrew Bain / Alamy Stock Photo
1. Bay of Fires, Tasmania
Median house price in Tasmania’s north-east: $535,500
The Bay of Fires in Tasmania’s north-east has been crowned the best beach in Australia, and it’s the first time a Tasmanian beach has been awarded the title.
Buying into nearby towns St Helens and Binalong Bay can cost as little as $500,000, Harcourts St Helens director and property representative Heidi Howe says, but luxe waterfront homes will cost buyers upwards of $2 million.
“The closer you get to the Bay of Fires, the more the prices go up,” Howe said. “That $2 million price range is your high end, right on the water.”
While St Helens is more residential, Howe said Binalong Bay remained a popular area for second-home buyers, with holiday homes accounting for about 75 per cent of the market.
She added that the Bay of Fires area offered a tranquil beach getaway where holidaymakers can switch off and disconnect.
“[Being there] is like getting away from the world ... there’s no Woolworths, no McDonald’s,” she said.
“It’s absolutely pristine and beautiful the whole way through. There’s very rarely anyone on the beach.”
2. Woolgoolga, NSW
Median house price in Woolgoolga: $825,000
Just north of Coffs Harbour on the northern NSW coast, Woolgoolga attracts property buyers from far and wide.
Vision Property Sales’ Brad Vines said a large percentage of his buyers are from out of area, many from Sydney and Melbourne, as well as northern NSW and south-east Queensland.
Most are making a permanent move, while some are buying a home and renting it out in the medium term, with plans to move there in two to five years.
Vines lists the “awesome beaches” for swimming and surfing as drawcards, plus the beachside cafes and shops.
“It is not as built up as what you are getting up north – Cabarita, Byron Bay. A lot of people are making a move,” he said. “This is a pocket that reminded them of what it was like when they bought in those areas 20 to 30 years ago.”
He said entry-level homes began at $650,000 and up, and homes in newer estates cost about $850,000.
Larger homes within a 300-metre to 400-metre walk from the beach could cost over $1.2 million and as much as $4.5 million at the very top end.
Vines said that with limited stock and quite a number of buyers looking, he thought the market favoured sellers.
“Anything that comes on the market, if it is priced right, it is selling quite well.”
3. Emily Bay Lagoon, Norfolk Island
Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, Norfolk Island has homes for sale for under $1 million.
A three-bedroom house recently sold for $880,000, while a 1.6-hectare block of land with ocean views was bought for $265,000.
4. North Kirra Beach, Queensland
Median house price in Coolangatta region: $1,405,000
It’s not cheap to have the beach in your backyard on the Gold Coast, with apartments located near North Kirra Beach costing upwards of $1 million. The price might be high, but there are plenty of suburbs to choose from.
The median price for a unit in Bilinga is $1,580,500, while it costs a median of $1.2 million for a unit in neighbouring Coolangatta. A unit in nearby Tugun will set buyers back $1,377,500.
5. Little Lagoon, Western Australia
Median house price in Gascoyne region: $427,500
If you drive eight hours north of Perth, you’ll come across the tranquil blue waters of Little Lagoon, located in WA’s Gascoyne region.
Five minutes away in the town of Denham, house prices range from budget friendly to waterfront luxury. A two-bedroom unit is currently for sale with an asking price of $265,000, while a six-bedroom beachfront home has been listed with a price guide of $1,785,000.
6. Fishery Bay, South Australia
Median house price in Eyre Peninsula and south-west region: $350,000
A slice of paradise doesn’t have to break the bank on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Fishery Bay’s pristine waters and long stretch of white sand are tucked away in the tranquil Lincoln National Park, but a house in nearby Port Lincoln will only set buyers back a median of $480,900.
If you’re looking for a more remote property, the Eyre Peninsula and south-west region offer homes for a median price of $350,000.
7. Seventeen Seventy, Queensland
Median house price in Gladstone region: $525,000
If you want direct access to snorkelling, paddleboarding and secluded beaches, then a home near Seventeen Seventy beach might be for you.
A favourite among families, Seventeen Seventy – or 1770 – is in the Gladstone region of Queensland, a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
But having the reef on your doorstep comes at a cost. A 610-square-metre block sold last year for $1.1 million; in the neighbouring town of Agnes Water, a five-bedroom house with sweeping ocean views has been listed for sale with a price guide of $6.5 million.
8. Scarborough Beach, Western Australia
Median house price in Scarborough: $950,000
The clear blue waters of Scarborough Beach are popular among Perth locals and tourists alike.
Scarborough Beach offers a slice of paradise while being close to Perth.Credit: Tourism Australia
Situated in the Perth suburb of Scarborough, the beach offers a slice of paradise while being within driving distance from the city. A house in this sought-after area will set buyers back a median of $950,000, while prices in neighbouring Double View are slightly higher, with a median house price of $1,067,500.
9. Caves Beach, NSW
Median house price in Caves Beach: $1,320,000
Known for its network of caves, coastal walks and panoramic views, Caves Beach, south of Newcastle, has a median house price of $1,320,000, but if buyers look a little further inland they can find homes for less than $1 million.
Neighbouring Swansea offers a slightly more affordable alterative, with a median house price of $960,500.
10. Cowes Beach, Victoria
Median house price in Cowes: $750,000
Cowes Beach on Phillip Island was the only Victorian beach to make the Top 10 list.Credit: PENNY STEPHENS
The only Victorian beach to make the list this year, Phillip Island’s Cowes Beach has been bringing in visitors – and home buyers – for decades.
With a median house price of $750,000, the Cowes market is a mix of holiday home buyers and people looking to call the island home, says Stockdale & Leggo Phillip Island director Jaime Morris.
“It’s cheaper, the further out of Cowes you go,” Morris said. “If you want to be right on the waterfront, or you want a larger home, the price is upward of a million dollars.”
“We always get people coming down and commenting that it’s so beautiful here, as opposed to some other areas in Victoria, particularly if you’re coming from a city beach to the island,” she said. “I think everyone just does get blown away.”