About Cost Atlas

Cost Atlas turns official NSW Government rental records into clear, local information for renters: what a new lease costs, how fast rent is rising, how much of a local wage it takes, and how often tenants get their bond back.

Why we built it

Most rent figures in the news come from listing sites and describe asking rents. The NSW Government publishes the rent on every new lease and every bond refund, but as large spreadsheets few people open. We do the work of turning those records into numbers anyone can look up for their own postcode.

We think clear information helps renters make better decisions and supports a fairer public conversation about housing affordability.

Independence

Cost Atlas has no ties to landlords, real estate agents or property portals, and we don't sell listings or placements. Our figures come only from public government data, and our methods are published on the methodology page.

Who we are

Cost Atlas is built and maintained by Winston Zeng, a software engineer in Sydney. Corrections and suggestions are always welcome.