The cheapest suburbs to run in Moreton Bay, 2026
Every one of the 91 suburbs in the Moreton Bay council area pays the same council rate of $1,309 and the same water charge of $2,144. The cost of running a house across them still varies by $4,726 a year, which makes this a clean test of what actually separates one suburb from another.
Everton Hills is the cheapest Moreton Bay suburb to run in 2026 at $9,515 a year, followed by Stony Creek at $9,618 and Arana Hills at $9,693. The most expensive is Beachmere at $14,241. The median across all 91 suburbs is $13,101. These are annual running costs, not property prices.
Key statistics
- Suburbs ranked
- 91
- Cheapest
- $9,515 (Everton Hills)
- Dearest
- $14,241 (Beachmere)
- Median
- $13,101
- Spread
- $4,726
- Over ten years
- $54,178
This ranks what a house costs to run, not what it costs to buy. Council rates plus water plus the drive to work plus home insurance, for one year. SuburbCost publishes no property prices, medians or market values.
The 25 cheapest Moreton Bay suburbs to run
| Rank | Suburb | Distance | Commute | Insurance | Total a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Everton Hills | 10.4km | $3,162 | $2,900 | $9,515 |
| 68 | Stony Creek | 69.2km | $3,265 | $2,900 | $9,618 |
| 69 | Arana Hills | 11.1km | $3,340 | $2,900 | $9,693 |
| 70 | Bellthorpe | 75.1km | $3,280 | $3,100 | $9,833 |
| 71 | Ferny Hills | 13.3km | $3,875 | $2,900 | $10,228 |
| 72 | Bunya | 13.8km | $3,991 | $2,900 | $10,344 |
| 73 | Cedarton | 71.3km | $3,115 | $3,900 | $10,468 |
| 74 | Albany Creek | 14km | $4,036 | $3,000 | $10,489 |
| 75 | Commissioners Flat | 68.9km | $3,340 | $3,800 | $10,593 |
| 76 | Stanmore | 68.6km | $3,416 | $3,900 | $10,769 |
| 77 | Bray Park | 20.5km | $5,328 | $2,000 | $10,781 |
| 78 | Neurum | 64.2km | $4,431 | $3,000 | $10,884 |
| 79 | Brendale | 16.9km | $4,658 | $2,800 | $10,911 |
| 80 | Eatons Hill | 16.8km | $4,638 | $2,900 | $10,991 |
| 81 | Camp Mountain | 16.4km | $4,556 | $3,000 | $11,009 |
| 82 | Woodford | 62.3km | $4,817 | $2,900 | $11,170 |
| 83 | Samford Village | 17.5km | $4,778 | $3,100 | $11,331 |
| 84 | Warner | 19km | $5,063 | $2,850 | $11,366 |
| 85 | Strathpine | 19.1km | $5,080 | $2,900 | $11,433 |
| 86 | Margate | 26.4km | $6,181 | $1,900 | $11,534 |
| 87 | Wights Mountain | 19.6km | $5,171 | $2,950 | $11,574 |
| 88 | Samford Valley | 19.1km | $5,080 | $3,200 | $11,733 |
| 89 | Redcliffe | 28.2km | $6,380 | $1,900 | $11,733 |
| 90 | North Lakes | 27.6km | $6,317 | $2,000 | $11,770 |
| 91 | Jollys Lookout | 19.9km | $5,224 | $3,300 | $11,977 |
The ten most expensive
| Rank | Suburb | Distance | Commute | Insurance | Total a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beachmere | 40.3km | $6,988 | $3,800 | $14,241 |
| 2 | Godwin Beach | 43.3km | $6,941 | $3,800 | $14,194 |
| 3 | Dayboro | 35.8km | $6,912 | $3,800 | $14,165 |
| 4 | Caboolture | 45.5km | $6,857 | $3,800 | $14,110 |
| 5 | Toorbul | 47.9km | $6,716 | $3,800 | $13,969 |
| 6 | Woorim | 48.2km | $6,695 | $3,800 | $13,948 |
| 7 | Bongaree | 45.6km | $6,852 | $3,400 | $13,705 |
| 8 | Samsonvale | 28.7km | $6,431 | $3,800 | $13,684 |
| 9 | Welsby | 54.9km | $6,019 | $4,200 | $13,672 |
| 10 | Meldale | 49.4km | $6,603 | $3,600 | $13,656 |
What separates them
Two of the four costs are constant here. Moreton Bay is one council, so the rate is $1,309 everywhere, and Unitywater serves the whole area, so water is $2,144 everywhere. Half the model is a flat line.
That leaves commute and insurance to explain the entire $4,726. Across these suburbs the drive to work varies by $3,873 and insurance by $2,300. Beachmere at the top carries a $6,988 commute from 40.3km out and a $3,800 insurance estimate. Everton Hills, 10.4km from the city, pays $3,162 and $2,900.
There is one wrinkle worth naming, because the table looks wrong without it. A few distant suburbs sit near the cheap end, Stony Creek at 69.2km among them. That is the commute model tapering trip frequency with distance: somebody 69.2km out is not driving to the Brisbane CBD five days a week, and the model does not charge them as though they were. The expensive band is the commuter belt in the middle, not the far edge.
Held for a decade with costs growing at 3%, the $4,726 gap compounds to roughly $54,178. That is worth more than most of the features people compare when choosing between two houses.
Methodology
What is counted. Council rates (2026-27), water and sewerage, the modelled drive to work, and home insurance for a house. Not counted: mortgage or rent, electricity, groceries, or anything that varies by household rather than by address.
Commute. Distance to the Brisbane CBD at the ATO 2026-27 rate of 91c per kilometre, with trip frequency tapering by distance. It is measured straight line, which understates real road distance. Naming an actual workplace in the free report routes it by road instead.
Excluded. Any suburb carrying a neighbouring council's rate, a neighbouring utility's water figure, or a commute predating the July 2026 model revision. None of the 91 Moreton Bay suburbs was excluded on those grounds.
Estimates. Home insurance is AI-estimated and labelled as an estimate throughout the site. Council rates and water come from published budgets and utility pricing.
Cite this data
SuburbCost data is free to cite with attribution. Please link to this page as the source.
Rates change every July
One email a year, when the new council budgets land and these figures are rebuilt. Nothing else.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest suburb in Moreton Bay?
On annual running cost, Everton Hills at $9,515 a year, counting council rates, water, the drive to work and home insurance. Stony Creek follows at $9,618. This measures what a house costs to run each year and is not a property price.
How much are council rates in Moreton Bay?
$1,309 a year as the minimum residential general rate for an owner-occupied home in 2026-27, the same across all 91 suburbs in the council area. Most owner-occupiers pay more, scaled to their land value. Unitywater bills water separately at $2,144.
Why do Moreton Bay suburbs cost different amounts if the rates are the same?
Because rates are only one of four costs. Council rates and water are identical across the whole council area, so the entire $4,726 difference between the cheapest and dearest suburb comes from the drive to work, which varies by $3,873, and home insurance, which varies by $2,300.