Apartment build costs in Queensland rose 14% in FY2025, lifting the average to $713,000 per unit. In Brisbane, costs hit $658,000 per unit, the highest on record and surpassing both Sydney and Melbourne for the first time. 

Elsewhere in Queensland, the average climbed further to $794,000 per unit, driven by strong activity and larger, high end developments on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. The growing dominance of bigger apartments continues to push average costs upward, reflecting the market’s shift toward premium offerings.  

Construction input and output costs show signs of stabilising  

Quarterly data indicates that construction input costs in Queensland rose 0.9% in Q2 2025, the sharpest increase so far this year but modest compared to the surges seen in 2021-2022.  

Meanwhile construction output costs edged up 0.3% in Q2, representing a clear slowdown from spikes recorded in June and September 2024. Over the year, Brisbane’s output costs grew 1.2%, well below the national pace of 3% and significantly lower than the 10% growth seen in FY2024.  

This article references findings from our October 2025 SEQ Apartments Report. Read the full report here.