·James Hartley·11 min read

Best Rental Yield Calculators in Australia (2026): 5 Tools Compared

Compare the best rental yield calculators in Australia for 2026. We review the propkt calculator, Domain, realestate.com.au, CoreLogic, and SQM Research.

Key takeaways

  • Gross yield is annual rent divided by property value, but net yield (which subtracts expenses) gives a far more accurate picture of your actual return.
  • Capital city houses typically yield 2.5% to 4.5% gross, units 4% to 6%, and regional centres 4.5% to 7% in 2026.
  • Free tools like the propkt calculator and Domain suburb data are sufficient for most landlords; CoreLogic and SQM Research are better suited to serious investors making large purchase decisions.
  • Higher yields often come with higher risk, including vacancy and weaker capital growth, so yield should never be assessed in isolation.
  • Once you own a property, tracking your actual yield against real income and expenses matters more than any calculator estimate.

Rental yield is one of the most important metrics for property investors. It tells you how much return your property generates relative to its value. A high gross yield means your property is earning well relative to what you paid. A high net yield means it is still earning well after accounting for expenses. Understanding both is essential for evaluating investment properties, comparing opportunities, and assessing whether your current portfolio is performing. If you are just getting started, our first investment property checklist covers yield alongside other key considerations.

The calculation itself is straightforward. Gross yield is annual rent divided by property value, expressed as a percentage. Net yield factors in expenses like insurance, rates, maintenance, and management fees. But getting accurate inputs requires either good data or good tools.

This guide reviews five rental yield calculators available to Australian property investors. Some are simple online tools. Others are part of broader research platforms. We have evaluated each on accuracy, ease of use, and the insights they provide.

1. propkt Rental Yield Calculator

Best for: Australian landlords who want a free, straightforward yield calculator with both gross and net yield

Pricing: Free. No sign-up required.

The propkt rental yield calculator is a free online tool that calculates both gross and net rental yield. Enter the property value, weekly rent, and annual expenses, and the calculator shows your gross yield, net yield, and annual rental income.

The calculator is designed specifically for Australian property investors. It uses weekly rent (the Australian standard) as the input and calculates on an annual basis. The net yield calculation includes common expense categories so you can see the impact of rates, insurance, maintenance, and other costs on your actual return.

For propkt users, the yield calculator complements the platform's financial tracking. You can compare the calculated yield against your actual property performance tracked in propkt's expense tracking and tax summary.

Pros:

  • Free with no sign-up required
  • Calculates both gross and net yield
  • Australian-focused (weekly rent input)
  • Clear, simple interface
  • Instant results

Cons:

  • Manual input (no automatic property data lookup)
  • Does not account for capital growth
  • Static calculation (not linked to live data)
  • Does not include mortgage costs in yield calculation

Best if you want a quick, free yield calculation for any property. Useful for evaluating potential purchases or checking the yield on your current portfolio.


2. Domain Yield Data

Best for: Investors researching suburb-level yield data across Australia

Pricing: Free to access on Domain.com.au.

Domain provides suburb-level rental yield data as part of its property research tools. You can look up median rental yields for houses and units in any suburb, see how yields have changed over time, and compare suburbs across a city or state.

Domain's yield data is based on their extensive listing and rental data, which gives it broad coverage across Australian markets. The data is updated regularly and provides a useful benchmark for evaluating individual properties against the suburb average.

The limitation is that Domain provides median yields at the suburb level, not calculations for individual properties. Your specific property may yield more or less than the suburb median depending on its condition, features, and the rent you charge. Domain's data is best used for research and benchmarking rather than calculating your actual return.

Pros:

  • Suburb-level yield data across all of Australia
  • Historical yield trends
  • Based on extensive listing and rental data
  • Free to access
  • Useful for suburb comparison and research

Cons:

  • Suburb medians, not individual property calculations
  • Does not calculate net yield (expenses not factored)
  • Data may lag actual market conditions
  • No custom expense inputs

Best if you are researching suburbs and want to compare yield performance across areas. Best used alongside a property-specific calculator.


3. realestate.com.au Yield Insights

Best for: Investors who want yield data integrated with property listings and market research

Pricing: Free to access on realestate.com.au.

realestate.com.au is Australia's largest property portal and provides yield-related insights through its suburb profiles and property data tools. Suburb profiles show median rents and median prices, from which you can calculate approximate yields for houses and units in any area.

The platform's strength is its data breadth. With the largest collection of property listings in Australia, realestate.com.au's rental and sale price data is comprehensive. When you are evaluating a property listed for sale, you can cross-reference the listing price with local rental data to estimate potential yield before making an offer.

realestate.com.au does not provide a dedicated rental yield calculator tool. You get the data (median rents, median prices, rental listing information) and calculate yield yourself or use another tool.

Pros:

  • Australia's largest property data set
  • Suburb profiles with median rents and prices
  • Integrated with property listings for research
  • Free to access
  • Useful for pre-purchase due diligence

Cons:

  • No dedicated yield calculator tool
  • You need to calculate yield manually from the data
  • Suburb-level data, not property-specific
  • No expense factoring for net yield
  • Data presentation varies across the site

Best if you are actively looking at properties to buy and want to estimate yield using listing and rental data from the largest Australian property portal.


4. CoreLogic (RP Data)

Best for: Serious investors who want detailed property data and analytics including yield metrics

Pricing: Subscription-based. Professional and consumer products at various price points.

CoreLogic (formerly RP Data) is Australia's leading property data and analytics provider. Their data underpins valuations, lending decisions, and investment research across the property industry. CoreLogic provides yield data at suburb, postcode, and property levels, along with detailed analytics including capital growth, sales history, and market trends.

For yield calculations, CoreLogic's advantage is data depth. Their automated valuation models (AVMs) can estimate a property's current value, which combined with rental data gives more accurate yield calculations than using purchase price or listed price alone.

The trade-off is cost. CoreLogic's consumer products (like RP Data) require a subscription, and the most detailed data requires professional-tier access. For casual yield calculations, free tools are sufficient. For serious portfolio analysis and due diligence, CoreLogic provides a level of data that free tools cannot match.

Pros:

  • Australia's most comprehensive property data
  • Property-level valuations and yield estimates
  • Capital growth data alongside yield
  • Historical data for trend analysis
  • Industry-standard data used by banks and valuers

Cons:

  • Subscription required for detailed data
  • Can be expensive for individual investors
  • Complex platform with a learning curve
  • Consumer products have limitations compared to professional tier

Best if you are a serious investor making significant purchase decisions and need the most accurate data available for yield analysis and due diligence.


5. SQM Research

Best for: Investors who want independent market research including vacancy rates and yield data

Pricing: Some data free. Detailed reports and subscriptions at various price points.

SQM Research is an independent property research firm that provides market data including rental yields, vacancy rates, asking rents, and listing volumes. Their data is widely cited in media and used by investors and property professionals.

SQM Research's yield data is particularly useful when combined with their vacancy rate data. A suburb with high yields and high vacancy is a very different investment proposition from one with moderate yields and near-zero vacancy. Understanding both metrics together gives a more complete picture of rental market conditions.

SQM Research also publishes forward-looking analysis and forecasts, which can help investors assess whether current yields are sustainable or likely to change.

Pros:

  • Independent research with no listing bias
  • Vacancy rate data alongside yield data
  • Forward-looking analysis and forecasts
  • Widely respected in the Australian property industry
  • Some data available free

Cons:

  • Not a yield calculator (provides data, not calculations)
  • Detailed reports require payment
  • Suburb-level data, not property-specific
  • Interface is functional rather than polished

Best if you want independent market research that combines yield data with vacancy rates and market analysis for informed investment decisions.


Understanding Rental Yield

Before choosing a calculator, make sure you understand what you are calculating:

Gross Yield

Gross yield = (Annual rent / Property value) x 100

This is the simplest measure. If your property is worth $600,000 and earns $500 per week in rent ($26,000 per year), the gross yield is 4.3%.

Gross yield is useful for quick comparisons but does not reflect your actual return because it ignores expenses.

Net Yield

Net yield = ((Annual rent - Annual expenses) / Property value) x 100

Net yield accounts for expenses like council rates, water, insurance, maintenance, management fees, and strata levies. For a full breakdown of the costs of owning a rental property, see our dedicated guide. Using the same example, if expenses are $8,000 per year, the net yield is 3.0%.

Net yield is a more accurate measure of investment performance. For a detailed calculation, use the propkt rental yield calculator.

Cash-on-Cash Return

If you financed the property with a mortgage, your actual cash return depends on the deposit you put down, not the total property value. Cash-on-cash return measures the return on your actual invested capital.

Typical Yields Across Australia

Yields vary significantly by location, property type, and market conditions. As a rough guide for 2026:

  • Capital city houses: Typically 2.5% to 4.5% gross yield
  • Capital city units: Typically 4.0% to 6.0% gross yield
  • Regional centres: Typically 4.5% to 7.0% gross yield
  • Mining and resource towns: Can be higher but with higher vacancy risk

Higher yields often come with higher risk (vacancy, capital growth uncertainty, tenant quality). Lower yields in capital cities are often offset by stronger capital growth over time. Understanding negative gearing is important when yields do not cover your holding costs.

How We Chose These Tools

We evaluated yield calculators on criteria relevant to Australian property investors:

  • Accuracy: How reliable are the inputs and calculations?
  • Australian focus: Does the tool use Australian market data and conventions?
  • Ease of use: Can you get a useful result in under a minute?
  • Cost: Is the data free or does it require a subscription?
  • Context: Does the tool provide broader market data to contextualise the yield figure?

Final Thoughts

A rental yield calculator is a starting point, not a decision-maker. Yield tells you how much income a property generates relative to its value, but it does not tell you about capital growth potential, neighbourhood quality, tenant demand, or maintenance risk. You can also use our negative gearing calculator to understand the tax impact when expenses exceed rental income. A property with an 8% yield in a declining suburb may be a worse investment than one with a 3.5% yield in a growth area.

Use the propkt rental yield calculator for quick, free calculations on any property. Use Domain and realestate.com.au data for suburb-level comparisons. And if you are making significant investment decisions, consider CoreLogic or SQM Research data for deeper analysis.

Once you own the property, track your actual yield in propkt using expense tracking and the tax summary. Your actual net yield, based on real income and expenses, is the number that matters. The calculator gives you an estimate; your tracking data gives you the truth.

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