Malua Bay vs Surf Beach.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $960,000 and $767,000.
Surf Beach (median $767,000) is roughly 25% cheaper to buy into than Malua Bay ($960,000). Over the past year, Malua Bay (+9.1%) ran 10.6 percentage points ahead of Surf Beach (-1.5%) on house-price growth.
Surf Beach scores higher on walkability (0/100 vs 12/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Malua Bay (948) sits above Surf Beach (935). Malua Bay skews owner-occupied (79%), Surf Beach runs more rental-dense (68% owner).
For buyers
Surf Beach is the lower entry point at $767,000 median, 25% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Investors face a yield-versus-growth split: Surf Beach delivers the better gross yield (4.07% vs 3.25%), but Malua Bay has run faster on capital growth this year. The right pick depends on whether you're optimising for cash flow or capital appreciation.
For families
Malua Bay edges out on average school ICSEA (948 vs 935). Malua Bay also has a higher family-household share (74% vs 64%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Malua Bay or Surf Beach cheaper to buy in?
Surf Beach has the lower median house price at $767,000, roughly 25% below Malua Bay ($960,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Malua Bay or Surf Beach?
Over the past 12 months, Malua Bay grew +9.1% vs -1.5% in Surf Beach, a gap of 10.6 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Malua Bay or Surf Beach have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Malua Bay scores 948 vs 935 in Surf Beach. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Malua Bay or Surf Beach?
Surf Beach scores 12/100 on walkability vs 0/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Malua Bay or Surf Beach?
Gross rental yield on houses is 4.07% in Surf Beach vs 3.25% in Malua Bay. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
Compare Malua Bay against another suburb