Dunno that seems pretty nuts to me. I live in Australia: known to have one of the most unaffordable and bonkers property markets in the world, and I live 1.5km from the centre of Brisbanes CBD, and pay $2800 for a 3/2/2 townhouse with a backyard…

Different markets have different realities. People have to compare their relative markets.

I live in Israel near Tel Aviv. Your $2800 (I'm assuming AUD) is 10% more than my mortgage. I live 10 minutes from the beach (and downtown), 2 minutes from a forest, and have a 5+.

If your value was USD then everything I just wrote holds true fro Tel Aviv, one of the most expensive markets in the world. OPs original post would get him a fantastic place here ~15 minutes from the beach and 15 minutes from work.. on foot. But salaries also don't match that.

That sounds perhaps normal for New York or California metros. But even in Portland, which is not renowned for it's affordable housing options, a two bedroom apartment downtown can be had for $1800/mo, and a three bedroom for $2800/mo.

I respectfully disagree. LA is one of the least affordable metros when factoring in income. It gets even worse when you start looking for a place with a specific commute, washer/dryer, adequate off street parking, etc.

It's not. Median rents in NYC is over $4k. LA is nowhere near that.

"Factoring income" is also a non-sensical qualifier for how expensive a metro is. Using that measure then Miami would be considered far and away the most expensive metro in the country.