Bernard Salt, KPMG Partner and demographer, wrote in The Australian about his qualms with the youth of today, the “evils of hipster cafes” and rebukes the younger generations about their complaints around housing affordability.   

Salt claims if the younger generations stopped eating avocado on toast, they would be able to afford a home. 

“I have seen young people order smashed avocado with crumbled feta on five-grain toasted bread at $22 a pop and more,” writes Salt.

“I can afford to eat this for lunch because I am middle-aged and have raised my family. But how can young people afford to eat like this?”

Salt concludes by saying, “Twenty-two dollars several times a week could go towards a deposit on a house.” 

I am not sure where Bernard is eating, but my avocado on toast is not even close to $22…

Since the article was published, many of those “hipster cafes” have been offering avocado on toast at discounted prices, and this weekend uber eats delivered avocado on toast for free. 

So, (at Bernard’s $22 pricing) how many avocados on toast would it take for someone to buy a home at the average house price in each major Australian City?

Based on Bernard Salt’s avo on toast prices we have used a June 2016 report from the REIA to determine The Avocado Index.

The Avocado Index

Source: The Real Estate Institute of Australia, The Real Estate Conversation.

Actual prices of smashed avo on toast around the country*

*The above prices may vary from that stated above. 

Bernard Salt's original article in The Australian can be found here.

See also:

Chris Bowen says housing affordability at 'crisis levels'

Pop-up homes and communities an answer to affordability crisis

The year of the 'e-change'