The recently released QCOSS 2012 Cost of Living report said regional towns exposed to the mining boom had suffered a "massive increase" in the cost of rent.

The report revealed the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Mount Isa jumped nine per cent in the year to March, 2012 and was currently $350 a week.

Median rent for a three-bedroom home increased eight per cent, currently at $400, the report showed. "Because of the demand for accommodation in these mining boom areas, low price rentals are impossible to find," the report said. "Those people renting in mining boom towns who are not working in mining jobs are very likely to be facing housing stress.

"Those households not in full time work or who rely on government income support face greater stress. It is very likely that these households will be struggling. Mount Isa Centacare Client Services Manager Catherine Devine said her organisation had seen an increase in the number of middle income families with financial stress.

"Before we would have more low-income earners but there's been a drift in middle income earners where something has happened, either loss of job of illness in the family, and the pressure due to high rent and cost of living has hit them," Ms Devine said.

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She said Mount Isa residents on low to middle incomes often had to make a daily or weekly choice on how to use their limited funds.

"They have to decide if they pay for rent then can we pay for private health insurance or school fees - something's got to give."

Ms Devine said as a not-for-profit organisation Centacare workers also struggled to find affordable rental properties.

"It's an issue for us.

"There have been times where staff have left when they couldn't find accommodation that was suitable and affordable."

"We have 67 staff here and those who arrive really struggle to find affordable rent."

Vivid Realty sales consultant and principal Leesa Fanti said her office had up to 30 enquiries daily for affordable rental properties.

Ms Fanti said she'd seen people leave Mount Isa due to the shortage of affordable homes.

"At the end of the day we are losing a lot of people because they come up looking for work, find something and then get frustrated about the high cost of housing and have to leave," she said.

"Even residents working in the mines; they might have three or four kids and are paying up to $550 a week rent on a single wage.

"It's the worst we've seen in our office in regards to demand. There's an absolute shortage."