Cost of living · 7 min read
Cost of living in Australia in 2026: everyday prices explained
Australian prices for fuel, electricity, phones, streaming and food, in AUD and USD, set against Australian incomes and other rich countries.
In Australia today, petrol costs about A$2.30 a litre, household electricity about A$0.372 per kWh, a Big Mac A$8.50, Netflix Standard A$20.99 a month and the iPhone 18 Pro A$2,099. In US dollars that is $1.60, $0.259, $5.95, $14.61 and $1,461. Against an average income of $64,120 (about A$92,108), that phone is 8.3 days of earnings.
These are the everyday prices we track directly. Rent, grocery baskets and public transport fares are not in our data, and in Australia rent swings so much between Sydney, Perth and a regional town that a single national figure would mislead anyway. Prices come from Apple’s and Netflix’s Australian storefronts, GlobalPetrolPrices and The Economist’s Big Mac Index; income is World Bank GNI per capita.
How Australia compares with its English-speaking peers
| Country | Petrol /L | Power /kWh | Big Mac | iPhone 18 Pro | Avg income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇺 Australia | $1.60 | $0.259 | $5.95 | $1,461 | $64,120 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | $1.23 | $0.190 | $6.22 | $1,199 | $88,810 |
| 🇨🇦 Canada | $1.45 | $0.123 | $5.81 | $1,225 | $56,420 |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | $2.32 | $0.405 | $7.40 | $1,585 | $54,550 |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $1.96 | — | $5.14 | — | $46,630 |
All figures are US dollars; Apple’s US price excludes sales tax while the others include GST or VAT, and New Zealand has no iPhone or electricity data in our set. Of the five, only the USA has a higher average income than Australia. That matters as much as any single price. Measured in work time at each country’s average income, the iPhone 18 Pro costs an Australian 8.3 days, against 4.9 days in the USA, 7.9 days in Canada, 10.6 days in the UK.
Petrol: the price that moved
Fuel is where Australian costs have shifted most. In our 2026-07-03 snapshot a litre averaged about A$1.64; it is now A$2.30, a change of +40% in Australian dollars (+41% in US dollars). In dollar terms that was the 2nd-largest increase among the 170 countries in both snapshots, and the biggest among the peers above. Filling a 60-litre tank now costs around A$138.
Australia imports most of its refined fuel, and wholesale prices track the Singapore benchmark for petrol plus fuel excise, so swings in Asian refining margins and in the Australian dollar reach the pump quickly. On top of that, the big cities run weekly price cycles, so the day you fill up can matter as much as the month. Even after the move, Australia sits well below the British price and above the American one. The national average, and where it ranks among 170 countries, is on the Australia petrol page.
Electricity: dear by world standards, cheap next to Britain
At $0.259 per kWh (about A$0.372), Australian household power ranks 110th of 134 countries from cheapest. It costs more than in the US ($0.190) and Canada ($0.123), but less than in the UK ($0.405). For a home using 500 kWh a month, a round illustrative figure, that comes to about A$186 before supply charges. Australia has one of the highest rates of rooftop solar in the world, so many households buy far less from the grid than that, and the bill depends heavily on whether you own the roof. Business tariffs average $0.244 per kWh. All countries are ranked on the electricity price page.
Phones, streaming and a burger, GST included
Every Australian price here includes 10% GST. Remove it and the iPhone 18 Pro is about A$1,908, or $1,328, which is $129 more than the pre-tax US price of $1,199. Travellers leaving Australia can claim the GST back through the Tourist Refund Scheme on qualifying purchases, which turns that ex-GST figure into a real option for visitors. Every model is priced on the iPhone 18 Pro Australia page.
- Netflix Standard with ads: A$9.99 a month ($6.95), 0.1% of monthly income
- Netflix Standard: A$20.99 a month ($14.61), 0.3% of monthly income
- Netflix Premium: A$28.99 a month ($20.18), 0.4% of monthly income
- Spotify Premium Individual: A$15.99 a month ($11.13), 0.2% of monthly income
- Big Mac: A$8.50 ($5.95), about 12 min of work at the average wage
What an Australian income buys
Days of income levels the field between countries with different wages and currencies. Here is the iPhone 18 Pro and a Big Mac measured that way:
- Australia: iPhone 18 Pro 8.3 days; Big Mac 12 min of work
- United States: iPhone 18 Pro 4.9 days; Big Mac 9 min of work
- Canada: iPhone 18 Pro 7.9 days; Big Mac 13 min of work
- United Kingdom: iPhone 18 Pro 10.6 days; Big Mac 17 min of work
- New Zealand: no iPhone data; Big Mac 14 min of work
For head-to-head detail see Australia vs USA, Australia vs UK and Australia vs Canada, or the full Australia country page.
Australia cost of living FAQ
How much is petrol in Australia right now?
About A$2.30 a litre ($1.60) nationally in our 2026-10-13 snapshot, so a 60-litre tank costs around A$138. City prices cycle up and down weekly around that average.
Is Australia more expensive than the USA?
In US dollars, 3 of the 6 items we can compare cost more in Australia: iPhone 18 Pro ($1,461 vs $1,199), petrol ($1.60 vs $1.23), electricity ($0.259 vs $0.190). Cheaper or equal in Australia: the Big Mac ($5.95 vs $6.22), Netflix Standard ($14.61 vs $19.99), Spotify ($11.13 vs $12.99). Apple's US price excludes sales tax, and average US income is $24,690 higher.
What is the average income in Australia?
World Bank GNI per capita for Australia is $64,120 (2025), about A$92,108 a year or A$7,676 a month.
Does this guide include rent and groceries?
No. We track fuel, electricity, iPhone, Netflix, Spotify and Big Mac prices plus average income. Rent, groceries and transport fares are not in our data, and rent in particular varies enormously between Australian cities.