According to a survey conducted among adults in Australia in 2024, 67 percent of the respondents surveyed in September believed that the cost of living is the chief issue that Australia is facing. This represented a two percent increase in those citing the cost of living as the main issue compared to February of the same year.

In a survey about factors contributing to cost of living pressures in Australia during the second quarter of 2022, 62 percent of respondents identified groceries as the biggest contributor. Additionally, 47 percent mentioned transport as a key contributor.

A dataset comparing the cost of living between Sydney and Melbourne in 2025, covering rent, property prices, transport, dining, childcare, and entertainment expenses.

Budget Direct's in-depth analysis of the latest statistics and survey responses on Australian attitudes to cost of living increases.

In a survey conducted in Australia during the second quarter of 2022, over half of the respondents indicated that they had switched to cheaper brands or shopped around for cheaper prices as a way of dealing with cost of living pressures. More than one in ten respondents indicated that they had deliberately missed a bill payment in response to rising pressures.

The Regional Price Index contrasts the cost of a common basket of goods and services at a number of regional locations to the Perth metropolitan area. The RPIs were commissioned to assist with the calculation of the Western Australian State Government’s regional district allowance, and it has been used to assist in policy decision-making. Show full description

In December 2023, the Housing Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Melbourne, Australia reached 148.2 index points. The CPI for housing in Australia had experienced a sharp increase over the past year, with Melbourne rising just over 7 index points since December 2022.

In Dec 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Adelaide, Australia was 137.1, recording a change of 6.3 percent on the 2022 December quarter, an increase higher than any other capital city in the country. The CPI measures household inflation and has risen steadily across the country since 2019.

Consumer Price Index CPI in Australia increased to 139.40 points in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 139.10 points in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - Australia Consumer Price Index (CPI) - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Australia's capital cities recorded a weighted average change of 0.6 percent on the preceding quarter. The alcohol and tobacco category saw the highest increase of 2.8 percent, while the transport category saw a negative change of -0.2 percent.

Overview

The report presents updated estimates of household food expenditure trends and examines further issues relating to Australia's household food expenditure. The analysis builds on a June 2017 ABARES report that examined recent trends in food demand in Australia and a range of food security issues.

Key Issues

Between 2009-10 and 2016-17, the key drivers of Australia's household food demand growth were, in order of importance, population growth, changes in tastes and preferences (including lifestyle choices), lower real food prices and real income growth. While population growth is important, increasing the number of people seeking to meet their energy and nutrition requirements, there has also been a broadly-based shift toward spending on meals out and fast foods, with the share of meals out and fast foods in household food expenditure in Australia increasing from 31 per cent in 2009-10 to 34 per cent in 2015-16. This increases food expenditure per person, all else constant.

Domestic household consumption is still the most important market for food producers (based on value), but food exports have recovered strongly in recent years, from $25 billion in 2009-10 to $39 billion in 2016-17 (in 2015-16 prices); the share of exports in Australia's indicative food production increased from a recent low of 25 per cent in 2009-10 to 33 per cent in 2016-17.

Two key questions posed in the report relate to food security across population sub-groups and economic opportunities for farmers and other food product and service providers. • Food security-based on average outcomes in population sub-groups in 2015-16 using HES data, the Australian Government's transfer system is important in ensuring a high level of food security across households in Australia; some households, such as those highly reliant on family support payments, may require complementary support, for example, from non-government organisations.

• Economic opportunities in the domestic food supply chain-future food demand growth in Australia will be underpinned by population and income growth. For people living in higher income and/or net worth households, there is a demonstrated willingness to pay a premium for quality attributes of food products and services, including convenience factors. Food labelling is a key approach to inform consumers about quality attributes that may earn a price premium.

A key challenge in the long-term trend toward increased demand for meals out and fast foods is to ensure people have information about food attributes such as nutrition content. Reliable and well understood food product and service labelling may enhance nutrition security in Australia, and allow consumers to make food choices that are more closely aligned with their tastes and preferences (including in relation to nutrition and health), and wider circumstances, as well as contributing to reducing food waste.

According to a survey conducted among adults in Australia in September 2024, 28 percent of the respondents said that the Coalition is the most capable in managing the cost of living in the country. In comparison, 27 percent of the surveyed adults claimed that the Australian Labor Party (ALP) is most capable at managing the cost of living in Australia.

The Woolworths Group held the largest share of the grocery retail market in Australia in the 2023 financial year, with a share of 37 percent. Woolworths' major competitor, the Coles Group, came in second with a little over a quarter of the market share. Aldi and IGA remain behind their competitors, with shares of 10 percent or less of the market. Growth of online grocery shopping in Australia While physical stores remain the most prevalent grocery shopping channel among Australians, online grocery shopping has become increasingly popular across Australia recently as consumers and grocery retailers were forced to adapt to the pandemic. Online grocery shopping has gained momentum, with around one-third of Australian consumers reporting shopping for groceries mainly in-store and partly online and just over 13 percent mainly online or exclusively online. The most common online grocery purchases made by consumers in Australia in 2022 included dry goods, such as pasta and rice, sweets and snacks, and dairy products. Grocery price inflation in Australia Price rises continue to be witnessed across many grocery product categories in Australia, with bread and cereal products accounting for the largest annual price increase. As a result of rising grocery costs, an increasing number of Australian households cite grocery expenses as a major source of stress. To lessen the impact of cost-of-living pressures, many shoppers are adopting strategies to reduce their grocery bills, such as searching for deals and specials when shopping.

The Crisis and Care Accommodation industry forms part of Australia's community welfare sector, and provides services for some of the most economically vulnerable people in Australian society, including children, those with long-term disabilities and the elderly. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, a growing number of Australians were at increased risk of homelessness, with many experiencing financial hardship, persistent disadvantage and social exclusion. Stagnant wage growth in inflation-adjusted terms, heightened housing stress and associated incidences of family breakdown and family violence have boosted demand for crisis and care accommodation over the past few years. Given high inflation and rising rental costs, many of the industry’s clients have become increasingly vulnerable and their needs are also becoming more complex. Rising disability prevalence is creating additional challenges for residential care providers, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics finding that 5.5 million Australians had a disability in 2022. However, the ability to meet increased demand has not necessarily been matched by additional funding, constraining industry and profit growth. In light of these socio-economic variables and supply constraints, industry revenue growth is expected to be a modest 4.3% annualised over the five years through 2024-25 to $5.7 billion, including anticipated growth of 4.1% in the current year. Solid demand for residential care services is expected over the coming years, bolstered by strong demand for homelessness services in the face of ongoing rent costs and inflationary pressures. An ageing population is set to continue driving demand for palliative care and respite services. Government policies and associated regulatory reforms - including those stemming from the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability - will dictate the industry's operating environment as the government looks to establish a roadmap for Australia's care and support economy. Industry growth rates will remain modest at 2.5% annualised over the five years through 2029-30, to reach $6.4 billion.

In December 2023, the Housing Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Sydney, Australia reached 150 index points. The CPI for housing in Australia had experienced a sharp increase over the past year, rising just under 10 index points.

According to a January 2022 survey in Australia, the most important issues affecting voting choices among Gen Z were the handling of COVID-19 and climate change, representing respectively 20 percent of Gen Z respondents. Meanwhile, Millennials and Gen X prioritized the cost of living issues, whereas Baby Boomers rated management of COVID-19 and of the economy the most important.

Subway was the leading quick service restaurant (QSR) found on food delivery platforms in Australia, with over 3,250 online restaurants across various platforms as of 2022. McDonald’s and KFC were also fighting for the top spot, but had slightly fewer online restaurants on major meal delivery platforms. Nonetheless, McDonald's and KFC may have a greater overall presence due to offering delivery through their own websites, not just exclusively on meal delivery websites and apps. Quick service restaurants in Australia QSRs are popular among Australian consumers. As of 2024, New South Wales was Australia’s fast food chain hub, home to the highest number of Subway, McDonald’s, and Domino’s stores across Australia. While fast food remains popular, many Australian consumers have higher sustainability expectations of QSRs. In a recent survey, more than half of respondents indicated that they would like quick service restaurants to donate unused food to charities, and some were willing to pay more at food establishments engaging in this practice. Fast food establishments using recyclable packaging and local produce were also more appealing to customers across the country. Dining out behavior in Australia In response to cost-of-living pressures across Australia, several consumers dine out at restaurants less. South Australians intended to cut back on visits to food establishments the most, followed by Western Australians and Queenslanders. With a rise in sustainability consciousness surrounding takeout among Australians, over half of consumers indicated that they wanted to order in less due to higher costs. Many customers also said that receiving complimentary drinks or starters and personalized offers could boost their loyalty toward particular food establishments, despite cost-of-living pressures.

The Kitchen and Diningware Wholesaling industry has experienced dynamic developments over the last few years. Pandemic lockdowns resulted in heightened demand for home improvements, including kitchenware and diningware, stimulating an increase in retail sales, which led to a surge in orders for wholesalers. The pandemic also expedited a move towards online shopping, presenting wholesalers with new opportunities to reach consumers. Even so, the industry has been negatively impacted by the wholesale bypass trend, which has undermined the traditional role of wholesalers as retailers seek direct relations with manufacturers. A slump in residential housing construction, rising purchase costs and a cost-of-living crisis curtailing downstream consumer spending on kitchen and diningware have also hampered industry revenue and profitability. Many wholesalers have sought to offset this by focusing on the sale of premium items. The challenging circumstances have resulted in business closures and reduced industry employment. Overall, revenue is expected to creep upwards at an annualised 0.6% over the five years through 2024-25, to an estimated $3.5 billion. This includes an estimated dip of 2.6% in the current year. Over the coming years, kitchen and diningware wholesalers are poised to benefit from positive downstream shifts in consumer demand, driven by an increase in residential building construction in response to population growth and heightened activity in the property market following interest rate cuts. Higher disposable income and improved consumer sentiment are also set to spur retail spending on homeware products, a trend that will pass down to wholesalers through demand from retail buyers. Manufacturers and retailers will continue to shape the industry's future. Wholesalers will need innovative strategies to retain their consumer base and avoid wholesale bypass. The contraction in industry enterprise and establishment numbers is set to persist, constraining revenue growth but also providing opportunities for some wholesalers to secure a larger market share. Overall, industry revenue is forecast to climb at an annualised 1.1% through the end of 2029-30, to $3.7 billion.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Perth, Australia recorded a weighted average change of 1.5 percent on the preceding quarter. The housing category saw the largest increase of 6.3 percent, while the clothing and footwear category dropped -0.8 percent.

In December 2023, the Housing Consumer Price Index (CPI) in Adelaide, Australia reached 147.3 index points. The CPI for housing in Australia had experienced a sharp increase over the past year, with Adelaide rising over ten index points from the previous December.