We look at the average grocery bill in Australia by demographic and the latest statistics supermarket spend, including how many people are worried about the cost of groceries impacting their bank account balance.
If it seems like your money isn't stretching as far as it used to at the supermarket, you're right. Data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows prices rose for 78% of product categories between December 2022 and 2023.
This means you're paying around 9% more for bread, 11% more for eggs and 6% more for seafood, but 3.6% less for fruit. Inflation and transport costs are also putting pressure on suppliers and supermarkets, pushing prices up more. According to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker, 42% of Aussies say their grocery shopping is causing them financial stress, up from 19% three years ago.
Australians spent $14.18 billion at the supermarket in December 2023, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). That works out to about $532 per person over the 31 days in December.
In Australia, the cost of living is rising across the board – with an overall inflation level of 4.1% as at December 2023. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic being largely over and the supply chain returning to normal, inflation has an impact on almost everything, including food.
If we look at just groceries, price increases between December 2022 and 2023 range from 1.8% for poultry (meat) to 10.7% for eggs. The categories that have gotten slightly cheaper are: fruit, vegetables, lamb & goat, beef & veal, and other meats.
This is a change from past trends, when staples actually got more affordable compared to inflation.
| Grocery category | Inflation rate (12 months to Dec '23) |
|---|---|
| Eggs | 10.7% |
| Bread | 9.0% |
| Fish & seafood | 6.3% |
| Cheese | 6.2% |
| Coffee, tea & cocoa | 4.3% |
| Pork | 4.2% |
| Fruit | -3.6% |
| Beef & veal | -5.2% |
| Vegetables | -1.3% |
Source: Consumer Price Index, ABS, December 2024
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Visit multiple stores | 60.86% |
| Bulk buy | 52.59% |
| Coupons | 37.85% |
| Other | 12.55% |
| I do not do anything to save money on groceries | 7.97% |
So far for January 2024, people in the Victoria spend the most on groceries, with an average cost of $193 each week based on data from Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker. People in South Australia have the lowest average weekly cost of $181.
The cost of groceries is typically higher in regional and remote areas of Australia, where fewer supermarkets mean there is less competition. Transport to these areas also adds to the cost.
For example, groceries are on average 40% to 56% more expensive in remote and regional areas of the NT compared to district centres like Darwin or Alice Springs.
As another example, the price of eggs is 20% more in Alice Springs compared to Sydney according to data from Numbeo.
A bigger household usually means a higher grocery cost if you're sharing meals together. This may not be the case in a share house, but for the sake of comparison let's take a look at different costs based on Finder's data for different types of households, with an example of the household size.
| Household type | Household size example | Average cost of groceries per week |
|---|---|---|
| Single person | 1 person | $140 |
| Couple only | 2 people | $180 |
| Single parent with children | 2-3 people | $195 |
| Couple with children | 4 people | $258 |
Source: Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker (2024)
The Finder Consumer Sentiment Tracker shows that Gen Y spend the most on groceries, with an average weekly bill of $215. And Baby Boomers spend the least at $152 per week, suggesting that working adults and/or people with children at home typically have the highest grocery costs.
Dry, packaged foods like pantry staples make up the biggest portion of our shopping baskets (24%). This is followed by meat (18%) and fresh fruit and vegetables (16%). Finder analysis shows meat and fresh fruit and vegetables both rose over 10% in 2022, which makes cost increases more noticeable for the average shopping basket.
As the cost of living rises further, what you spend at the supermarket will also increase – but there are still plenty of ways to save money on groceries. Creating a good budget is another important step to take to help ease your bill shock at the checkout.
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How much should I be spending on groceries per week,
2 adults (parents)
4 kids, 21, 19, 14 & 12
Live in huntervalley NSW
Seems to be just getting more and more!!
Hi Patrice,
The average amount depends on a range of things: diet (eating meat is generally more expensive), access to fresh fruit and vegies (farmers markets tend to be cheaper), availability and location (regional locations can be pricier than city locations, where retailers buy in bulk) and more. You are right that groceries are getting more expensive! If you regularly shop at Woolworths or Coles, you may want to enrol in their paid rewards program: for $7 a month, you receive 10% off one shop per month (up to $500, which is a discount worth $50).
Best of luck!
What are the average cost of groceries for a family of 4 in Perth?
2 Adults
2 kids at 17 and 22.
Rg
The average cost for a family of four is (Couple with children, 4 people) is $258, but this is a national average, not simply Perth.