Electricity
+12.8%
Electricity prices rose 12.8% in the year to Sep 2026, against 4.3% for all goods and services.
Australia in Numbers
Census figures for 14,663 suburbs, ACARA profiles for 11,039 schools, and the ABS and RBA series behind the cost of living. Every figure names its source and date.
Prices rose 4.3% in the year to Sep 2026, most in Hobart (5.3%) and least in Melbourne (4.0%). Inflation by city and category
Valid: year to Sep 2026 · Source: ABS monthly CPI, all groups
Find the data
Places
- Suburb profilesPopulation, income, rent and age for 14,663 suburbs and localities, Census 2021.
- School searchICSEA, enrolments and school zones for 11,039 schools, ACARA 2025.
- ICSEA explainedWhat the school score means, by state and sector, with the highest ICSEA schools.
- Richest suburbsRanked by median personal income, nationally and by capital city.
- Cheapest suburbs to rentRanked by median weekly rent, Census 2021.
Cost of living
- InflationMonthly CPI by capital city and category.
- Wages and inflationWage Price Index against CPI, by state.
- JobsUnemployment and participation by state.
- EarningsAverage and median earnings by state and industry.
- HousingDwelling prices and years of income to buy.
- PopulationNational total, age profile and density.
- Petrol pricesWeekly averages by capital city, and Sydney daily prices.
Calculators
- Inflation calculatorWhat an amount from an earlier year is worth today.
- Parental leaveGovernment Paid Parental Leave for 2026-27.
- Redundancy payNotice, redundancy pay and tax on the payment.
- Contractor or employeeTake-home pay and the break-even day rate.
- FIRE calculatorYears to financial independence, in today's dollars.
- Fuel costThe cost of a drive at current petrol prices.
- Grocery prices over timeWhat 15 grocery staples cost in any year since 2000.
- All calculatorsPay, tax, super, property and more.
Where household prices moved most
Three categories against the all-groups rate. ABS monthly CPI, Sep 2026.
Rent
+3.5%
Rent prices rose 3.5% in the year to Sep 2026, against 4.3% for all goods and services.
Insurance
+5.4%
Insurance prices rose 5.4% in the year to Sep 2026, against 4.3% for all goods and services.
Price rises by capital city
Annual change in the CPI for each capital, year to Sep 2026. Select a city for its category breakdown.
RankCityAnnual changeIndex
1 HobartFastest rise +5.3% 105.28
2 Darwin +5.2% 105.17
3 Adelaide +5.0% 105.01
4 Canberra +4.7% 104.65
5 Perth +4.5% 104.52
6 Brisbane +4.4% 104.41
7 Sydney +4.3% 104.31
8 MelbourneSlowest rise +4.0% 104.01
Average of the capital-city indexes: 104.67. Index base: September 2025 = 100.
Hobart: annual change by category
- Automotive fuel +28.8%
- Electricity +14.4%
- Private motoring +11.1%
- Utilities +11.0%
- Transport +10.3%
- Housing +6.9%
- Water and sewerage +6.2%
- Insurance +5.7%
- Take away and fast foods +5.5%
- Meals out and take away foods +5.4%
- Restaurant meals +5.3%
- Alcohol and tobacco +5.2%
- Beef and veal +4.5%
- Milk +4.5%
- Gas and other household fuels +4.3%
- Medical and hospital services +4.2%
Price change by category
Annual change for each CPI category, Australia, Sep 2026 against a year earlier.
- Automotive fuel +23.6%
- Electricity +12.8%
- Water and sewerage +10.2%
- Utilities +9.5%
- Private motoring +9.4%
- Transport +8.7%
- Beef and veal +5.8%
- Insurance +5.4%
- Milk +5.4%
- Housing +5.2%
- Medical and hospital services +4.8%
- Alcohol and tobacco +4.3%
- Restaurant meals +4.1%
- Meals out and take away foods +3.9%
- Take away and fast foods +3.6%
- Rents +3.5%
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages +3.2%
- Communication +2.3%
- Bread +2.3%
- Cheese +1.8%
- Motor vehicles +1.4%
- Gas and other household fuels +1.0%
- Poultry +0.4%
- Coffee, tea and cocoa −1.0%
- Pharmaceutical products −1.4%
- Eggs −2.3%
CPI by capital city, last 13 months
All-groups index for each capital city. Hover for exact values.
All-groups CPI index by capital city Valid: Jan 2025 to Sep 2026 · ABS monthly CPI · Index base Sep 2025 = 100
Heavy lines: fastest and slowest annual rise.
Brisbane
Melbourne
Darwin
Sydney
Hobart
Canberra
Perth
Adelaide
Data sources
| Source | Series | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Bureau of Statistics | Consumer Price Index (Cat. 6401.0): monthly CPI by capital city and category. ABS CPI Release | Sep 2026 |
Updated monthly · Last ABS data: Sep 2026 · ABS methodology