Aged care home cost calculator
Estimate what you might pay in a residential aged care home under the fee arrangements that started on 1 November 2025. This uses the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing's published rates and method. Your actual fees are set by Services Australia after a means assessment.
Your figures are only used to work out this estimate. They aren't saved or sent anywhere.
What you might pay
- Basic daily fee: everyone pays this, currently $68.93 a day.
- Means-tested contributions: a hotelling contribution (up to $22.15 a day) and a non-clinical care contribution (up to $109.45 a day), depending on your income and assets.
- Accommodation: the room price as a lump sum (RAD), a daily payment (DAP), or a mix. Or, if your means are low, a smaller daily contribution.
Rates used
| Rate | Value | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| Basic daily fee | $68.93 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Maximum hotelling contribution (daily) | $22.15 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Maximum non-clinical care contribution (daily) | $109.45 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Non-clinical care contribution lifetime cap | $140,652.80 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Maximum accommodation supplement (daily) | $73.73 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Home exemption cap | $219,858.40 | 20 Sep 2026 |
| Maximum permissible interest rate (MPIR) | 8.51% | 1 Oct 2026 to 31 Dec 2026 |
| Room price allowed without approval | $789,686 | 20 Sep 2026 |
Sources: Schedule of fees and charges for residential care, residential aged care fee scenarios and RAD retention (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing). This calculator covers people entering care on or after 1 November 2025. It doesn't cover respite, pre-November 2025 residents, higher everyday living fees or extra services.
Official fee information and help
Links open in a new tab. See all official aged care resources
Prefer to just ask? Describe your situation in your own words
No jargon, no forms full of terms you don't know. Describe the situation like you'd tell a friend. We'll ask a couple of quick questions if something's missing, then compare homes for you using official government data.
- A shortlist with a personal Match Score and why
- What it might cost: lump sum, daily or a mix
- What we couldn't confirm, and the questions to ask
- Understood: area, room, care needs, budget
- Compared homes nearby on government Star Ratings
- Calculated costs with current government rates
- Listed what to check with each home