Cost of living: What you pay depends on where you live

Aussies all over the country are being hit hard by the cost-of-living crisis but different expenses are more pricey in some places than others.

New data from Australian open banking provider Frollo found that Aussies living in different states were being hit differently by increased prices.

The data revealed that in the ACT, fuel spending had more than doubled (up 130 per cent) compared to 2021, from $70 to $162 per month.

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Hospitality spending in the nation’s capital was up by 70 per cent, from $408 to $694.

But, the most significant spending increase in hospitality spending was in NSW (up 141 per cent), from $506 to $1,221 per month.

Queenslanders had seen spending on petrol surge 51 per cent - from $101 to $154 a month.

South Australians spent 101 per cent more on utilities compared to last year.

Their monthly utilities spend was up from $117 to $250. SA residents also spent significantly more on fuel (up 85 per cent), up from $80 to $148 per month.

On the flipside, most spending categories increased by less than 20 per cent in Victoria, except for hospitality.

Spending in that category was up by 42 per cent - from $511 to $728 per month.

In Western Australia, the biggest spending increase was on fuel, up 38 per cent - from $115 to $158 per month.

Frollo head of products Kris Davant said the data revealed that many Aussies were facing challenges.

“Many of the things they’re spending more on are essentials, like groceries, medical bills and utilities,” Davant said.

“With the holidays coming up, things will probably not get much easier anytime soon.”

Generation spending gap

It’s not just where you live that impacts how much you’re spending, but also which generation you’re from.

The Frollo data found the most significant increases for Boomers were on fuel and medical spending.

Fuel spending was up 45 per cent, from $116 to $168 per month and medical spending was up from $298 to $413 per month.

Gen X were spending 46 per cent more on hospitality, the biggest increase of all generations.

This was up from $558 to $813 per month. Their second-biggest spending increase was on fuel - from $119 to $171 per month.

Millennials’ biggest percentage increase was on medical spending, up by 53 per cent - from $154 to $234 per month.

Their second-biggest increase was on hospitality spending, up by 38 per cent, from $504 to $693 per month.

Gen Z’s medical spending also jumped significantly - albeit from a much lower base - increasing by 47 per cent - from $67 to $99 per month.

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