How much does in-home aged care cost in Australia?

Under Support at Home, most providers charge somewhere between $95 and $130 an hour for everyday services like personal care, cleaning and meal preparation, and more for nursing and allied health. The national median for personal care is about $115 an hour. That is the price charged against your budget, not what you pay out of your own pocket.

Is that what I actually pay?

No, and this is the part almost everyone gets wrong. The hourly rate is what the provider charges against your Support at Home budget. What you personally pay is a contribution worked out from your income and assets and from the type of service. Two people can receive identical care and pay very different amounts. Your contribution rate comes from Services Australia, not from a provider.

Why do rates go up at night and on weekends?

Because carers are paid more at those times under the award. Looking at published price lists, evenings tend to run about 17% above the weekday rate, Saturdays about 30%, Sundays about 59% and public holidays about 89%. A provider that does not publish these is not necessarily cheaper.

What is a care management fee and why does it matter so much?

It is what a provider charges to coordinate your care, and it is where most of the money quietly goes. Across published price lists it runs from about 10% of your budget to around 25%, or roughly $120 to $165 an hour. The difference between a 10% fee and a 25% fee is hours of actual care every single week, which is why it is worth asking about before the hourly rate.

Are there government price caps?

Not yet. Caps were scheduled for 1 July 2026 and were deferred in May 2026 while an independent pricing study runs. Until they start, providers set their own prices, must publish a full price list publicly, and cannot charge separate administration, entry or exit fees. Check health.gov.au for where that has landed by the time you read this.

What does Aldera charge?

Aldera is pre-registration, so it cannot yet be paid from a Support at Home budget. Care is arranged privately in the meantime and we quote you in dollars, for your situation, before anything starts. Call 1300 998 928 and you will get a number, not a brochure.

Costs

What in-home aged care actually costs.

What the market actually charges, with the part everybody gets wrong explained first. No sign-up needed to read it.

Start here, or none of the numbers make sense

There are two different numbers in home care and providers rarely separate them.

The provider price is what a provider charges for an hour of care. It comes out of your Support at Home budget. This is the number on every price list, including the ones below.

Your contribution is what actually leaves your bank account. It is worked out from your income and assets and from the type of service, and it is set by Services Australia, not by a provider. Two people can get exactly the same care and pay very different amounts.

So when someone tells you home care costs $115 an hour, that is almost never what you pay. Ask any provider for both numbers. If they will only give you one, that tells you something.

What providers charge, nationally

Median prices per hour under Support at Home, with the range across the market. These are market rates, not Aldera's.

National median provider prices per hour by service type, with low and high range
Service	Median	Range
Personal care	$115	$107 to $120
Medication assistance	$110	$63 to $119
General house cleaning	$110	$100 to $117
Laundry	$95	$65 to $109
Meal preparation	$100	$70 to $115
Shopping assistance	$110	$100 to $125
Individual social support	$111	$105 to $120
Accompanied activities	$122	$110 to $125
Cultural support	$129	$95 to $173
Flexible respite	$115	$105 to $121
Gardening	$118	$98 to $143
Care management	$120	$30 to $150
Registered nurse	$180	$160 to $195
Physiotherapist	$194	$143 to $224
Occupational therapist	$222	$190 to $255

Per hour, weekday business hours. Aggregated from price lists published publicly by in-home aged care providers across Australia, reviewed August 2026. Providers set their own prices and change them, so always check the price list of whoever you are considering.

Nights, weekends and public holidays

Carers are paid more outside weekday hours under the award, so rates rise. A provider that does not publish these is not cheaper, it is just quieter. These uplifts are indicative, taken across published price lists.

Weekday, 6am to 8pm base rate
Weekday evening and overnight, 8pm to 6am about 17% above base
Saturday about 30% above base
Sunday about 59% above base
Public holiday about 89% above base

The fee that matters more than the hourly rate

Care management is what a provider charges to coordinate your care. It comes out of the same budget that pays for your actual hours, so a high fee buys you fewer visits. This is the first question worth asking anyone, including us.

Charged as a percentage of your budget: Commonly 10% to 25%, and higher in places; Every percentage point comes out of the same budget that pays for your visits.
Charged as an hourly rate: Roughly $120 to $165 an hour, weekdays only in most cases; Ask how many hours a month you should expect to be charged, not just the rate.

Seven questions worth asking any provider

Take this list to the phone. The answers will tell you more than any brochure, and they work just as well on us as on anybody else.

1 What is your care management fee, as a percentage and in dollars a month?
2 What are your rates for evenings, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays?
3 Do you charge for travel, and how is it calculated?
4 Is there a joining fee, an exit fee, or a minimum contract?
5 What is your cancellation policy, and how much notice do I need to give?
6 How many hours of actual care will my budget buy after all your fees?
7 How many different carers will come to my home in a month?

What Aldera charges

Our full rate card goes here, and it is not here yet. We would rather leave it blank than publish a number we might have to change on you.

Aldera is pre-registration, which means we cannot yet be paid from a Support at Home budget. Care is arranged privately in the meantime. Call us, describe an ordinary week, and you will get a figure in dollars for your situation before you commit to anything.

What we will never charge you

No joining fee, entry fee or exit fee
No separate administration fee on top of the hourly rate
No charge for the first conversation, the home visit or the care plan
No charge for the quarterly kitchen-table review
No minimum contract length, and no exit penalty if you leave

Get a figure for your situation

Common questions

How much does in-home aged care cost in Australia?: Under Support at Home, most providers charge somewhere between $95 and $130 an hour for everyday services like personal care, cleaning and meal preparation, and more for nursing and allied health. The national median for personal care is about $115 an hour. That is the price charged against your budget, not what you pay out of your own pocket.
Is that what I actually pay?: No, and this is the part almost everyone gets wrong. The hourly rate is what the provider charges against your Support at Home budget. What you personally pay is a contribution worked out from your income and assets and from the type of service. Two people can receive identical care and pay very different amounts. Your contribution rate comes from Services Australia, not from a provider.
Why do rates go up at night and on weekends?: Because carers are paid more at those times under the award. Looking at published price lists, evenings tend to run about 17% above the weekday rate, Saturdays about 30%, Sundays about 59% and public holidays about 89%. A provider that does not publish these is not necessarily cheaper.
What is a care management fee and why does it matter so much?: It is what a provider charges to coordinate your care, and it is where most of the money quietly goes. Across published price lists it runs from about 10% of your budget to around 25%, or roughly $120 to $165 an hour. The difference between a 10% fee and a 25% fee is hours of actual care every single week, which is why it is worth asking about before the hourly rate.
Are there government price caps?: Not yet. Caps were scheduled for 1 July 2026 and were deferred in May 2026 while an independent pricing study runs. Until they start, providers set their own prices, must publish a full price list publicly, and cannot charge separate administration, entry or exit fees. Check health.gov.au for where that has landed by the time you read this.
What does Aldera charge?: Aldera is pre-registration, so it cannot yet be paid from a Support at Home budget. Care is arranged privately in the meantime and we quote you in dollars, for your situation, before anything starts. Call 1300 998 928 and you will get a number, not a brochure.

General information only, not financial advice. Figures are other providers' published prices as at August 2026 and change over time. For your own contribution amount, contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or visit myagedcare.gov.au.

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Describe an ordinary week and we will give you a figure in dollars, not a range and not a brochure.

Call 1300 998 928

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