Average grocery bill Australia

What is the average grocery bill?

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Buying groceries is one of our biggest living expenses after housing costs, so it makes ‘cents’ Aussies look to reduce their grocery bills whenever possible. For that, it’s important to know exactly what we’re spending at the supermarket each shop in order to then adjust our budgets and buying habits accordingly.

That’s why we have compiled this guide on average grocery bills in Australia. We’ve included average grocery costs by state, household size and supermarket, plus listed some budgeting tips to reduce your grocery bill.

Average grocery bill in Australia

Aussie households spend on average $160 per week on groceries, according to Canstar Blue’s August 2023 survey of supermarket shoppers. This equates to almost $693 a month or $8,320 a year. The average weekly spend for larger households of five or more people is roughly $204, with the majority of this spent on staple or everyday food items.

Here’s what most Aussies buy in their weekly food, as found in our survey:

  • Fresh fruits & vegetables: 65%
  • Dairy/eggs: 59%
  • Bakery items (i.e. bread): 55%
  • Meat/seafood/deli items: 53%
  • Pantry items (i.e. rice, pasta, cooking oil, etc.): 52%
  • Drinks (i.e. coffee, tea, soft drinks, etc.): 49%
  • Frozen foods: 44%

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Average grocery bill by state

This table shows the average weekly grocery bill across Australian states, based on a Canstar Blue survey of more than 1,000 households (of all sizes).

State Average weekly grocery bill
Western Australia $153
Victoria $153
New South Wales $159
Queensland $165
Tasmania $166
South Australia $171

Source: Canstar Blue research, August 2023. 

As outlined above, households in Western Australia and Victoria reported the lowest average weekly grocery bill of $153, while those in South Australia spend the most at the supermarket, to the tune of $171 per week ($18 more).

Average grocery bill by household size

This table shows the average weekly grocery bill in Australia by household size.

Household size Average weekly grocery bill
1 $100
2 $155
3 $179
4 $207
5 or more $204

Source: Canstar Blue research, August 2023. 

Naturally, larger households of four or more (including dependents) spend more on groceries, forking out over $200 a week.

What is the average grocery bill per person?

The average grocery bill for single-person households in Australia is $100 a week, which is equivalent to $433 a month or $5,200 a year.

What is the average grocery bill for a family of 4?

How much does the average Australian family spend on groceries per week? This will vary widely depending on location, whether you live in a regional or metropolitan area, the age of children and various other lifestyle factors. Our survey indicates that four-person households (this may include families or four people living under the same roof), spend on average $207 per week on groceries, equalling $897 a month or $10,764 a year.

Average grocery bill by supermarket

This table displays the average weekly grocery bill in Australia by supermarket.

Supermarket Average weekly grocery bill
Woolworths $158
ALDI $159
Coles $163

Source: Canstar Blue research, August 2023. 

Prices between supermarkets will vary depending on distributor pricing (what a supermarket pays to source and stock a particular product), what they source directly from manufacturers, location (i.e. regional or metropolitan) and simple supply and demand.

Please note: the average supermarket grocery spend is a reported monetary cost not indicative of basket size or groceries volume. A higher grocery spend could simply be the result of shoppers buying more items with each shop (i.e. Special Buys, appliances, etc.) and a lower spend could be the result of customers buying less. 

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Top 10 tips to save money on groceries

  1. Make a grocery budget: Set yourself a food budget for the week. The easiest way to do that is to allocate about $50 per person in your household. Once you have a concrete figure, work your grocery shop around that, and try to stay on budget.
  2. Write a shopping list: Similarly to having a budget and sticking to it, you should write down a shopping list of everything you need before you head to the shops. Check your pantry and fridge first to make sure you’re not doubling up on anything. Once you have a list written down, buy only what’s on that list and nothing else. Sorry, that Kinder Bueno will need to go back on the shelf!
  3. Get ‘appy’:There’s an app out there for practically anything, including for saving money on groceries. Apps like Half Price compare and track down specials across the major supermarkets like Coles, Woolworths and ALDI.
  4. Know the system: Did you know most produce and perishable products like meat and milk are typically marked down the day before their ‘best before’ date? Or that manufacturers/brands pay a premium price to have their products on shelves at eye level, while home brands are typically ‘pushed’ down on the lower shelves? Hack the system to your convenience!
  5. Use supermarket rewards programs: Woolworths has the Everyday Rewards card and Coles has Flybuys, which allow you to collect loyalty points for dollars spent, redeemable for discounts on future shops.
  6. Check the unit price: ‘Cheaper’ doesn’t always mean good value. The best way to make sure you’re getting bang for your buck on any product is to check the unit pricing. It’s a mandatory labelling system that basically tells you the cost per litre, per kilogram (or whatever unit of measurement) of what you want to buy.
  7. Buy supermarket brands: You can save a few bucks at the checkout by ditching big brand names for private supermarket labels, especially when it comes to non-perishable products like pasta, rice, canned beans, etc. Our survey found nearly half of Aussies (48%) believe supermarket private labels are good quality.
  8. Don’t pay full price if you don’t have to: Check out the supermarkets’ weekly catalogues for promotions and discounts, to see which items on your shopping list you can buy for less. As good practise, always keep your eyes peeled for sale signs whether you’re shopping in-store or online.
  9. Buy in bulk. Necessities such as toilet paper and pantry items are often cheaper to buy in bulk than in single packets. Do the maths and see if you can shave a few dollars off your shop that way.
  10. Reduce food waste. You can save big bucks by re-purposing or freezing leftovers, instead of throwing uneaten food (and money) in the bin.

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Dean Heckscher
Site Editor
Dean Heckscher oversees and maintains the quality of all content produced on the Canstar Blue website. He’s been writing in the comparison industry for over five years and holds dual Bachelor degrees in Business and Creative & Professional Writing from the Queensland University of Technology.

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