Aged care home costs and fees

• Basic daily fee: An amount that everyone pays for the day-to-day services they will receive at the aged care home.
• Means-tested care fee: A contribution that some people pay toward the cost of their care, determined by a means assessment.
• Accommodation costs: An amount that some people pay to contribute towards or cover the full costs of their room, depending on their means assessment.

Depending on which aged care home you choose and what you agree to with your provider, there are additional things you may be charged for. Unlike your care and accommodation costs, these fees are not set by the government. This means if you agree to them, you will need to pay the full cost yourself.

• Additional service fees: Fees for services that go beyond the minimum care and service requirements.
• Extra service fees: Some aged care homes offer extra service rooms and can charge for the bundle of upgraded hotel-type services provided.

Your aged care provider must record all these fees in your resident agreement, your accommodation agreement and, if needed, your extra services agreement. Your accommodation and extra services agreements may be merged into your resident agreement.

Everyone pays a basic daily fee. This fee helps pay for your day-to-day services such as meals, cleaning, facilities management, and laundry.

You pay this fee directly to your aged care home, generally on a fortnightly or monthly basis. The fee applies for every day you are a resident, including days when you might be away overnight—for example, on holiday or in hospital.

The basic daily fee is set at 85% of the single person rate of the basic age pension. The government updates it on 20 March and 20 September each year in line with increases to the age pension. Prices are published on the Department of Health website.

Based on current rates, the maximum basic daily fee is $52.71 per day, or $19,239.15 per year.

The means-tested care fee is an extra contribution that some people pay, as determined through a means assessment. It is an ongoing fee towards the cost of your personal and clinical care.

Personal care can include help with bathing, dressing, grooming, and going to the toilet. Clinical care can include services like specialised nursing services, medication assistance, or catheter care.

This means-tested care fee is different for everyone, and not everyone will have to pay it. If you do need to pay it, the exact amount will be determined once you enter care. Services Australia will let you and your provider know what this amount will be for you.

Your means-tested care fee will be between $0 and $259.26per day. The maximum means-tested care fee changes with indexation and is regularly updated on this site.

Your means-tested care fee does not remain fixed when you enter an aged care home; it can change over time. Read more about how your aged care fees can change over time. 

How do I know if I need to pay a means-tested care fee?

You can use our fee estimator to find out if you need to pay a means-tested care fee and get an estimate of what the amount might be.

If you do have to pay a means-tested care fee, you may need to complete a means assessment to find out the exact amount. Read more about means assessments and find out if you need to complete one using our Income and means assessments tool.

When should I get a means assessment?

Most people should complete their assessment after they have been assessed for an aged care home and before they have entered care. However, if you want to understand your costs upfront, you can complete your means assessment earlier.

Annual and lifetime caps

There are annual and lifetime caps that apply to the means-tested care fee. Once you reach a cap, you cannot be asked to pay any more in means-tested care fees.

Annual and lifetime caps are indexed on 20 March and 20 September each year. The cap amounts that apply to you are those that are current when you reach them, not those that were current when you entered care.

The maximum an aged care home can charge you as of 20 March 2021 is:

• $28,338.71 per year, or
• $68,012.98 in a lifetime.

Note: Any income-tested care fee you paid while you were receiving home care will also be counted towards the annual and lifetime caps if you move into an aged care home.

Every aged care home sets its own accommodation pricing. This pricing depends on factors such as location and room size. The amount you pay for your accommodation depends on the aged care home you choose and your eligibility for government help, which is worked out through a means assessment.

Do I need to negotiate a room price?

Everyone entering an aged care home needs to agree on a room price in writing with their provider before they enter care. Whether or not you need to pay the agreed amount will depend on your means assessment. As a general guide:

• If you are eligible for government assistance, the government will pay some or all of your accommodation costs to your provider. You will be asked to contribute if the government does not pay the full amount.
• If you’re not eligible for government assistance, you will pay the room price you agreed to with your aged care home.

Your room price will depend on:

• the type of room you choose, and
• the price you negotiate with your aged care home.

The type of room you choose

Aged care homes may set their room prices depending on:

• whether it’s a single or shared room, or if it has a shared bathroom or ensuite
• the size of the room
• the geographical location of the aged care home.

While there is flexibility in how you pay for your accommodation, it’s still important to choose a room within your budget.

Prices vary from one provider to the next. So, it's important to look around and research all the costs for different homes and different rooms before making a choice.  

You can find and compare room costs using the Find a provider tool.

Your price negotiations

Aged care homes are required to publish their maximum accommodation costs for their various rooms on this website. You and your provider can negotiate and agree to a lower price. However, you cannot be charged more than the published price for that room.

Read more about what to consider when shortlisting aged care homes—including location, type of room, and price negotiation—on our Connecting with aged care homes page.

Do I have to pay the full cost upfront?

No, you have three options as to how you can pay for your accommodation:

• a refundable lump sum amount
• rental-style daily payments, or
• a combination of both.

For detailed information about the different accommodation payment options, how each option works, and how to work out your costs, visit the Understanding aged care home accommodation costs page.

How much do I pay and how much does the government contribute?

If you can afford it, you are expected to pay for your room. However, help with some or all of the accommodation costs is available to those who need it. This is determined by a means assessment, but as a general guide:

• If you have income below $28,100.80and assets below $51,000, the Australian Government will pay your accommodation costs.
• If you have income above $70,827.12or assets above $173,075.20, you will need to pay for the full cost of your accommodation, negotiated and agreed to with the aged care home.
• If you need to pay for part of your accommodation, Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) will determine your contribution amount based on your means assessment. The Australian Government will pay the rest.

These income and asset amounts change with indexation on 20 March and 20 September every year and are up to date as at 20 March 2021.

More information on how the means assessment is used can be found in the How do I find out what it might cost me? section below, or you can try our Income and means assessments tool.

Many aged care homes offer additional hotel-type services that you have to pay for. These services may include things like a preferred brand of toiletries, access to paid TV services, or arranging a hairdresser.

Some homes allow you to pick and choose what additional services you would like, so you only pay for what you use. Others may have a package of additional services they provide, and some of them must be agreed to as a condition of living in the home.

You and your provider must agree on a fee for additional services before you start receiving them. However, you can only be charged for additional services that you can make use of or benefit from. Because additional service offerings are specific to the provider, the fees for these services are set by the provider. They are not subsidised by the government.

Your home will be able to tell you what additional services they provide, their associated costs, and whether they are mandatory services that come with living at the home.

Some aged care homes have “extra service” status. This means that they can provide residents with a higher standard of hotel-type services—including specialised menus, higher quality linen or particular room furnishings. This extra service status can apply to the whole home or just to individual rooms.

Aged care homes with this status can charge a regular extra service fee, which pays for a bundle of extra services. If you agree to enter an extra service room, you will have to pay this fee, whether or not you use the full bundle of extra services provided. The fee will be covered in your extra service agreement.

Extra service fees are set by the provider and are not subsidised by the government. You will have to pay the full costs.

You can ask your aged care home if they have extra service status and whether they charge a fee, or use the Find a provider tool. If your preferred home has extra service status, ask for their list of bundled services. That way you will know exactly what you are entitled to receive for your extra service fee.

You can use the fee estimator to get an idea of:

• the basic daily fee
• your means-tested care fee, and
• whether you may be eligible for assistance with your accommodation costs.

Once that’s done, you can use the Find a provider tool to:

• see how much rooms cost,
• if the provider has extra service rooms, and
• find a room that is within your budget.

You will only know if the provider has additional service fees when you meet with them.

You can also use the income and assets checklist to get an idea of what financial information is taken into account.

You will need a means assessment to find out:

• whether you are eligible for assistance with your accommodation costs, and
• what your maximum means-tested care fee will be. (You may pay a lower amount depending on your cost of care when you enter the aged care home)

Whether you need to complete a means assessment for aged care will depend on whether you are receiving an Australian Government means-tested income support payment and whether you own your home.

I’m on a means-tested income support payment and do not own my own home

You will not need to complete a means assessment for aged care. Services Australia will already have enough information to do the assessment for you.

When you enter care, Services Australia will send you a fee advice letter to confirm if you need to pay a means-tested care fee and/or accommodation costs. If you require a fee advice letter before you enter care, you can call Services Australia on 1800 227 475.

I’m on a means-tested income support payment and own or part own my home

You will need to provide some extra information about your home so that Services Australia or DVA can complete your means assessment. Completing the Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care form (SA486) is the easiest way to do this.

I’m not receiving a means-tested income support payment

You will need to provide information to Services Australia or DVA for a means assessment. You can do this easily through the Aged Care Calculation of your cost of care form (SA486).

What if I disagree with the results of my means assessment?

If you don’t think your means assessment is correct, you can ask Services Australia, or DVA if relevant, to review their decision. They will follow up with you on the next steps.