The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has released its latest Transport Affordability Index showing average weekly fuel costs rose more than $5 to $100.39 a week across the country in the past three months.
The latest results include the temporary halving of the fuel excise rate, inflation at 6.1% and the impact of global price shocks flowing from the war in Ukraine.
The AAA data shows the typical weekly household transport cost in capital city households is now $412.21 and $342.98 in regional households.
“Despite the temporary excise cut, fuel prices are rising and continue to be a significant contributor to cost of living pressures across both regional and metropolitan Australia,” AAA managing director Michael Bradley says.
Bradley says this is the first time the national weekly average spent on fuel has passed $100 since the index’s inception in 2016.
According to the index, fuel costs in capital cities are now an average of $98.37 per week with Hobart ($102.63 pw), Darwin ($99.84 pw), Sydney ($99.13 pw), Canberra ($98.92 pw), Brisbane ($98.15 pw) and Melbourne ($97.29 pw) the most expensive cities.
Regionally the index shows that costs are more expensive at $102.71 per week with Bunbury ($122.70 pw), Geelong ($118.31 pw) and Launceston ($114.67 pw) the highest.
After declining in the previous quarter, car loan repayments have risen again due to higher vehicle prices and interest rates on new cars.
Sydney is still Australia’s most expensive capital city for transport costs averaging $486.18 per week, followed by Melbourne ($461.01 pw) and Brisbane ($454.52 pw).
Alice Springs is Australia’s most expensive regional city at $370.59 per week followed by Bunbury ($362.85 pw) and Geelong ($361.53 pw).
Nationally transport costs are 15.2% of household income.
The Tasmanian cities of Launceston (18.6%) and Hobart (18.2%), followed by Brisbane (17.4%) had the highest transport costs as a proportion of household income.
