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In December 2022, the daily cost of living for the average Australian increased by just 2.5% to $62.02, compared to $60.48 in November 2022.
According to new data from the Beforepay Cost of Living Index, Australians saw a surge in spending on Boxing Day, with the average person spending $448.38.
Beforepay’s Cost of Living Index tracks the spending of over 350,000 Australians across various household expenses, including utilities, groceries, food and drink, shopping, petrol, and fitness and health, showed that even with inflation and economic uncertainty, the average daily spend on shopping rose 25.7% from the previous month, going from $7.74 in November 2022 to $9.73 in December 2022.
The Beforepay Cost of Living Index for December 2022 is $62.02.
Below is a full month-by-month breakdown over the last 12 months. See sub-category descriptions here.
Key Spending Insights for December 2022
Boxing Day saw particularly high consumer spending activity. Around 61% of durable goods spend in December 2022 occurred on Boxing Day, with the average daily spend for the category increasing from $6.73 in November 2022 to $6.84 per day in December 2022. Year on year numbers show a slight dip in category spend of 0.4%.
Additionally, the fitness and health category saw a moderate month-on-month increase of 4.9%, going from $2.43 per day in November 2022 to $2.55 per day in December 2022, with about 60% of that spend happening on Boxing Day, potentially due to discounted sales.
Petrol and auto spend saw a decrease of 4.4% from $8.34 per day in November 2022 to $7.97 per day in December 2022, likely due to the holidays and a reduction in the number of people commuting to work and/or doing school dropoffs and pickups.
Cost Of Living Sub-Category Descriptions
Below are brief descriptions that outline the type of expenses applicable to each spending category.
Groceries
Grocery stores where raw vegetables and meat are sold.
Food & Drink
Any restaurant, pub or vendor that sells food that is not prepared or processed, i.e. not groceries.
Petrol & Auto
Any spending on petrol, car maintenance and car accessories.
Shopping
Spending on non-edible, non-durable goods, i.e. clothing, shoes, consumer packaged goods.
Utilities
Spending on electricity, gas (home) and phone.
Entertainment & Leisure
Movie streaming, tickets, mobile and console gaming, hobbies, bookshops and other recreation expenses.
Durable Shopping
Spending on long lasting products, such as white goods.
Fitness & Health
Any expenses on gyms, health insurance and chemists
Have questions? Reach out to mediaenquiries@beforepay.com.au for more information.
About the Beforepay Cost of Living Index
The Beforepay Cost of Living Index shows the average daily spend of Beforepay registered users across multiple household expense categories. This article contains selected summary information only and is provided for general information purposes only. The Cost of Living Index data is derived from a Beforepay user’s average daily spend in selected household expense categories per person. The data may vary depending on the main bank account linked with Beforepay. The numbers have not been adjusted for seasonality. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Beforepay and the related bodies corporate of Beforepay, make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or reliability of the contents of this article. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Beforepay does not accept any liability for any loss whatsoever arising from the use of this article or its contents or otherwise arising in connection with it.
