Australians feel the pinch at the pump as fuel costs push up February spending.
The Beforepay Cost of Living Index for February 2025 is $63.98.
Australians felt the strain of higher fuel prices in February. Beforepay’s latest Cost of Living Index shows petrol and auto spending jumped 6.8% in February—the sharpest increase across all key household expenses. This contributed to a 2.9% rise in overall daily spending, increasing to $63.98 in February from $62.17 in January, as households resumed regular spending patterns following the post-holiday slowdown.
Fuel wasn’t the only rising expense in February. Utility spending rose 5.3% month-on-month to $7.22 per day, up from $6.86 in January. Shopping increased 4.9% to $7.89 per day, while durable goods spending rose 3.5% to $7.40.
Other categories remained relatively stable in February, with smaller increases across the month. Grocery spending edged up 1.6% to $14.89 per day, up from $14.66 in January, while entertainment and leisure rose just 0.2%. Fitness and health spending saw a slight 0.3% increase, and food and drink rose 0.7%.
Compared to the same time last year, overall daily spending was up 5.3%, reflecting higher costs across most essential categories, with the exception of groceries, which fell 1.2% year-on-year. Food and drink spending increased 9.0%, utilities rose 7.1%, and petrol and auto costs climbed 4.1% compared to February 2024. Discretionary categories also saw notable increases, with durable shopping up 12.0%, fitness and health rising 7.9%, and entertainment and leisure climbing 6.6%. The sustained rise in fuel, utilities, and food costs continues to put pressure on household budgets.
The Beforepay Cost of Living Index provides insights into how Australians are navigating everyday expenses, tracking real-time spending trends across more than 430,000 users.
Below is a full month-by-month breakdown over the last 12 months. See sub-category descriptions here.
For more information contact mediaenquiries@beforepay.com.au for more information.
The January 2025 Beforepay Cost of Living Index offers insights derived from over 440,000 users, providing a detailed view of consumer behaviour across essential and discretionary spending categories.
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
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. As of March 2024, the average annual individual Beforepay customer gross income was $65,783 (counting only the main source of income) with a broadly representative geographic and gender breakdown. The data may vary depending on the main bank account linked with Beforepay. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Beforepay and its related bodies corporate, make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, timeliness or reliability of the contents of this article and do 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.The Beforepay Cost of Living Index shows the average daily spend of Beforepay registered users across multiple household expense categories.
