Cost estimator
What would a week of care cost?
Choose the support, set the hours and watch the arithmetic. These are our published from-rates, not a quote.
Build your week
Use half hours where that is what you need. Nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is saved.
Illustrative arithmetic, not a quote. The estimate does not include weekend, public holiday or evening loadings, travel outside our service area, minimum visit lengths, equipment, consumables, parking or tolls. If you receive government funding, your contribution is set separately under that program.
How the arithmetic works
Each line is the published from-rate multiplied by the hours or trips you choose. The weekly total is the sum of those lines. The fortnight, four-week and annual figures are simple multiples of the week.
Here is the starting example on this page, written out:
| Support | Amount | From-rate | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal care | 3 hours | $85 / hour | $255 |
| Domestic assistance | 2 hours | $83 / hour | $166 |
| Transport | 2 trips | $40 / trip | $80 |
| Total | $501 |
That is $2,004 over four weeks, or $26,052 over a year if the pattern never changed. Care patterns rarely stay identical for a year. Use the annual figure as scale, not as a forecast.
What changes the number
- How often. A weekly visit and a daily visit are different budgets, even at the same hourly rate.
- Time of day. Evenings, weekends and public holidays can carry a loading. Ask before you book.
- Clinical need. Nursing is $125 an hour. A registered nurse is $144. The clinical need decides which applies.
- Travel. Where you are in Melbourne can affect the visit.
- Minimum visit length. A 30-minute visit still carries travel and handover time.
- Funding. NDIS and Support at Home have their own contribution rules. This estimator shows private from-rates.
What this estimate leaves out
Equipment, continence products, dressings and other consumables are not included. Parking and tolls on transport trips are not included. If you need two carers for a transfer, the visit is priced for two people. If you are funded, care management or package fees are set by that program, not by this page.
Why we publish the arithmetic
Most care websites ask you to call before they will show a number. We would rather you see the shape of the cost now, then have a real conversation about what you actually need.
Rates used in this estimator
Every figure above comes from the rate card below. If a rate changes, this page changes with it.
| Support | From | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Personal care | $85 / hour | Showering, dressing and grooming. |
| Domestic assistance | $83 / hour | Cleaning, laundry and the everyday reset. |
| Meal preparation | $82 / hour | Meals cooked in your kitchen. |
| Shopping and errands | $83 / hour | Groceries, with you or done for you. |
| Gardening | $85 / hour | Lawns, pruning and safe paths. |
| Social work | $163 / hour | Services, paperwork and applications. |
| Nursing at home | $125 / hour | Wound, medication and clinical care. |
| Transport | $40 / trip | Appointments, shops and visits. |
| Registered nurse | $144 / hour | Where the clinical need calls for it. |
From-rates are shown for guidance and remain subject to the client's confirmed rate card. Nothing on this page is a formal quote. If you receive government funding, ask the program or your provider how your contribution is calculated.
Questions about the estimate
If your question is not here, call us. A real person answers.
Is this a quote?
No. It is illustrative arithmetic on our published from-rates. Your exact rate is confirmed in writing after we understand the tasks, the times and any clinical needs.
Why is the weekly total so much higher than the hourly rate?
Because care is usually more than one hour. Three hours of personal care a week at $85 is $255 before anything else. The weekly figure is the one worth comparing.
Can I use this for NDIS or Support at Home?
Use it as a private-rate reference only. Funded arrangements have their own price rules and contribution assessments. Ask your plan manager or My Aged Care, and ask us what we can provide.
What if I only need one hour a week?
We can price it. Ask about the minimum visit length, because a short visit still carries travel and handover time.
Does the estimator save my numbers?
No. The calculation runs in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored.
How do I get an exact figure?
Tell us the tasks, the days and the times. We will put a written estimate together before you commit.
Want the number checked by a person?
Tell us what a normal week looks like. We will tell you what it would cost, and what we would change.