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This FACT indicates the percentage increase in household expenditure on goods and services in each city, from 1998-2016. While housing comprises the largest proportion of household expenditure, there are of course other costs which influence the affordability of cities, these include transport, energy, water and a range of consumer goods and services.
The ABS Household Expenditure Survey, conducted every five years, collects this information, which offers valuable insight into the affordability of each city.
Comparison of the data from the years 1998 and 2016 shows that the largest increase in expenditure was in Perth with a 111.5% expenditure increase. The cities with the lowest increase in expenditure was Hobart, at 92.4%, and Darwin, at 87.6% increase. Note: this percentage increase does not take into account inflation.
NOTE: Information in the 2016 data set is only available by state (with the exception of Darwin and Canberra,) so the data is as such.