Home Care Package Cost Calculator
Estimate what a Home Care Package actually costs you. The government funds most of it, but a basic daily fee, an income-tested fee and provider charges come out of the package.
Your home care package details
Your estimate sits within the typical range.
The government subsidy does the heavy lifting, from about $10,900 a year at Level 1 to about $61,000 at Level 4. Your out-of-pocket is the basic daily fee (often waived), any income-tested fee, plus the provider's package-management and care-management charges, which come out of the package and reduce the care hours you actually get.
Where the money goes
Estimated breakdown for your configuration
💰 Ways to save
- Compare provider package-management and care-management fees closely, because they are deducted from your government subsidy before any care is delivered and can consume 15 to 35% of the package, so a high-fee provider leaves you with far fewer care hours for the same funding.
- Ask every provider to waive the basic daily fee, because many do to win your business, and that is roughly $4,000 a year back in your package for actual care.
- Get a Services Australia income assessment, because it sets your income-tested care fee and full pensioners pay none at all, so you may owe less than a provider assumes.
- Watch for exit fees and ongoing administration charges, because unspent package funds follow you if you change providers but some contracts claw back fees on exit, so read the agreement before signing.
How we estimate this
A Home Care Package is mostly funded by a government subsidy, from about $10,900 a year (Level 1) to about $61,000 a year (Level 4) in 2026. What you contribute on top is a basic daily fee (up to about $12 a day, but often waived by the provider), plus an income-tested care fee that applies only to part-pensioners and self-funded retirees.
Pricing reviewed: October 2026.
Understanding home care package costs in Australia
A Home Care Package is mostly funded by a government subsidy, from about $10,900 a year (Level 1) to about $61,000 a year (Level 4) in 2026. What you contribute on top is a basic daily fee (up to about $12 a day, but often waived by the provider), plus an income-tested care fee that applies only to part-pensioners and self-funded retirees.
Full pensioners typically pay little or nothing. Part-pensioners face an income-tested fee capped at around $6,700 a year and self-funded retirees around $13,400 a year. Separately, the provider's package-management and care-management fees come out of the subsidy itself, reducing the care you receive.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Home Care Package cost?
Most of it is paid by a government subsidy (about $10,900 to $61,000 a year depending on level). Your own contribution is a basic daily fee of up to about $12 a day (often waived), plus an income-tested care fee that applies only to part-pensioners (capped around $6,700 a year) and self-funded retirees (around $13,400 a year). Full pensioners usually pay little or nothing.
What is the income-tested care fee?
It is an extra contribution towards your care, based on a Services Australia assessment of your income. Full pensioners pay nothing, part-pensioners pay up to a cap of around $6,700 a year, and self-funded retirees up to around $13,400 a year. There is also a lifetime cap shared with residential aged care.
Do provider fees reduce my care?
Yes. Package-management and care-management fees are deducted from your government subsidy before care is delivered, and can consume 15 to 35% of the package. A high-fee provider leaves you with fewer care hours for the same funding, so comparing these fees is the single biggest lever on how much care you actually receive.
Can I change Home Care Package providers?
Yes, and any unspent package funds follow you to the new provider. Check your current agreement for exit fees or administration charges before switching, and compare the new provider's management fees, because those determine how much of your subsidy reaches your actual care.
Are you a home care provider?
Everyone on this page is working out what home care package costs because they are ready to hire. Put your business right beneath the calculator, in your state, so you are who they find. From $50/mo.