Shellac Cost Calculator
Estimate what a shellac or gel manicure costs in Australia, including soak-off of existing gel, nail art and whether you are doing hands, feet or both.
Removal is almost always a separate line, and it is dearer if the previous set was applied somewhere else.
Shellac is a specific CND brand product, but the word is used loosely in Australia to mean any soak-off gel polish. If longevity matters to you, ask what brand and system the salon actually uses rather than relying on the word on the price list.
A well applied gel manicure should last 2 to 3 weeks without lifting. If yours consistently chips inside a week, that is usually a preparation or curing issue at the salon rather than something you are doing wrong at home.
💰 Ways to save
- Book removal and reapplication as a single appointment rather than turning up with bare nails you removed yourself. Salons charge $10 to $22 for a proper soak-off, which is far cheaper than the damage from peeling gel off at home, and picking at a set takes layers of the nail plate with it that then need a strengthening treatment to recover.
- Skip the feature art and put the money into the base service if you are on a budget. Full hand painted sets add $40 to $70 to every single visit, which compounds to $600 or more a year at a fortnightly cadence, while a well applied plain colour in a good shade lasts exactly as long and costs nothing extra.
- Ask about mid week or early appointment pricing before you default to a Saturday. Many suburban salons run 15 to 20 per cent off Monday to Wednesday because their chairs sit empty, and a shellac manicure is one of the easiest services to move to a quiet slot since it takes under an hour.
- Stretch the interval by a few days with a good cuticle oil rather than rebooking on a fixed fortnightly rhythm. Daily oil keeps the free edge flexible and genuinely reduces lifting, and moving from a 14 day to an 18 day cycle takes you from 26 appointments a year to about 20, which is $300 or more back on a $55 service.
How we estimate this
## What a shellac manicure costs in Australia in 2026
Pricing reviewed: June 2026.
Doing more than just shellac?
Build a combined estimate across every part of your project in one place.
Pricing reviewed June 2026. Indicative Australian costs, not a quote.
Are you a salon?
Put this calculator on your own website, branded to you, visitors get an instant estimate, you get a qualified enquiry with their details.
Understanding shellac costs in Australia
What a shellac manicure costs in Australia in 2026
A standard shellac or gel manicure in Australia in 2026 costs $45 to $75 at a suburban salon and $70 to $110 at an inner city or boutique nail bar. The national middle is around $55 to $65 for a plain colour on natural nails with basic cuticle work included. Express services that skip the cuticle work and go straight to colour sit at $35 to $45, while a full spa manicure with soak, scrub, massage and shellac colour runs $85 to $130.
Shellac pedicures generally price 10 to 25 per cent above the equivalent manicure, at $60 to $95, because the appointment is longer and includes foot soaking, filing and heel work. Booking both in one visit typically lands at $100 to $150 and usually carries a small combined discount.
Plain colour versus nail art
Nail art is the fastest way to move a shellac price and it is almost always billed per nail or per tier. A simple glitter tip or single line accent adds $10 to $15. Two or three feature nails with a design run $20 to $35. A full set of hand painted art, chrome, cat eye or intricate French work adds $40 to $70, and complex designs can double the base price outright.
Because this is a recurring service, art is the line item worth thinking hardest about. At a fortnightly cadence, $50 of art per visit is $1,300 a year on top of the base service. Many people land on a sensible middle where they do plain colour most visits and add art for occasions, which delivers most of the effect for a fraction of the annual spend.
Soak-off, removal and why it is charged separately
Almost every salon treats removal as its own line, and the price depends on what is being removed and who applied it. Taking off the salon's own soak-off gel is usually $10 to $15, and it is often waived if you are rebooking a full service on the same day. Removing another salon's work is dearer at $15 to $25, because the technician does not know the product, how many layers were applied or whether a non soak-off base was used underneath.
Hard gel, builder gel and acrylic are a different job again. These cannot be soaked off and must be filed down with an e-file, which takes 20 to 30 minutes of careful work and costs $30 to $45. If you have had extensions and want to return to natural nails, budget for this properly rather than being surprised by it, and resist the temptation to peel at home, because peeling gel takes layers of the nail plate with it.
Overlays, tips and extensions
Shellac on the natural nail is a colour service. Adding a builder gel overlay for strength, which is common for people whose nails split or peel, adds roughly 40 to 50 per cent to the price, landing at $75 to $110. Full tips or extensions with gel colour cost $80 to $140 for a new set depending on length, shape and salon tier.
Extensions change the economics because they commit you to a maintenance cycle. Infills at 2 to 3 week intervals cost $45 to $75 each, so a year of extensions realistically costs $1,100 to $1,800 compared with $700 to $1,100 for fortnightly plain shellac on natural nails. There is also an exit cost, since coming off extensions means a proper removal plus a period of shorter, softer nails while the natural plate grows out.
How long it should last and what that means for cost per week
A properly prepared and cured gel manicure should hold for 2 to 3 weeks without lifting or chipping, with the practical limit usually set by regrowth at the cuticle rather than by the polish failing. That makes the honest way to compare salons a cost per week rather than a cost per visit. A $75 manicure that lasts three weeks is better value than a $50 one that lifts on day eight, and the difference is nearly always preparation, particularly how thoroughly the nail plate is dehydrated and how carefully the product is capped at the free edge.
If your sets consistently fail early, that is a salon issue rather than a you issue. Before switching, mention it once and see whether the technician adjusts their prep, because many will and the fix is often as simple as a different base coat for your nail chemistry.
Location, salon type and the price spread
Shopping centre chains and high volume walk in salons sit at the bottom of the range at $40 to $55, run tight appointment slots and are excellent value if you want plain colour done quickly. Independent suburban salons occupy the middle at $55 to $75 with more time per client. Boutique nail studios and home based specialists in inner Sydney and Melbourne charge $80 to $120 and are generally where you go for detailed art, structured overlays or nail health work.
Regional pricing typically sits 10 to 20 per cent below capital city rates. Across all tiers, the meaningful quality signals are the same: ventilation, whether files and buffers are single use or sterilised, whether the technician takes time on the cuticle rather than cutting aggressively, and whether they cap the free edge.
Budgeting for it across a year
Set the cadence first and the numbers follow. Fortnightly plain shellac at $60 is about 26 visits and $1,560 a year. Moving to a three weekly rhythm at the same price drops that to roughly $1,040. Adding routine nail art at $30 a visit puts a fortnightly habit above $2,300. Extensions with infills land between $1,100 and $1,800 depending on interval. None of these are wrong, but they are very different annual commitments for a service that is often mentally filed as a $60 treat.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a shellac manicure cost in Australia?
In 2026, $45 to $75 at a suburban salon and $70 to $110 at an inner city or boutique nail bar. The typical price for plain colour on natural nails is $55 to $65. Express services without cuticle work run $35 to $45 and full spa manicures $85 to $130.
How much extra is nail art on shellac?
A simple glitter tip or line accent adds $10 to $15, two or three feature nails add $20 to $35, and a full set of hand painted art or chrome adds $40 to $70. At a fortnightly cadence that is up to $1,300 a year on top of the base service.
Why do salons charge to remove existing gel?
Removal takes 15 to 30 minutes of chair time. Taking off the salon's own gel is usually $10 to $15 and often waived when you rebook the same day. Another salon's work is $15 to $25, and hard gel or acrylic must be filed rather than soaked, which costs $30 to $45.
How long should shellac last?
A well applied and properly cured set holds 2 to 3 weeks, with regrowth at the cuticle usually being the reason to redo it rather than chipping. Consistent failure inside a week normally points to inadequate nail preparation or the free edge not being capped.
How much do gel extensions cost compared with plain shellac?
A new set of tips or extensions with gel colour is $80 to $140, then infills every 2 to 3 weeks at $45 to $75. That works out to roughly $1,100 to $1,800 a year, compared with $700 to $1,100 for fortnightly plain shellac on natural nails.
Is shellac the same as gel polish?
Shellac is a specific CND product, but in Australia the word is used loosely for any soak-off gel polish. Systems do differ in durability and in how easily they remove, so if longevity matters ask the salon which brand and system it actually applies.
Run a salon? Add this shellac cost calculator to your own website →