The Cost of Getting Fit and Well in Australia (2026)
The average gym membership now costs $77 a month (Canstar), the fitness industry turns over $3.66 billion (IBISWorld), and about 21,000 Australians had weight-loss surgery in a year. Here is the real price of getting fit and well in 2026.
- The average gym membership is now $77 a month (Canstar/IBISWorld), up from $62 in 2023, and cost is why 72% of non-members stay out.
- The fitness industry turns over $3.66 billion a year (IBISWorld), yet gym participation fell 15.6% since 2022/23 as people moved to home and outdoor exercise.
- Surgery is the dear end: a gastric sleeve ($12,800) runs into five figures, and about 21,000 Australians had weight-loss surgery in 2023, 95% of it privately funded (ANZ Bariatric Registry).
- The modern wildcard is the injection: a weight loss injection ($290) or mounjaro ($300) is a monthly, ongoing cost that is quietly reshaping the whole category.
The $77-a-month question
The average gym membership has climbed to $77 a month (from $62 in 2023), and the industry turns over $3.66 billion a year. Yet participation is down 15.6% since 2022/23, because home equipment and outdoor training do much of the same job for less. A gym membership ($1,900) only pays off if you actually use it, and 72% of non-members say cost is why they do not.
The weight-loss industry
Below surgery sits a fast-growing market: a weight loss program ($3,750), a weight loss clinic cost ($2,300), and the drugs changing everything, a mounjaro ($300) or broader weight loss injection ($290) billed monthly and indefinitely. The shift from one-off programs to ongoing medication is the biggest change in the category in years.
The surgical end
For some, surgery is the path: a gastric sleeve ($12,800) is five figures, and about 21,000 Australians had a bariatric procedure in 2023, 95% of them privately funded. It is the dearest line here, and the one most tied to whether you have private cover.
The everyday wellness spend
Most health spending is small and recurring: a gym membership ($1,900), a martial arts ($2,950) for the kids, allied-health visits through the year. None is large on its own, but across a household and a year they are the quiet majority of what Australians spend on staying well.
The full price list
The 40 dearest of 54 services, typical 2026 cost. Each links to the live calculator for the full range.
| Service | Average cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| Gastric Sleeve | $12,800 |
| Varicose Vein Treatment | $5,200 |
| Weight Loss Program | $3,750 |
| Martial Arts | $2,950 |
| Orthokeratology | $2,600 |
| Weight Loss Clinic Cost | $2,300 |
| Gym Membership | $1,900 |
| DNA Test | $680 |
| Cardiologist | $640 |
| Mounjaro | $300 |
| IV Drip | $300 |
| Weight Loss Injection | $290 |
| Lactation Consultant | $270 |
| Ozempic | $270 |
| IV Drip Therapy | $250 |
| Hypnotherapy | $230 |
| Homeopathy | $200 |
| Physio Home Visit Cost | $190 |
| Ayurvedic Massage | $190 |
| Herbal Medicine | $190 |
| Ayurvedic Consultation | $180 |
| Colonic Irrigation | $170 |
| Hot Stone Massage | $170 |
| Naturopath | $160 |
| Lymphatic Drainage Massage | $160 |
| Lymphatic Drainage Massage | $160 |
| Craniosacral Therapy | $150 |
| Dry Needling | $130 |
| Physiotherapy | $130 |
| Sports Massage | $130 |
| Deep Tissue Massage | $130 |
| Shiatsu Massage | $120 |
| Kinesiology | $120 |
| Osteopath | $120 |
| Reiki Cost | $120 |
| Remedial Massage | $110 |
| Myotherapy | $110 |
| Breathwork Session | $110 |
| Chiropractor | $110 |
| Thai Massage | $110 |
Sources
More cost research: The Cost of Dying in Australia · The Cost of a Wedding in Australia · The Cost of Owning a Car in Australia · The Cost of Owning a Pet in Australia · The Cost of a Holiday from Australia · The Real Cost of Renovating in Australia