{"id":937236,"date":"2026-10-22T19:24:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T19:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/937236\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T19:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T19:24:09","slug":"australias-most-bill-stressed-city-revealed-as-rate-rise-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/937236\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s most bill-stressed city revealed as rate rise looms"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Australians already buckling under soaring household costs are facing the prospect of yet another rate rise, with new research revealing which cities are feeling the bill shock most acutely.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Brisbane has emerged as the nation\u2019s most bill-stressed city just as the Reserve Bank signals inflation is tracking \u201cmaterially worse\u201d than expected, fuelling fears of another hike that would heap even more pressure on households before Christmas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Reserve Bank deputy governor Andrew Hauser this week warned the inflation outlook had deteriorated, in comments widely seen as paving the way for a possible Melbourne Cup Day increase.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">MORE NEWS<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/secret-500-voucher-aussies-can-claim-for-their-home\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=the_advertiser&amp;campaignPlacement=article\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"www.realestate.com.au\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Secret $500 voucher Aussies can claim for their home<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/housing-standard-debate-after-tradies-aus-find\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=the_advertiser&amp;campaignPlacement=realestatemodule\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"www.realestate.com.au\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">\u2018Hear next door take a piss\u2019: Tradie\u2019s shock housing truth<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.realestate.com.au\/news\/too-good-to-be-true-woman-nets-33k-mortgage-refund\/?campaignType=external&amp;campaignChannel=syndication&amp;campaignName=ncacont&amp;campaignContent=&amp;campaignSource=newscomau&amp;campaignPlacement=realestatemodule\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"www.realestate.com.au\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">\u2018Too good to be true\u2019: 64yo nets $33k mortgage refund<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cThe inflation outlook looks materially worse than we projected in the August report,\u201d Mr Hauser told the Citi Investment Conference on Wednesday, according to the Australian Financial Review.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">If the RBA lifts the cash rate by another 25 basis points on November 3, it would rise from 4.60 per cent to 4.85 per cent \u2013 the fifth increase this year and the highest level since 2008.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">That would add about $16 to $17 a month in repayments for every $100,000 borrowed on a variable mortgage.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post- wp-image-1177103\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1177103\" data-capiid=\"9179acd6acb4778c146bbaab6c31def9\" width=\"709\" height=\"206\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 709 206&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1177103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Australian cities most worried about household bills. Source: Electrolux<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">For a typical borrower with a loan of $731,000, monthly repayments would be about $578 higher than they were at the start of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">The fresh rate rise threat comes as households are already grappling with rising prices for groceries, petrol, council rates, insurance and electricity, forcing many to scrutinise every dollar.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">A new study by premium appliance brand Electrolux found Brisbane residents are the most worried about household bills in the country, giving the Queensland capital a Worry Score of 78.30 out of 100 \u2013 well clear of every other city analysed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cBrisbane is the city where residents are the most stressed about bills with a Worry Score of 78.30 out of 100 which is by far the highest of any city studied,\u201d the report found.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Residents in Brisbane made an average of 803 bill-related searches per 100,000 people each month. <\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post- wp-image-1177105\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1177105\" data-capiid=\"ad0f32f3ff42de02b241f5ef7e6814ae\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"RBA\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1177105\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser this week warned the inflation outlook had deteriorated, increasing the odds of a November 3 rate hike.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Prices on everyday items have climbed 4.3 per cent since February 2025, while the average salary sits at $73,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cThe combination of above-average inflation and high search anxiety places Brisbane residents firmly at the top of the national worry index,\u201d the study said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cThe inflation rate is the second highest of all the cities studied, while Brisbane residents search for help with bills more than residents in any other city, contributing to its ranking at the top.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Adelaide ranked second on the bill stress list with a Worry Score of 62.60. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">The study found 722.62 bill-related searches per 100,000 residents each month, while the average salary was $70,000 \u2013 the second lowest in the study. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Adelaide\u2019s CPI rate was 3.5 per cent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Perth came in third with a Worry Score of 50.20. While average salaries were higher at $77,000, the city recorded the highest inflation in the study, with everyday prices up 4.9 per cent since February 2025. <\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post- wp-image-1177107\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1177107\" data-capiid=\"4eb39b900942750f82a192478f77349b\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 1280 720&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"REAL ESTATE\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1177107\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">For a $731,000 mortgage, another rate rise would see monthly repayments jump by $578 since the start of the year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">It generated 555.41 searches per 100,000 residents per month for bill-related terms.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Canberra ranked fourth with a Worry Score of 44.60. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">The capital recorded 575.35 searches per 100,000 residents per month, had an average salary of $71,000 and saw everyday item inflation of 3.6 per cent.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Darwin rounded out the top five with a Worry Score of 42.00. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Despite the lowest CPI rate of all cities at 3.1 per cent, Darwin still produced 625.41 bill-related searches per 100,000 residents each month. <\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Salaries there averaged $72,000.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Melbourne, Hobart and Sydney residents showed the least concern about household bills relative to their population, according to the study.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"styles__StyledImage-sc-17n6uwl-1 hlcJVa size-full wp-post- wp-image-1177110\" loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1177110\" data-capiid=\"5ab0edaa6c4756604e923a2e5a5d09e6\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns=&quot;http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg&quot; viewBox=&quot;0 0 768 1024&quot;%3E%3C\/svg%3E\"  alt=\"REAL ESTATE\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1177110\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brisbane residents are the most worried about household bills, according to a new study. Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, and Darwin round out the top five most bill-anxious cities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">Electrolux Australia marketing expert Anders Lofgren said cost of living pressure was intensifying across every part of household spending, but day-to-day bills were proving especially difficult.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cThis study highlights which major cities in Australia are feeling that pressure the most,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cBrisbane stands out not only for the huge volume of bill-related searches relative to its population, but also for the combination of rising inflation and mid-range wages that leaves many residents facing anxiety and pressure to meet rising costs when their income is not increasing at a similar rate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cWhat surprised us most was Darwin. It has the lowest inflation rate of any city we studied, yet residents are still searching for help with their bills at a rate that puts it in the top five.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Text__Typography-sc-1103tao-0 bjGYxJ StyledP-sc-cebixd-0 bzEerj\">\u201cThat tells us it is not just about prices going up. It is about whether wages are keeping pace, and in Darwin, they are not.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australians already buckling under soaring household costs are facing the prospect of yet another rate rise, with new&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":937237,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-937236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937236","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=937236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/937236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/937237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=937236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=937236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=937236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}