Aged Care Cost Calculator Australia — Fees & Means Test
Estimate residential aged care costs, compare RAD vs DAP accommodation payments, and understand how the family home affects the means test.
Try another scenario
How to Use This Calculator
Tab "Cost Estimate"
Enter your annual income (pension + other), total assets (excluding the home), home value, whether a partner still lives in the home, and the care level needed. The calculator estimates the basic daily fee, means-tested care fee, accommodation payment (DAP equivalent), total monthly cost, and approximate government contribution. These are estimates only — Services Australia conducts the actual assessment.
Tab "RAD vs DAP"
Compare accommodation payment options. Enter the facility's RAD (Refundable Accommodation Deposit), the current MPIR rate, and how much lump sum you have available. See the full RAD option (refundable), full DAP (daily payment), a combination of both, and the opportunity cost of tying up capital in a RAD versus investing it.
Tab "Family Home"
Understand how the family home affects the means test. Enter the home value, whether a partner lives there, and your plans for the home (keep, sell, or rent). The calculator shows the assessed value, impact on means testing, and compares scenarios for each option.
The Formulas
~$61.96/day ($1,859/mo) — applies to all residents
Deemed income from assets:
First $60,400 at 0.25% + remainder at 2.25%
Example: $300K assets = $60,400 x 0.25% + $239,600 x 2.25% = $151 + $5,391 = $5,542/yr
Means-tested care fee:
Based on assessable income + deemed income (complex taper)
Annual cap: ~$33,309 | Lifetime cap: ~$80,000
DAP (Daily Accommodation Payment):
DAP = RAD x MPIR / 365
Example: $400K RAD x 8.34% / 365 = $91.40/day ($2,782/mo)
Home assessment:
Partner in home: exempt ($0 assessed)
No one in home: capped at ~$200,000 (regardless of actual value)
All figures are approximate and based on FY 2025-26 rates. The means-tested care fee calculation is highly simplified — the actual assessment by Services Australia considers many additional factors. MPIR changes quarterly.
Example
Margaret — Age Pensioner, Single, Moving to Residential Care
Full age pension ~$28,500/yr. Super and savings: $150,000. Home value: $900,000 (no partner — vacant). Care level: medium. Facility RAD: $450,000.
Margaret could sell her home and use $450K for the RAD (refundable), with the remaining proceeds as financial assets. However, selling replaces the $200K capped asset with $900K of fully assessable assets, potentially increasing her means-tested fee. A specialist aged care financial adviser can model both scenarios precisely.
Key Aged Care Rates — FY 2025-26
| Item | Rate / Limit |
|---|---|
| Basic daily fee | ~$61.96/day ($1,859/mo) |
| Means-tested fee annual cap | ~$33,309/yr |
| Means-tested fee lifetime cap | ~$80,000 |
| MPIR (Max Permissible Interest Rate) | ~8.34% (changes quarterly) |
| Median RAD (national) | ~$400,000 |
| Home asset cap (if vacant) | ~$200,000 |
| Home (partner lives there) | Exempt |
| Deeming rate (first $60,400) | 0.25% |
| Deeming rate (above $60,400) | 2.25% |