Aged Care Fees Calculator 2025
Estimate your residential aged care costs including basic daily fees, means-tested fees, and accommodation options. Updated with 2025 rates.
Key Aged Care Fees (2025)
Accommodation Payment
RAD = Lump sum (refundable). DAP = Daily payment. You can combine both.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates only. Actual fees are determined by Services Australia's means assessment. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 for accurate assessments.
Your Situation
Frequently Asked Questions
Aged care costs in Australia 2025 consist of multiple components:
- Basic Daily Fee: $61.96/day ($22,615/year) - everyone pays this
- Means Tested Care Fee: $0-$321.44/day based on your income and assets
- Accommodation: Either RAD (lump sum, refundable) or DAP (daily payment)
Total costs typically range from $22,615/year (pension-level income, low assets) to over $100,000/year for those with significant means.
The means tested care fee is an additional daily fee based on your income and assets. Services Australia calculates this using:
- Income test: 50% of income over $32,019/year
- Assets test: 17.5% per year of assets over $201,231 (capped)
- The higher of the two tests applies
- Maximum fee: $321.44/day ($117,326/year before caps)
Annual and lifetime caps protect you from unlimited fees.
The Basic Daily Fee for residential aged care in 2025 is:
- $61.96 per day
- $433.72 per week
- $22,615.40 per year
This fee is set at 85% of the single basic Age Pension and applies to everyone in residential aged care, regardless of income or assets. It contributes to daily living costs like meals, laundry, and utilities.
RAD (Refundable Accommodation Deposit):
- Lump sum payment (typically $200,000-$800,000+)
- Fully refundable when you leave care
- Can use proceeds from selling your home
- No ongoing accommodation costs
DAP (Daily Accommodation Payment):
- Daily rental payment
- Calculated as RAD × (MPIR ÷ 365)
- Current MPIR: 8.34% (Maximum Permissible Interest Rate)
- Example: $400,000 RAD = $91.40/day DAP
You can pay any combination of RAD and DAP that suits your finances.
Yes, means-tested care fees are capped at two levels:
- Annual cap (2025): $33,309.14 - Maximum means-tested fees in any 12-month period
- Lifetime cap (2025): $79,941.94 - Maximum means-tested fees you'll ever pay
Once you reach either cap, you stop paying means-tested care fees (you still pay basic daily fee and accommodation). These caps help protect your assets over time and make aged care more predictable.
The family home is treated differently depending on circumstances:
- Protected person lives there: Home is fully exempt (spouse, dependent child, carer who lived there 2+ years)
- No protected person: Home is capped at $201,231.20 for assets test purposes
- Rented out: Rental income counts in income test
You don't have to sell your home to pay for aged care - there are options like renting it out, RAD from other assets, or combination payments.