Cost of Living Updates

This report focuses on rental affordability in regional South Australia and is the latest in a series of SACOSS Cost of Living Updates tracking changes in living costs for South Australians on low incomes and/or experiencing disadvantage. The evidence in this report clearly shows that, while there are fewer rental households in regional South Australia than in Adelaide, and that regional rental prices are generally lower than in the capital, there are still significant problems with rental affordability in regional areas.

SACOSS did not publish a Cost of Living Update for this quarter. The next Cost of Living Update in the series is Cost of Living Update No. 49, for the December quarter 2021.

The data in this report shows the inadequacy of the recent $25 per week rise in the base rate of JobSeeker. Around one-third of the increase simply addressed the problem of inadequate indexation and the payment remains well below the poverty line.

This Update contains a summary of cost of living changes for different households in the September Quarter showing that last quarter's anomalous deflation had disappeared, but payments to age pensioners and other social security recipients covered cost increases this quarter (although the cut to the Coronavirus Supplement would have significant impacts for many households). This report also contains a special feature summarising the South Australian telecommunications affordability data from the recently released Australian Digital Inclusion Index.