Alcohol calculator: What is the cost of alcohol?

Work out your savings and see the financial case for going sober.

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It's no secret that Australians love a drink. ABS figures – analysed by Finder – show households spend a massive $1,891 on grog per year on average. And the high cost of alcohol is a big reason why so many are reconsidering their vice.

Cost of alcohol calculator: How much money can you save without alcohol?

Check out Finder's cost of alcohol calculator below and work out how much money you can save if you cut down or ditch the booze completely.


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Calculate Your Savings

Use the calculator below to work out how much you can save by changing or reducing your alcohol consumption. Developed by finder







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Economic cost of alcohol abuse in Australia

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) estimates that the social and economic cost of alcohol use rounds up to $66.8 billion.

Of course, alcohol cost doesn't end when the bill's settled. In fact, components of this cost estimate include healthcare costs, death, injury, loss of property and crime. The figure above may be a conservative estimate since data on substance abuse are often underreported.

Legal aid costs for alcohol-related cases alone are estimated at $44 million per year.

Health costs: the shocking number of alcohol-related deaths in Australia

Every year there are more than 4,000 alcohol-related deaths in Australia, according to the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Based on an AIHW study, there were 30,000 alcohol-related hospitalisations between 2019 and 2020. Falls and alcohol poisoning are among the top causes.

According to an ABS report on alcohol consumption, 1 in 4 Australians ages 18 and over drink more than 4 standard drinks a day or the recommended maximum of 10 standard drinks per week. This is based on the latest alcohol guidelines the National Health and Medical Research Council sets.

What are some of the benefits of reducing alcohol consumption?

Aside from reducing your taxi bill, there are a range of different benefits to going sober. Primarily, it leads to better overall health and wellbeing. Alcohol has been associated with a long list of chronic diseases and medical emergencies. Taking even a small amount of alcohol increases your risk of developing cancer.

By cutting down on alcohol, you might save yourself from expensive medical treatments, rehab, maintenance drugs, and other medical care and support you might need later down the line.

Getting help

It doesn't need to be Dry July to get started on a (safe) alcohol detox journey and be empowered to go beyond. Find more resources and learn more about how to manage your drinking.

Frequently asked questions

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To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Jason Loewenthal as part of our fact-checking process.
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Written by

Journalist

James Martin was the insurance editor at Finder. He has written on a range of insurance and finance topics for over 7 years. James often shares his insurance expertise as a media spokesperson and has appeared on Prime 7 News, Insurance News, 7NEWS and The Guardian. An experienced journalist, James' work has featured in publications including The Irish Times, Companies100 and In Business. He holds a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, both of which meet the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146). See full bio

James's expertise
James has written 194 Finder guides across topics including:
  • Car, home, life, health, travel and pet insurance
  • Managing the cost of living
  • Money-saving tips
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Co-written by

Content marketing specialist

Margaux Diaz is content marketing specialist at Finder. She supports the SEO team in content promotion and partnership building in the US and Australia. Prior to joining Finder, she managed health promotion and other social development projects for the United Nations and consulted for private non-profits, and government agencies. She has also written for publications and blogs in the health and wellness, beauty, fitness, non-profits, business, and finance spaces. See full bio

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