How much will your mortgage really cost?
24 Jan 2018
Even if home loan interest rates are low, your mortgage can still cost you plenty of money over time.
One of the main determining factors of the cost of your mortgage is the interest rate. Even though home loan interest rates are comparatively low at the moment, a mortgage can end up costing you a lot of money in repayments and fees over 25 or 30 years.
Average cost of a 25-year standard variable mortgage
The average cost of a 25-year variable mortgage on a loan of $300,000 at the current average standard variable interest rate on Canstar’s database of 4.42% (as of 24/01/2018), is $1,103 per month. The ultimate dollar cost of your mortgage can be calculated as follows using Canstar’s Mortgage Repayment Calculator:
| Cost of a mortgage over 25 years at 4.42% | ||
|---|---|---|
| Loan size | Monthly repayment | Total cost |
| $200,000 | $1,103 | $330,781 |
| $300,000 | $1,654 | $496,171 |
| $400,000 | $2,205 | $661,562 |
| $500,000 | $2,757 | $826,852 |
| $600,000 | $3,315 | $992,343 |
| Source: www.canstar.com.au. Based on a loan taken over 25 years excluding fees. The current interest rate is based on the average standard variable rate of 4.42% on Canstar’s home loan database as at 24/01/2018. | ||
The total costs calulated above are based on the assumption that interest rates will remain constant. With rates currently at historical lows, it is realistic to assume that interest rates will rise over the term of the loan, resulting in a higher total cost. As an example of how comparatively low interest rates compare to higher interest rates, below is the cost of a mortgage over 25 years at an interest rate of 7%.
| Cost of a mortgage over 25 years at 7% | ||
|---|---|---|
| Loan size | Monthly repayment | Total cost |
| $200,000 | $1,414 | $424,068 |
| $300,000 | $2,120 | $636,101 |
| $400,000 | $2,827 | $848,135 |
| $500,000 | $3,534 | $1,060,169 |
| $600,000 | $4,241 | $1,272,203 |
| Source: www.canstar.com.au. Based on a loan taken over 25 years excluding fees. | ||
Average cost of a 30-year standard variable mortgage
Using a 30-year term at the current average standard variable interest rate on Canstar’s database of 4.42% (as of 24/01/2018), the ultimate dollar cost of your mortgage can be calculated as follows using Canstar’s Mortgage Repayment Calculator:
| Cost of a mortgage over 30 years at 4.42% | ||
|---|---|---|
| Loan size | Monthly repayment | Total cost |
| $200,000 | $1,004 | $361,399 |
| $300,000 | $1,506 | $542,098 |
| $400,000 | $2,008 | $722,798 |
| $500,000 | $2,510 | $903,497 |
| $600,000 | $3,012 | $1,084,197 |
| Source: www.canstar.com.au. Based on a loan taken over 30 years excluding fees. The current interest rate is based on the average standard variable rate of 4.42% on Canstar’s home loan database as at 24/01/2018. | ||
As outlined below, the slightly lower monthly repayment on a 30-year loan term comes with a fairly significant total cost increase over the life of your mortgage:
| Cost of 30-year mortgage compared to 25-year mortgage at 4.42% | ||
|---|---|---|
| Loan size | Difference in monthly repayment | Additional overall cost |
| $200,000 | -$99 | $30,618 |
| $300,000 | -$148 | $45,927 |
| $400,000 | -$197 | $61,236 |
| $500,000 | -$247 | $76,645 |
| $600,000 | -$303 | $161,854 |
| Source: www.canstar.com.au. Based on the difference between a loan taken over 25 years and 30 years excluding fees. The current interest rate is based on the average standard variable rate of 4.42% on Canstar’s home loan database as at 24/01/2018. | ||
Your mortgage is quite possibly the largest debt you will ever have, with no taxation benefits attached. It makes sense to try and pay it off sooner rather than later, as well as to ensure that you are getting the best value for money possible.
Compare Home Loans with Canstar
Average monthly mortgage payment
According to research from Commonwealth Bank in 2017, average monthly mortgage payments in Australia’s capital cities range from $1,500 to over $3,000. Sydney has the highest average monthly repayment ($3,031) and average loan size compared to other capital cities.
The lowest average monthly repayments can be seen in Hobart ($1,587) and Adelaide ($1,971), with the remainder of the capital cities ranging between $2,000 and $3,000.
Try Canstar's Mortgage Repayments Calculator
Learn more about Home Loans
Thanks for visiting Canstar, Australia’s biggest financial comparison site*
AD
Apply in minutes. No Unloan Fees.
Fee-free extra repayments and redraw.
Try our Home Loans comparison tool to instantly compare Canstar expert rated options.
