$3,473 a month · $1,602 a fortnight · $801 a week over 30 years at 6.49% — plus 25-year, interest-only, LMI and offset figures.
ESTIMATE
Illustrative estimates as of 3 November 2026, not financial advice or a loan offer. Base rate 6.49% = Canstar’s average owner-occupier variable rate (principal & interest) after the September 2026 RBA rise, before lenders pass on the 3 November rise (about 6.74% once passed on in full); RBA cash rate 4.85%, next decision 2:30pm AEDT on Tuesday 8 December 2026. Your lender’s rate, fees and assessment will differ.
How much is a $550k mortgage a month in Australia? At today’s 6.49% average variable rate, $3,473 a month on a 30-year loan and $3,710 on 25 years (principal and interest). Over 30 years you would repay $1,250,193, of which $700,193 is interest.
$550,000 home loan at a glance
Principal & interest, 6.49% average variable, 30 years. 25 years: $3,710/month.
Principal-and-interest repayments, rate held constant. Highlighted = average owner-occupier variable rate used throughout this article. RBA cash rate 4.85% (raised 3 November, not yet reflected in lenders’ rates); next decision 2:30pm AEDT on Tuesday 8 December 2026.
Plug in your own price and deposit
The live mortgage repayment calculator handles any property price, deposit, rate and term, monthly or fortnightly.
The Reserve Bank has lifted the cash rate five times in 2026, from 3.60% to 4.85%, most recently on 3 November. The big four passed the September rise on in full from 9 October, and Canstar estimated the average owner-occupier variable rate at 6.49% once they caught up; if the November rise is passed on in full, that average becomes about 6.74%. Sharper lenders still advertise from 5.89% and the average across every advertised product is higher at 6.75%. On $550,000, each 0.25-point step moves the 30-year repayment by about $91 a month, and the gap between the cheapest and the average rate is worth $214 a month.
A typical first-home-buyer loan. $550,000 sits below the $731,000 average new owner-occupier loan reported by the ABS for the June quarter 2026. With a 20% deposit it buys a $687,500 home; with the 5% Deposit Scheme it buys $578,947 with no LMI if the price is under your area’s cap — which is true even in regional Victoria and most regional areas.
25 vs 30 years: total interest on $550,000
Shortening the term is the most powerful way to cut interest — if the budget allows. At 6.49% a 30-year term costs $237 a month less than 25 years, but total interest climbs from $563,061 to $700,193 — an extra $137,132. A 20-year term would cost $387 a month more than 25 years and save another $129,681.
Term
Monthly
Total repaid
Total interest
Interest vs loan
20 years
$4,097
$983,380
$433,380
79%
25 years
$3,710
$1,113,061
$563,061
102%
30 years
$3,473
$1,250,193
$700,193
127%
Total cost of $550,000 at 6.49%: navy = the loan, gold = interest.Interest saved over the loan by keeping a constant balance in a 100% offset account (30-year loan, repayment unchanged).
Monthly vs fortnightly vs weekly repayments on $550,000
Most Australian lenders let you choose how often you pay. If you choose a true fortnightly repayment the lender works out $1,602 — the 30-year loan simply split into 26 smaller payments a year — and it saves only a little interest. The trick is paying half the monthly amount, $1,736, every fortnight: 26 halves equal 13 monthly payments a year, so the loan is gone in about 24 years 2 months instead of 30 years and you save about $161,027 of interest. Paying a quarter of the monthly amount ($868) weekly works almost the same: about 24 years 1 month and $161,705 saved.
Frequency
25 yrs
30 yrs
Per year (30 yrs)
Total interest (30 yrs)
Monthly
$3,710
$3,473
$41,673
$700,193
Fortnightly
$1,711
$1,602
$41,653
$699,603
Weekly
$855
$801
$41,645
$699,351
“Fortnightly” and “weekly” here are the lender-calculated amounts; see the fortnightly vs monthly guide for the half-monthly method.
Principal & interest vs interest-only on $550k
Interest-only (IO) periods of up to five years are mainly used by investors and by owner-occupiers managing a temporary squeeze, such as parental leave. At 6.49% the IO repayment on $550,000 is $2,975 a month, $498 less than principal and interest. The catch: after five years you still owe all $550,000, and the loan has only 25 years left to clear it, so the repayment jumps to $3,710 — $736 a month more than during the IO period, and $237 more than if you had paid P&I from day one. Over the life of the loan you pay about $41,343 extra interest, before any IO rate premium (RBA data show investor interest-only loans priced roughly 0.2 points above P&I in August 2026).
How an offset account changes a $550k loan
An offset account is a transaction account linked to the loan: the balance is subtracted before interest is charged, so $50,000 of savings against $550,000 means you pay interest on $500,000 — while the repayment stays at $3,473, and the extra goes straight off the principal. Because the saving equals your loan rate and is not taxed, it is worth more than a savings account paying 6.49% before tax to anyone who pays income tax.
Offset balance
Interest saved
Time saved
First-year saving
$20,000
$106,509
2 years 6 months
$1,298
$50,000
$229,176
5 years 5 months
$3,245
$100,000
$373,272
8 years 11 months
$6,490
Balance held constant for the whole loan; in practice it rises and falls with your pay cycle. Offset loans often carry a package fee or a slightly higher rate — see offset accounts explained.
Deposit, LMI and the 5% Deposit Scheme
With a 20% deposit — $137,500 on a $687,500 home — no lenders mortgage insurance applies. Borrow more than 80% of the value and the lender passes on an LMI premium, which is usually added to the loan. The table uses one lender’s indicative premium table (full-doc, May 2026); your quote will differ, and most states also charge stamp duty on the premium.
LVR
Deposit
Property price
Deposit $
LMI rate
LMI premium
Extra / month if added
85% LVR
15%
$647,059
$97,059
1.17%
$6,408
$40
90% LVR
10%
$611,111
$61,111
2.18%
$11,990
$76
95% LVR
5%
$578,947
$28,947
4.00%
$21,989
$139
5% Deposit Scheme: with a 5% deposit, $550,000 buys about $578,947. That is under the First Home Guarantee cap in NSW (Sydney + Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Central Coast, Coffs Harbour–Grafton, Mid North Coast, Richmond–Tweed); regional NSW; VIC (Melbourne + Geelong); regional VIC; QLD (Brisbane + Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast); regional QLD and more — so an eligible first home buyer could skip LMI entirely and save about $21,989. See LMI explained and the First Home Guarantee 2026 rules.
What income do you need for a $550,000 mortgage?
Australian lenders do not use a fixed income multiple. They test whether you could still pay at the assessment rate — the loan rate plus APRA’s 3-point serviceability buffer, 9.49% here — after your declared living expenses (or the Household Expenditure Measure, if higher), other debts and credit-card limits. At 9.49% the 30-year repayment on $550,000 would be $4,621 a month, $1,148 more than you would actually pay today.
30% rule of thumb: keeping the real repayment ($3,473) under 30% of gross pay needs about $138,900 a year — a single earner on that salary takes home about $8,639 a month in 2026-27, so the repayment is 40% of take-home. A couple on $69,500 each takes home $9,452 together (37%).
APRA debt-to-income limit: since 1 February 2026 banks may write only 20% of new owner-occupier loans at a DTI of 6 or more. $550,000 ÷ 6 = $91,700 of gross income before this loan alone becomes “high DTI”.
Check LMI before you rush. At 90% LVR the indicative LMI premium on this loan is $11,990. Saving to 85% LVR, using a guarantor or qualifying for the 5% Deposit Scheme can remove or cut that cost.
Compare comparison rates. Australian lenders must show a comparison rate (based on a $150,000 loan over 25 years) that folds in most fees. Use it to compare, but remember it understates fees on large loans less than on small ones.
Haggle with your existing lender. Lenders often price new customers below existing ones. On $550k, getting from 6.49% to 5.99% saves about $179 a month — ask for a rate review before refinancing, then compare with the 5.89% lowest variable rate on the market.
Pay fortnightly, not “fortnightly equivalent”. Paying half the monthly amount every fortnight makes 26 half-payments a year — one extra month annually. On this loan that clears it 5 years 10 months sooner and saves about $161,027 interest at 6.49%.
Park savings in an offset. Every dollar in an offset account saves interest at your loan rate, tax-free. $50,000 sitting in an offset against $550k saves about $229,176 of interest over the loan and finishes it 5 years 5 months early.
FAQ
What are the repayments on a $550,000 home loan?
At the 6.49% average owner-occupier variable rate (Canstar, after the September 2026 RBA rise, before lenders pass on the November rise) a $550,000 principal-and-interest loan costs about $3,473 a month over 30 years or $3,710 over 25 years. Fortnightly over 30 years it is $1,602; weekly $801.
How much income do I need for a $550k home loan?
As a rule of thumb, keeping the $3,473 monthly repayment to 30% of gross income needs about $138,900 a year. Banks assess at 9.49% (the rate plus APRA’s 3-point buffer), where the repayment would be $4,621 a month, and subtract your living costs and other debts. To stay below a debt-to-income ratio of 6 you would need at least $91,700 of gross income if this is your only debt.
How much interest will I pay on $550,000?
About $700,193 over 30 years or $563,061 over 25 years at 6.49%, if the rate never changed. Paying half the monthly repayment every fortnight cuts the 30-year interest by about $161,027.
What are interest-only repayments on $550,000?
$2,975 a month at 6.49%. If you take 5 years interest-only on a 30-year loan, repayments then jump to $3,710 for the remaining 25 years, and total interest rises to about $741,536 versus $700,193 on principal and interest. Lenders usually charge a higher rate for interest-only.
How much is LMI on a $550k loan?
Using one lender’s indicative premium table (May 2026), LMI on $550,000 is roughly $6,408 at 85% LVR, $11,990 at 90% and $21,989 at 95%. There is no LMI with a 20% deposit or under the 5% Deposit Scheme.
Can I use the 5% Deposit Scheme for a $550k loan?
A $550,000 loan with a 5% deposit buys about $578,947, which is within the First Home Guarantee price cap in: NSW (Sydney + Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Illawarra, Central Coast, Coffs Harbour–Grafton, Mid North Coast, Richmond–Tweed); regional NSW; VIC (Melbourne + Geelong); regional VIC; QLD (Brisbane + Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast); regional QLD; WA (Perth); regional WA; SA (Adelaide); TAS (Hobart); ACT (whole territory); NT (Darwin); regional NT. Under the scheme there is no LMI, no income cap and unlimited places (from 1 October 2025).
RBA cash rate target 4.85%: raised 0.25 points on 3 November 2026, effective 4 November (the Monetary Policy Board voted 6–3). It was the fifth rise of 2026, after February, March, May and September. The Board’s next decision is at 2:30pm AEDT on Tuesday 8 December 2026.
Average owner-occupier variable rate (P&I) 6.49%: Canstar estimate once the September rise was passed on (29 September 2026), in line with RBA Table F6 — new owner-occupier variable loans averaged 6.23% in August 2026, before the rise. Canstar’s average advertised rate across its whole database was 6.75% (13 October 2026) and the lowest variable rate was 5.89% (20 October 2026). As of 3 November no big-four bank had announced how it would pass on the November rise; passed on in full, it lifts the average to about 6.74%.
Fixed rates: big-four 1–2 year fixed rates ranged from 6.49% (ANZ) to 6.81% (NAB 2-year) in October 2026; the lowest fixed rate on Canstar was 5.79% (1-year).
APRA serviceability buffer: 3 percentage points above the loan rate (kept unchanged in APRA’s May 2026 review). From 1 February 2026 no more than 20% of a bank’s new owner-occupier lending (and separately investor lending) may be at a debt-to-income ratio of 6 or more.
LMI: indicative full-doc premiums from one lender’s table published by Home Loan Experts (updated 18 May 2026); insurers price individually and state stamp duty on the premium may apply (none in NSW).
5% Deposit Scheme (First Home Guarantee): Housing Australia rules from 1 October 2025 — unlimited places, no income caps; Darwin cap raised to $750,000 from 1 July 2026.
Repayments use standard amortisation (monthly, fortnightly or weekly compounding to match the payment) with the rate held constant for the whole term; real loans calculate interest daily and rates change.