ASFA Retirement Standard 2026
How much you need to retire

How much super do I need to retire comfortably?

ASFA's answer is $630,000 for a single homeowner and $730,000 for a couple at 67. The figure assumes you draw it all down over retirement and receive a part Age Pension. It is in today's dollars, so it is a target to compare with your balance as it stands now, not a nominal number for the year you retire.

To be on track before 67, ASFA's Super Balance Detective gives the balance you should already have at each age. These are ASFA's own figures for its two income tracks; a higher future wage means larger future contributions, so you need less today.

ASFA Super Balance Detective, single person, read 12 October 2026. ASFA assumes a lower wage before 30 on the $75K track and before 35 on the $100K track. For how real balances compare, see average super balance by age.

Comfortable vs modest retirement: where the money goes

For a single homeowner the comfortable budget is $375.83 a week above the modest one. The three biggest differences are leisure ($105.40 a week), transport ($75.32) and health ($63.58). Comfortable includes $22.57 a week toward overseas holidays, which modest leaves out, and private health insurance at $52.15 a week against $19.93.

• Housing: Homeowners: insurance, council rates, water, repairs. Renters: private rent after Rent Assistance plus a moving-costs allowance.
• Electricity and gas: Household energy.
• Food: Groceries and fresh food.
• Internet and phone: Home broadband, mobile plan, phone purchase.
• Household goods and services: Cleaning supplies, personal care, haircuts, media, computer, appliances.
• Clothing and footwear: Clothing and footwear.
• Transport: Car running costs and public transport.
• Health: Health insurance, chemist, out-of-pocket costs.
• Leisure: Clubs, streaming, meals out, holidays, take-away.

Homeowners aged 65 to 84, June quarter 2026, from ASFA's detailed expenditure breakdown. ASFA notes totals may differ slightly from the sum of the lines because of rounding.

How much does a couple need to retire in Australia?

A couple needs $78,998 a year for a comfortable retirement and $52,690 for a modest one (June quarter 2026). That is 70% of what two singles would spend, because the home, energy bills and the car are shared. In super, ASFA puts the couple target at $730,000, only $100,000 more than a single, because the Age Pension carries more of a couple's budget: at the full rate it is $48,516 a year, 61% of the comfortable couple budget, against 57% for a single.

Couples spend more on leisure ($343.54 a week comfortable) and health ($235.18) than a single, but transport costs a couple $209.63 a week against $193.81 for a single, because one car serves two people.

Retirement standard for renters

ASFA publishes a separate modest budget for retirees renting privately: $51,418 a year for a single and $69,376 for a couple. That is $14,870 a year more than a modest single homeowner, and the whole difference is housing: $396.84 a week for a single after Commonwealth Rent Assistance, plus an allowance for moving. ASFA does not publish a comfortable standard for renters.

In super, renting adds $230,000 to a single's target and $265,000 to a couple's. If you expect to rent in retirement, the renter figure is the one to plan against, not the homeowner standard.

What the Age Pension contributes

The full Age Pension, including supplements, is $32,180 a year for a single and $48,516 for a couple combined (from 20 Sep 2026). At the full rate it would cover 88% of a single's modest budget and 57% of the comfortable one; for a couple, 92% and 61%. Someone holding $630,000 in super receives a part pension rather than the full rate, which is how ASFA's lump sums are built. The Age Pension calculator shows your own rate under the income and assets tests.

Retirement costs after 85

ASFA also prices retirement for homeowners aged 85 and over: $53,964 a year comfortable and $34,619 modest for a single, $74,484 and $49,611 for a couple (June quarter 2026). The car gives way to taxis and public transport and overseas travel drops out, while cleaning, home help and out-of-pocket health costs rise.

The ASFA standard is national: what about your city?

ASFA publishes one national standard. Housing, transport and energy costs differ between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and regional towns, so the same lifestyle costs more in some places than others. See retirement cost by city for the comfortable and modest budgets adjusted for 11 Australian cities and regions.