A typical balance is not a renter’s savings target
A median super balance does not test whether you can afford rent throughout retirement. Super Consumers Australia’s 2026 medium-spending target at 65 is $659,000 for a single renter, supporting $63,000 annual spending including modelled rent. The couple equivalent is $786,000 combined, supporting $84,000 annual spending. Its homeowner targets for the corresponding non-housing lifestyles are $322,000 and $432,000.
These are scenarios to age 90 with eligible government support and a 90% modelled confidence level, not guarantees. The rent inputs are based on June 2025 capital-city apartment rents, not September 2026 quotes for your suburb. Use the published comparison to recognise the housing difference, then build a budget from your own likely costs.
Sources: SCA 2026 renter targets and assumptions · Why medians are not enough: our research
Start with the housing cost that will continue
A retirement budget built for an outright homeowner can understate what a renter needs. Rent is a recurring payment, and it can continue for the whole of retirement. It also changes differently from other household expenses. The useful starting point is the weekly rent for the home and location you would actually choose, not a national number for an unrelated property.
Convert weekly rent to a yearly amount by multiplying by 52. Then add costs that rent does not cover, such as contents insurance and an allowance for moving. Keep utilities, food, health and travel in their own categories so you can see what is driving the total. A bond is generally tied-up cash rather than an annual expense, but you may need accessible money for a new bond before the old one is returned.
Replace homeowner costs rather than adding rent twice
A common mistake is to take a complete homeowner budget, add rent and call the result a renter budget. That can retain council rates, building insurance and owner maintenance that the tenant may not pay directly. Start with a budget split into living costs, housing and travel, then replace the housing component with the renter’s actual obligations.
In our illustrative age-guide renter scenario, $550 a week becomes $28,600 a year, with $1,500 a year for other renter costs. Together those make $30,100 of annual housing spending. These are editable example amounts, not a median rent or a recommendation for any Australian city. Check what the lease includes and replace the example with local figures.
Stress-test the rent, the location and the time horizon
An increase of $100 a week adds $5,200 to yearly spending before considering any support. Test that change in the planner and then try living to 100 rather than 95. The purpose is to see whether the plan depends on rent staying unusually low or on a short retirement.
All our planner costs are in today’s dollars. Holding real rent constant means its dollar amount is assumed to rise with general inflation; it does not mean the lease payment stays frozen. If you expect rent to outpace inflation, use a larger annual housing allowance as a stress test. This simple model does not forecast a local rental market.
A move to a lower-rent area should also consider transport, medical access, support networks and the cost of visiting family. A property that saves $80 a week may not save as much overall if it requires a second car or regular flights. Work through the household’s full yearly budget before deciding the move closes a funding gap.
Keep government support separate from your own budget
Age Pension and Rent Assistance can affect a renter’s income, but eligibility depends on rules and circumstances. Do not assume the maximum payment or deduct a benefit twice. Some published renter benchmarks already reflect assistance within their assumptions.
Our age planner excludes Age Pension and does not estimate Rent Assistance. Its result is the capital required to cover the entered spending after other income you enter. Compare it with a detailed official retirement planner and Services Australia eligibility information before treating it as the amount you personally must save.
A practical renter planning file
Keep a short record of the property type, location, current weekly asking rents, lease inclusions and the date you checked them. Add moving costs, a cash allowance for a bond overlap and a plan for a rent increase. Update that file alongside the super statement each year.
If buying remains a possibility, compare two complete scenarios: continuing to rent, and buying with the remaining capital after all purchase costs. Do not count a future deposit both as accessible savings and as money still invested in super. The better comparison is the household’s remaining spending capacity and flexibility under each option.