The priciest state for learner drivers
The most expensive state for young Australians to learn to drive in has been revealed, with the national average hitting $80 an hour for lessons.
Latest research from EzLicence took a look at the hourly cost of a driving lesson across 2500 suburbs.
From there, they were able to analyse and discover which states and suburbs were the most expensive and the cheapest.
The state found to be the priciest is South Australia (SA), with an average $108.78 per hour for a driving lesson.
It’s the only state to have the average in the triple digits, with a $27 difference between South Australia and the next expensive place, the ACT at $81.41.
Queensland, Victoria, NSW and Western Australia (WA) all closely together, ranging from WA’s $75.81 to Queensland’s $79.39.
Tasmanians can rejoice as their state is the cheapest for driving lessons, sitting at $69.44 per hour. This is a $41 difference between Tasmania and SA, with the most expensive suburb being Urrbrae, Adelaide’s southeast at $167.
Sadly, the only state and territory left out of the research was the Northern Territory as EzLicence currently doesn’t operate there.
EzLicence’s CEO Tobi Pearce states that the higher costs of driving lessons can be a barrier for young Australians learning to drive from professionals.
“A higher entry price point for driving lessons can prevent young Australians from benefiting from professional advice and lessons from experienced teachers,” Mr Pearce said.
“Our research highlights the significant variation in driving lesson costs across Australia by each state and city. South Australia emerges as the most expensive location for learning to drive, where learners are met with an average hourly rate of $108.78. Often this means SA learners are paying in excess of 30% more for driving lessons than their peers from other states.
“While it isn’t feasible to move states to access cheaper driving lessons, there are several ways learner drivers can save money on lessons. New drivers should scope out local instructors in bordering suburbs to compare prices per hour.”
After Urrbrae, the next most expensive suburb in SA is Mount Barker in the Hills LGA at $139.71. On the other hand, the most affordable suburb is Lightsview in North Eastern at $72.71.
That’s an eye-watering $90 difference between the two suburbs.
Suburb-wise, the cheapest Sydney suburb is Varroville in the Campbelltown LGA at $63.78, while the most expensive is the Sutherland Shire’s Sylvania Waters at $89.57.
The cheapest Melbourne suburb is Drouin at $65.88, with the most expensive being Cremorne in the CBD and Inner North at $88.92.
Ipswich’s College View takes the title as cheapest suburb in the Brisbane area at $63, with the most expensive being Beachmere at $88.70.
In the nation’s capital, the best suburb for cheaper driving lessons is Harrison at $73.25, with the most expensive being Wright at $90.25.
Over in Australia’s west, the cheapest suburb in Perth is Brentwood at $67.08, and the most expensive is North East’s Woodbridge at $85.23.
As Hobart only had three suburbs analysed, the cheapest suburb goes to Glenorchy at $64.46, with Geilston Bay taking the pricey spot at $73.50.
Below is a full breakdown of the most expensive and cheapest suburbs across the recorded states and the ACT.
