Your local pub parmi could soon be pushing $43, with surging meal prices turning a classic pub feed into a serious cost-of-living pain.
Fresh figures show the average parmi is already above $30 nationwide, and if restaurant inflation keeps running hot, Australians could be paying a whole lot more for one of their favourite weeknight treats.
New analysis by data experts at playcasino.com found a chicken parmi at the pub could cost $42.70 by 2036, if restaurant meal prices keep rising at the pace seen since 2019.
The projection was based on PubWatch data tracking menu prices at more than 3000 pubs and bars.
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On October 29, 2026, the average chicken parmi across 3213 venues sat at $30.14.
Using Australian Bureau of Statistics consumer price index data for restaurant meals, the researchers found prices rose from an average 80.4 in 2019 to 99.1 in 2025, a jump of 23.2 per cent over six years.
That works out to annual compounded growth of 3.5 per cent.
Applied to today’s average parmi price over the next decade, it points to a $43 pub meal by 2036.
The humble pub parmi is getting seriously pricey, with fresh figures revealing the classic Aussie feed could cost a jaw-dropping $43 within a decade.
The dish is already expensive across the country, with the average price sitting above $29 in every state and territory.
The cheapest average was recorded in the Northern Territory at $29.56, while South Australia was the dearest at $31.15.
In New South Wales, the average parmi sells for $29.75, 29.93 in Queensland, $30 in Victoria,
and $31.13 in Tasmania.
At the same growth rate, South Australia’s average parmi would rise to $44.13 by 2036, while the Northern Territory’s would hit $41.87.
Meanwhile, the average pub steak, now priced at $40.24 according to PubWatch, would also surge to about $57 if the same inflation trend continues.
For regular diners, the cost stacks up quickly.
A group of mates have banded together to launch the ‘Parma Club’, visiting venues across the Gold Coast in the quest to find the perfect chicken parmi. Picture: Glenn Hampson
A couple ordering a parmi each once a week would spend about $3135 a year at today’s average prices, rising to about $4440 a year by 2036.
The figures are a projection, not a forecast, and assume the trend in restaurant meal inflation from 2019 to 2025 continues.
Prices also still vary sharply from pub to pub.
A spokesperson for playcasino.com said the parmi – or parma – had become a useful benchmark for tracking how much a casual pub meal now costs.
“The parmi is the benchmark of the Aussie pub feed, and it is already about $30 right across the country,” the spokesperson said.
“Restaurant meal prices climbed 23 per cent between 2019 and 2025, and if that carries on, a $43 parmi is not far-fetched by 2036.
“There is still value about, though. PubWatch’s best-value suburb, Waterloo in Sydney, averages $23.67, so it pays to shop around.”
The sharp rise in menu prices could also create another headache for the hospitality industry, which is already under pressure from rising labour, rent, insurance and food costs.
If pub staples like parmis and steaks keep climbing, venues may be forced to choose between passing those costs on to customers or absorbing more of the pain themselves through thinner margins.
Comedian Benjamin French recently called out a $40 Parmi order in Perth. Source: Facebook
Higher prices can put off diners already feeling squeezed by mortgages, bills and grocery costs, while holding prices down can make it harder for operators to stay profitable.
That concern is already showing up online.
Australian comedian and YouTuber Benjamin French, known professionally as Frenchy, recently vented on social media after buying a meal in Perth.
“I always forget how expensive sh*t is out in Perth. How is it I got this fu**ing Parma?,” he said.
“Delicious, don’t get me wrong, delicious, (but) $40? That’s a fu**ing war crime.”
He later explained the base price was actually $34, but extras pushed the bill higher.
“Well, it’s actually $34, but then they charge me $3 for veggies, trying to be healthy … and then $3 for that little tiny thing of gravy. How is gravy that expensive out here?”
While some followers gave him flak for calling it a parma, questioning whether that alone may have added a premium price to his order, many agreed with the broader point, saying pub meals and takeaway were becoming harder to justify.
One person commented: “How about the latest pub scam. They ask if you want chips n salad or mash n veg. I say nah. I’d like chips n veg and they reckon it’s 3 bucks extra for the veggies.”
Another wrote: “Perth is ridiculous expensive for those who aren’t FIFO. $15 for decent pint. Pubs charge $12 – 20$ for a medium bowl of chips. $20-30$ Bahnmi. 20-30 bucks for a burger.”
A third said: “I used to love eating out in Australia now and again. Now it’s too expensive … love cooking at home.”
Simple cut could save you $62k
The cost pressure comes as separate research by Youi found convenience spending such as Uber Eats, eating out and online shopping was quietly chewing through household budgets each month.
The insurer found the average estimated monthly spend on unnecessary purchases was $165, with about half of respondents admitting they waste at least $100 a month.
One in four said they splurge $200 or more, while 93 per cent conceded they waste at least some money every month.
Source: Savvy
That may not sound like much in the context of a major mortgage, but finance group Savvy said the long-term impact could be enormous.
Its analysis found putting an extra $165 a month into a $400,000 mortgage at 6.50 per cent per annum could save almost $62,000 in interest and cut more than three years off the loan.
Even on the average $731,000 mortgage, paying just $50 extra a month, about the cost of one or two takeaway dinners, could shave close to $22,000 off the total loan bill and trim around seven months from the life of the loan.
Savvy mortgage broker Daniel Carter said Australians did not need to give up every treat to improve their financial position, but even modest cutbacks could make a meaningful difference.
“Cutting back on takeaway by half, a third or even a quarter each month where you’re able to do so mightn’t be exactly what you want, but it could deliver savings to the tune of tens of thousands across the life of your mortgage,” he said.