How far does $25 go on a pub menu?
Below $25 buys different choices on different menus. In this snapshot, 5.4% of the chicken parma / parmi sample, 2.9% of the steak sample, 17.4% of the steak sandwich sample start under that mark.
of the steak-sandwich sample starts below $25
Regular main-meal starting prices below $25
Regular main-meal prices · share of the matching sample · bar scale 0–100% · n = contributing venues
- Chicken parma / parmi5.4%3,211 venues
- Steak2.9%3,794 venues
- Steak sandwich17.4%2,183 venues
Rows with fewer than 30 venues are omitted. Three separate category samples. Missing categories are not assumed absent. Portions and sides differ.
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Choose the meal before chasing the price
A $25 budget for a steak sandwich is a different proposition from the same budget for a steak. The three samples stay separate; a venue can contribute once to each meal it lists.
This is not the cheapest thing on every menu
The comparison covers three main-meal categories that PINTR records in depth. It does not assume that missing burgers, salads or fish dishes are unavailable, and it does not count a bowl of chips as a main.
The $25 regular-menu budget
| Meal | Venues | Below $25 | Share below $25 | Median starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken parma / parmi | 3,211 | 172 | 5.4% | $30.00 |
| Steak | 3,794 | 111 | 2.9% | $39.00 |
| Steak sandwich | 2,183 | 380 | 17.4% | $28.00 |
The data behind the report
Summary tables, contributing venue figures and a chart you can use. No sign-in or email required.
Frozen edition 2026-11-07-501081af9ed8. These download URLs remain attached to this snapshot.
What the fields mean
- venues / n
- Distinct contributing venues in that place and table; not all pubs in the area.
- value
- Lowest regular price for this meal category at the venue, in AUD.
- checked
- Recorded source-check date. Blank means a complete date is unavailable. For a venue average or bill, every part needs a date; the earliest date is retained.
- snapshot_date
- When the public PINTR catalogue snapshot was retrieved, not when every venue’s menu was checked.
How we counted
4,089 distinct venues contribute 9,188 venue-level figures to this report. 9,188 of those figures have a complete recorded source-check date.
- PINTR includes pubs, bars, clubs and other licensed venues. Every headline count refers to the matching PINTR sample, not every pub in an area.
- This is a snapshot of reported prices in PINTR, not a representative survey of every Australian pub. A venue without a matching price is outside the denominator, rather than counted as expensive.
- A table row needs at least 30 contributing venues. City areas use PINTR’s published state-boundary and radius definitions; neighbouring city catchments can overlap.
- A snapshot date records when PINTR’s public catalogue was retrieved. It does not mean each menu was checked that day. Individual source-check dates, including blanks, are retained in the downloads.
- Use regular food prices only. Take the cheapest matching dish once per venue/category. Count prices strictly below $25, not exactly $25. Category samples can overlap.
- Prices are for the named meal category. Portions, cuts, toppings, sides and conditions can differ; see the original listing in the venue download.
Prices come from PINTR’s published venue and price catalogue, retrieved . The public directory and downloads show the supporting figures. This report does not measure inflation, national market share or changes over time.
PINTR price methodologyCite this finding
17.4% of 2,183 venues with a regular steak-sandwich price in PINTR’s sample listed a starting price below $25.
PINTR. “How far does $25 go on a pub menu?” The PINTR Times. Catalogue snapshot 7 November 2026. https://www.pintr.com.au/articles/data/pub-mains-under-25
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Using the figures and charts
You’re welcome to quote PINTR’s aggregate findings and reuse these charts in your reporting. Please credit PINTR and link to this report. Keep the snapshot date and sample description with the figure. Venue photography and third-party material are outside this permission.
Need a particular city or a calculation checked? Contact the PINTR data desk.