Short answer
CHOICE puts a split system unit at $600 to $5,500↗ and the installer's fee at $600 to $800 or more↗. Add the two and a supply-and-install job starts at about $1,200 and can pass $6,300 for a big unit on a hard wall. Where you land depends mostly on how much capacity the room needs.
How much does the unit cost on its own?
The spread is wide because the price bundles several decisions: capacity, brand, and extras such as Wi-Fi control or motion sensors. CHOICE's range of $600 to $5,500↗ runs from a small bedroom unit to a large inverter model for an open-plan room.
Capacity is the one that matters most, and it is the one you can work out before anyone visits. More on that below.
Show the numbers
| Unit, supply only | $600 to $5,500 |
|---|---|
| Installer's fee | $600 to $800 or more |
| Unit plus installation | $1,200 to $6,300 |
What does the installer charge for?
A standard installation runs $600 to $800 or more↗, according to CHOICE. Read the words "or more" carefully. They are where a quote grows.
Ask each installer to list anything that takes the job past a standard install: a longer pipe run, working at height, a new power circuit, or an outdoor unit that has to sit somewhere awkward. Then you are comparing the same job, not three different guesses about it.
What size unit does your room need?
Canstar Blue's rule of thumb is 0.12 to 0.15 kW per m²↗ of floor area. Multiply the length of the room by its width and you have a starting band. Here is how it works out for some ordinary rooms:
| Room | Floor area | Capacity band |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom, 3 × 4 m | 12 m² | 1.4 to 1.8 kW |
| Study or large bedroom, 4 × 5 m | 20 m² | 2.4 to 3.0 kW |
| Living room, 5 × 6 m | 30 m² | 3.6 to 4.5 kW |
| Open-plan living and dining, 6 × 8 m | 48 m² | 5.8 to 7.2 kW |
The rule knows nothing about ceiling height, orientation and glazing↗. A living room with a wall of west-facing glass is a different job from a shaded bedroom of the same size, and a good installer asks about both before quoting. The calculator does the multiplication for any room.
Is replacing an old split cheaper than a first install?
Often. CHOICE says a replacement is usually cheaper in the same positions↗. If the new unit goes exactly where the old one was, the wall is already drilled and the pipe route already exists. Move it, even along the same wall, and you are paying for a new installation again.
In New South Wales, swapping an old air conditioner for a 6 kW split system can also bring up to $560↗ off the quote through the state's upgrade incentive.
Can a state discount bring the price down?
- Victoria: up to $1,610↗ when efficient reverse cycle replaces a gas room heater. How it works.
- New South Wales: up to $550↗ off a new 6 kW system.
- Queensland: the state appliance rebate is closed↗. What that means for Queensland prices.
Who is allowed to install it?
Anyone who installs, services or repairs an air conditioner needs a Refrigerant Handling Licence↗ from the Australian Refrigeration Council. That rules out a handyman fitting a boxed unit, however neat the result looks. The ARCtick licence guide covers what to ask for.
Prices come from CHOICE's 2023 installation guide, the most recent full breakdown we could verify. 2026 quotes will differ, so use these figures to sense-check a quote rather than to set a budget to the dollar.