What buying crypto really costs in Australia
The trading fee is only one of four costs between your dollars and your coins. Here's what each one is, and how to compare exchanges fairly.
The four costs
- Funding: getting AUD onto the exchange. PayID and bank transfers are often free; cards usually cost more.
- Trading fee: a percentage of the trade, published on the exchange's fee page. It usually falls as you trade more each month.
- Spread: you buy at the lowest asking price, which sits above the market's mid price. That gap is a cost even when it isn't called a fee.
- Withdrawal: a fee in the coin itself if you move it to your own wallet.
How a percentage fee is charged
On CoinWharf, your amount pays for the trade plus the fee. So A$2,000 at a 0.6% fee buys A$1,988.07 of crypto and pays A$11.93 in fees. If an exchange adds the 0.6% on top of the order instead, A$2,000 of crypto costs A$2,012.00. Check which way the order screen shows it.
| You spend | Buys crypto worth | Trading fee |
|---|---|---|
| A$500 | A$497.02 | A$2.98 |
| A$2,000 | A$1,988.07 | A$11.93 |
| A$5,000 | A$4,970.18 | A$29.82 |
Worked example: a lower fee isn't always cheaper
Exchange A charges 0.1% but its best asking price is A$101,000 per BTC. Exchange B charges 0.6% and asks A$100,000. For A$2,000, A delivers 0.0197822 BTC and B delivers 0.01988072 BTC: the exchange with six times the fee gives you more Bitcoin, because its price is better.
How to compare fairly
Use the same amount and the same coin everywhere, and compare how much crypto you'd receive after every cost, not the headline fee. That's how the CoinWharf comparison ranks exchanges.
Compare A$2,000 of Bitcoin across exchanges now
Related guides
- Spreads and trading fees: what's the difference?
- Slippage: why larger crypto orders cost more per coin
- Bitcoin withdrawal fees: what reaches your wallet
Further reading: ASIC Moneysmart. Examples use round illustrative prices, not live quotes; the tools use live order books. General information, not financial, investment or tax advice.