Australian website costs break down into three main tiers. A basic WordPress or template site with 5–10 pages costs roughly AUD $2,000–$8,000, suitable for small businesses needing an online presence without custom features. Mid-range business websites run $8,000–$25,000 and include custom design, brand-aligned layouts, 15–30 pages, basic SEO setup, and integrations like booking systems or CRM connections. Enterprise or e-commerce builds start at $25,000 and scale past $100,000 when you factor in custom development, multi-language support, advanced automations, or marketplace integrations. Australia's web development rates sit between $80–$200 per hour, comparable to Canada and slightly below US rates. Sydney and Melbourne agencies typically charge at the higher end, while Brisbane and Adelaide developers often come in 10–20% lower. Offshore teams in Southeast Asia charge $25–$50/hour but require tighter project management and can introduce communication delays that offset the savings. Ongoing costs matter as much as the build. Hosting runs $15–$150/month depending on traffic and server requirements. Maintenance contracts cost $100–$500/month and cover updates, backups, and security patches. If you skip maintenance, expect to pay $1,000–$3,000 annually in reactive fixes when something breaks or gets hacked. At Ottawa SEO, we see clients underestimate three cost drivers: content creation (quality copywriting adds $500–$2,000), photography ($800–$3,000 for professional shoots), and post-launch SEO work (another $1,000–$5,000 minimum if you want the site to actually rank). A $10,000 website that sits on page six of Google delivers zero ROI. Budget at least 30% of your build cost for the first six months of content and technical SEO, or you're just building an expensive digital brochure no one finds.