Are Men's Haircuts Now Just Supposed to Be $40 to $50+ for a Fade?

m4gician on 07/06/2025 - 20:11
Last edited 08/06/2025 - 10:40 by 1 other user

Just wanted to get a bit of a pulse check here.

Lately, every barbershop I’ve come across in Sydney, whether it’s in the CBD or out in the suburbs, seems to be charging $40 to $50+ for a standard men’s fade. And that’s just for the fade. No wash or condition, no hot towel shave or line-up, no neck massage… just a quick in-and-out cut.

I’m not talking about the $15 to $25 quickie cuts at Chinese-run shops (which I’ve had mixed results with to be honest), but the mid-tier barbers where you’d expect a decent experience. Are we now just expected to pay $45+ for a basic haircut with zero extras?

Am I out of touch with the market rate or missing out on some local gems? Do any of you know of places around Sydney where you can either pay less, or at least get the full service — wash, shave, massage — for the same price?

Would love to hear where you go and whether you think the value is still there.

Health & Beauty Hair Care

Comments

  • kaleidoscope on 08/06/2025 - 16:06
    +2

    Find a neighbour that has a salon =D (mine does for $15 and the best part is i can ask for a time in advance that suits me than waiting at a shop)

    • ihbh on 08/06/2025 - 17:42
      +1

      So does that mean if you live in Sydney in Point Piper or Mosman, you'd have to move to Bankstown or Blacktown?

      • kaleidoscope on 08/06/2025 - 20:30
        +1

        If that’s the case, i’d look at it as a good business opportunity

      • ratman on 11/06/2025 - 06:49

        If you live in point piper you're probably not complaining about a $30 haircut.

  • zanzir on 08/06/2025 - 16:23
    +5

    got frustrated at walk ins, having to sit there and wait 20 mins then pay $40 for a buzz and scissor cut so just bought my own wahl trimmer for $70 and cut my own hair, first 3 tries was tough but now it takes me 15 mins and looks much better. $40 aint normal imo

  • BartholemewH on 08/06/2025 - 17:41
    +1

    It seems we're discussing this all the time but my barber recently went from 25 to 30.

  • Kiro on 08/06/2025 - 18:23

    Yeah, getting ridiculous especially adding in a beared trim.

    Just paid $60 for fade with beared trim, to fade into hair, length kept same.

  • Jolakot on 08/06/2025 - 18:33
    +1

    $40 for a wash and men's cut in Melbourne CBD, was $25 in 2019. Korean salon with an experienced barber.

    I used to get my hair cut at the hairdressing school for cheap, but the quality varies too much for me. And they really take their time, I've sat in a chair for an hour+ while they tried to get it right, compared to 25 mins with an experienced barber.

  • Drakesy on 08/06/2025 - 19:05
    +1

    Sitting here reading this whilst my GF cuts my hair

    But yes covid did a number of haircut prices

    • Baysew on 08/06/2025 - 22:46
      +10

      Maybe so, but I'm pretty sure this is another issue that Peter Dutton had no idea about.

  • Checkmate3023 on 08/06/2025 - 19:52
    +4

    everyone wants higher wages, no one wants to pay for it

    wait til the next lift in artifical min wages is push up and super increases….

    • pinsanity on 08/06/2025 - 20:17
      +2

      Like a dog chasing its tail.

  • Ozstache on 08/06/2025 - 21:56
    +2

    Where's the Ozbargain spirit here? I use the $40 K-Mart pet trimmer I bought to groom my Oodle to give him and myself a #6 on top and #4 on the sides "faded" once a month. I save a fortune and we look like twins! :-)

  • [Deactivated] on 08/06/2025 - 22:06
    +1

    With some of the comments… I don’t wonder why people are complaining about the cost of living.

  • H3R34TH4C0MM3NTS on 08/06/2025 - 22:37
    +1

    theres a place In west Footscray I get mine done by an Italian lady , she has a salon set up in the rear of her property does mine for $20

    has a 4.9 rating on google, make an appointment save heaps of $$.

    the place is Called OOBA Hair

    https://g.co/kgs/8JhYs9C

  • Codybyrne on 08/06/2025 - 23:21

    It’s a once every 2 months expense for me. It’s not something I mind not scrimping on.

    These barbers often have to pay for their seat and get paid per customer. They’re probably lucky to get $40 an hour on a good day and it’s more like $30

    Everyone deserves a liveable wage

    • risque122 on 09/06/2025 - 02:49

      1. People who get fades, on average go to get their hair done way more than "once every 2 months"

      2. You are out of touch re: barbers only making $30/hr… If they are even half-decent at fades, they will be making way more than that, many of these guys do privates too. This isn't 2005. If they're averaging $30/hr, its either a) they're terrible at their job or b) they work at a shitty location (or both)

      • Codybyrne on 15/06/2025 - 13:57

        it's a saturated marketplace confined to a captive marketplace usually in shopping malls or other high footfall commercial areas.

        These guys are making the bottom end of a liveable wage for skilled work.

        If you need to pay less, find someone that does it out out of their home

  • tsugnev on 09/06/2025 - 05:16

    You're asking the wrong crowd

  • ForkSnorter on 09/06/2025 - 07:47
    +1

    Buy a $40 hair clipper, cut your own hair for the next 5 years, and you will save 5% of a house deposit.

    Labor says you need 5% deposit. 5% of $900k (median house price)=$45k. 5 years of hair cuts at $50/cut, 10 cuts per year = $2500, which is 5.5% of $45k.

    Add to this the money you save by:

    1. Skipping smashed avo on toast + coffee once a week for 5 years = 14% of a house deposit
    2. Skipping your Friday night cheap bottle of wine for 5 years = 11.5% of a house deposit
    3. Making a $1 sandwich instead of eating at McDonalds/KFC twice a week for 5 years = 11.5% of a house deposit
    4. Canceling all your streaming/gaming subscriptions (average=around $50/month) for 5 years =6.67% of a house deposit.

    Total = 50% of a house deposit by doing the above for 5 years.

    • Herp on 09/06/2025 - 08:36
      +2

      Property prices in my town literally doubling in the last 6 years*? Priceless.

      (*And forecast to rise another 10% this year)

      • ForkSnorter on 09/06/2025 - 08:45

        Property prices in my town literally doubling in the last 6 years*? Priceless.

        Happened pretty much everywhere (except maybe Sydney and Melbourne, where prices were already ludicrous 6 years ago).

        I can show you places where prices have tripled in 6 years.

        (*And forecast to rise another 10% this year)

        Yeah, and when the house price to income ratio is already so high, 10% is a lot. I can see in some areas, prices have risen 5%-10% for decent houses in a matter of months since the interest rate cuts this year. But this is clearly the government's objective, so who are we to say something is wrong.

        Literally everything the government is doing in relation to the housing market has the unambiguous effect of pushing up property prices. Exactly what we need when we're facing extreme unemployment as AI steals half our jobs over the next few years. If I was a struggling 25-year-old with a poor extended family, zero property, and ~$70k income from a bunch of part-time jobs, I would be pooing myself with fear about the future.

    • Jolakot on 10/06/2025 - 22:38

      In 5 years that will be 25% of a deposit, like walking the wrong way on one of those moving walkways they have at the airport

      • ForkSnorter on 11/06/2025 - 06:04

        Except the amount you save will also increase over time as the price of haircuts and other things increase. Plus after a while you will be making a bit of interest on your savings.

  • Name on 09/06/2025 - 08:07
    +1

    My 12 year old kid gets fades.. $55.. 💀 He won't let me learn to do a fade on him. I cut my own hair but I just do a #2 all over. Easy when you're going bald.

    • eek on 10/06/2025 - 15:45

      Damn, if I had a 12 year old that wanted a $55 haircut I'd tell them to go get a job at Foxconn assembling iPhones to pay for it. Mine get $15 cuts from the local shopping center cash-only Quick Cuts place.

  • matt-ozb on 09/06/2025 - 08:30
    +7

    Haircuts are one of the biggest scams of this century .. both the time and cost is not worth the hassle. Queuing, waiting, getting charged $50. .. but some clippers and scissors and DIY. Been doing that for 20 years and never had an issue.

    • michaelTito on 09/06/2025 - 19:32
      -1

      Everything is a scam if you really think about it.

    • Emphasise on 09/06/2025 - 23:41

      Any suggestions on clippers? I'm looking to start DIYing at home too

  • Pertuan on 09/06/2025 - 11:03

    I pay $30 for my standard cut. 1 on the sides and back, short on the top. They usually charge $35 but I'm a "regular".

  • jaimex2 on 09/06/2025 - 13:18
    +1

    My solution was get these https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/891772

    and never go to a hairdresser again. Plenty of Youtube videos on how to give yourself a standard mens cut, it's not hard or easy to screw up.

    I used this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMOifv4Wvys

    There's plenty on how to do fades also.

  • Oztx on 09/06/2025 - 14:46
    +2

    Since COVID days, I bought a $60 Philips all-in-one shaver and shave my full head (3mm) every ~2 months. Never looked back.

    The time and money saved is completely worth it.

  • p1 ama on 09/06/2025 - 19:48

    I’m not talking about the $15 to $25 quickie cuts at Chinese-run shops (which I’ve had mixed results with to be honest), but the mid-tier barbers where you’d expect a decent experience. Are we now just expected to pay $45+ for a basic haircut with zero extras?

    To be honest, the best play is to suss out those "$15 to $25 quickie cuts at Chinese-run shops". They usually have lots of people working, just have a look at the ones who you think are doing a decent job and seem to be competent. Ask for that one specifically, if they're good, ask them when they're usually in and come back to see them.

    One of the people at my local "$15 quickie cuts" place does a really good job and there's never been any issues with me coming back and asking for them in particular.

  • UFO on 09/06/2025 - 19:58

    Number 1 all over, DIY for last 30 years. Stuff paying for hair cuts!

  • mjs on 09/06/2025 - 20:44

    Many of the responses here have misunderstood what a “fade” haircut is. It’s not a standard haircut. It involves more time and care in order to get right. Most people cannot do a proper fade cut on their own. A buzz cut is not a fade cut.

    At the end of the day, you are paying for their time. And the cost of their time also has to factor in the cost of running their business.

    I don’t think barbers are making a lot of money, even those who are charging $40-$50 for a fade cut. There are barbers everywhere.

    When you say “shave”, do you mean the back of the neck? This should be included in the cost - it takes 2 minutes.

    • idonteven on 10/06/2025 - 13:50

      Agreed. I get skin faded every 3-4 weeks. I go to whichever Arab barber is free because nobody skin fades like an Arab. They charge $40 and it usually takes about 25 minutes.

      Fade is not your standard cut.

      • jaimex2 on 10/06/2025 - 15:18
        +1

        You can still DIY it, just takes longer.

        • idonteven on 10/06/2025 - 18:25

          I’ve thought about it but I’m happy to pay someone else $40 because then I don’t have to worry about the cleanup either.

          Ultimately I value my time more than the cost of a skinfade.

          • jaimex2 on 10/06/2025 - 20:13

            @idonteven: Ironically that was the final straw for me.

            I had an appointment, they made me wait 40 minutes and then charged me $40.

            You can get a catcher so there's no mess.

  • WhyThingsCostMoney on 09/06/2025 - 21:17

    I used to detest the thought of spending $40 on a haircut until I stumbled upon a skilled barber. Now, I’d gladly pay that amount to my barber, Milad. It’s just a matter of taking the risk to find the right place.

  • Morphio25 on 10/06/2025 - 06:51

    Best thing about being a bald git is not having to pay for haircuts OR shampoo.

  • whitepuma on 10/06/2025 - 10:13
    +1

    buy a good set of clippers and learn to do it yourself.

    It's a good cost & time saving skill to have that will always come to use.

  • hopper on 10/06/2025 - 14:17

    was paying $15 and now $20. buzz cut on sides and scissors on the top.

  • knk on 10/06/2025 - 15:50

    I really don't see how they'd be profitable charging any less than that these days. It's hard to make a living.

    I just shave my head in the shower.

  • Quen on 10/06/2025 - 20:42

    Get a 16 Guard and you are set.. save your $600 a year

  • Leeroy Jenkins on 10/06/2025 - 21:37

    If you get them to shave all your hair, it's usually under $20, while the going rate in some of the barbers here are about $35. It can usually last 3 months before the next shave.

    I've tried shaving myself, it's just too hard to get a clean shave. I found the time spent is just not worth it. Maybe I don't have the right tools.

  • susu abis on 10/06/2025 - 23:45

    In Perth, a fade will be 30 to 40 bux. On my recent trip to Melbourne, went to Prahan for a fade and that set me back 40 bux.

  • Nebargains on 11/06/2025 - 07:29

    Men's haircuts have gotten expensive in the last 5 years. You pay more and get less.

    I went to the same place for like 16 years, has same person cut my hair like 95% of the time. Great person, great cut, great service and the price most of that time was around $30, you'd get a proper wash, a style cut, probably only be there for 30-40 mins but couldn't complain. Only complaint was I had to book way in advance and if I missed a cut (sick of something) then there wasn't much choice but to go somewhere else

    Then one year (2021?) they jacked up the price to nearly $40, then next thing it's $42, then $42+some random fee, by the time I stopped going there last year a cut was costing me like $50. Probably still good value but I'd go there every 3-4 weeks.

    So I started going to walk in places and you get what you pay for, I get the convenience of going whenever it suits me and I pay like $10 less or something but you get a super average cut and it's never the same, no wash nothing. Honestly if I could use clippers on the back of my own head I could do it better myself because the rest I can do.

    It's getting to the point where I'm considering shaving my head because I either pay an arm and a leg for a good cut once a month or I pay slightly less and get a mediocre cut once a month.

  • boozler on 11/06/2025 - 10:18

    VIC - $15 includes two pre-cut hair washes (shampoo and conditioner)

  • T1OOO on 11/06/2025 - 11:28

    got stung $70 for a hair cut, sydney cbd, i could hear them laughing still from 100meters as I was walking away

  • diddy50 on 11/06/2025 - 11:47
    +1

    I pay $40 for a wash, head massage, and cut at a shopping centre barber - Vic

    • m4gician on 29/06/2025 - 18:31

      Yeah that's what I was kinda looking for for $40.

  • cruiseronroad on 11/06/2025 - 19:12
    -1

    Unfortunately its the perfect example of Cost Disease also known as as the Baumol Effect.

    Productivity gains in this area have been light on. It still takes 1 barber 15-30 minutes to do one haircut and their wages are competing against the broader market.

  • payless69 on 12/06/2025 - 01:22
    -2

    They said:
    The Sky will not fall in!

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