A typical federal royal commission in Australia costs tens to hundreds of millions of dollars , with smaller inquiries often around $50–150 million and the largest, multi‑year commissions exceeding $300 million in total expenditure. There is no fixed price tag, because the cost depends heavily on how wide the terms of reference are, how long it runs, how many witnesses and hearings are involved, and how much support is provided to participants and victims.

What a royal commission is

  • A royal commission is a high‑level public inquiry set up by government to investigate issues of major public concern, such as systemic abuse, corporate misconduct, or failures in public administration.
  • It is given strong legal powers to compel documents and witnesses, operate public hearings, and produce recommendations to government at the end of its work.

Typical cost range

  • Historical examples show many large‑scale federal royal commissions costing around $50–70 million or more , with some high‑profile inquiries regularly cited in that band.
  • More recent major inquiries into serious systemic abuse or national‑scale problems have run into the hundreds of millions of dollars , with at least one well‑known commission reported at about $340 million in total cost.

Why they are so expensive

  • Costs include commissioners’ fees, counsel and legal teams, investigators, staff, expert reports, travel, venue hire, transcription, evidence management systems, and report production.
  • In inquiries involving victims or vulnerable witnesses, there are additional expenses for counselling, support services, and private session arrangements , which significantly increase the overall budget but are considered important to make the process accessible and trauma‑informed.

Small vs large commissions

  • Short, tightly focused or state‑level royal commissions can be at the lower end of the scale (roughly $50–150 million) , especially if their scope and duration are limited.
  • Long‑running national commissions with broad terms of reference, extensive public hearings across multiple locations, and strong victim‑support structures are the ones most likely to cost above $200–300 million.

Ongoing debate about value

  • There is regular debate about whether royal commissions are “worth the money”, with critics pointing to the large budgets and the risk that recommendations may be only partly implemented or politicised.
  • Supporters argue that, despite the high cost, royal commissions can expose systemic failures, give public voice to victims, and lead to major legal and policy reforms that would be unlikely to occur through ordinary processes.

TL;DR: When people ask “how much does a royal commission cost?” they are usually talking about a ballpark of tens of millions for smaller inquiries and up to or above a few hundred million dollars for large, multi‑year national commissions , rather than a fixed standard fee.