How Much Does a Skateboard Cost in Australia?
Nobody in Australian skate retail publishes real prices, which is why every forum thread on this ends in guesswork and every AI answer quotes American dollars. So here are ours, current as at August 2026, straight off the shelf at Richmond.
Two things surprise most people. A properly good skateboard costs less than they expect. And building your own costs roughly double what a complete does, which is the opposite of what everybody assumes.
The short version
- Kids and youth complete: $90 to $120.
- Adult complete from a real skate brand: $130 to $200. This is the answer for almost everyone.
- Building your own: around $275 budget, $330 mid range, $530 premium.
- Cruiser complete: from about $180.
- Longboard complete: $450 and up for the premium brands we carry.
- Running costs if you skate regularly: $150 to $300 a year.
- Where to spend: trucks. Where to save: bearings.
- Under $80: do not. That is not a cheap skateboard, it is a different and worse product.
What we cover
Complete skateboards · What each part costs · Build or buy complete · Cheap boards · Running costs · Where to spend · Cruisers and longboards · FAQ
What does a complete skateboard cost?
A complete is a board that arrives built: deck, trucks, wheels, bearings, grip and hardware, assembled and ready to ride. For a first board it is almost always the right call, and not only on price.
| Type | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Youth complete | $90 to $120 | Narrower deck (6.75in to 7.375in), lighter build, sized for kids |
| Entry adult complete | $100 to $130 | Real skate brand, standard widths, honest components |
| Quality adult complete | $140 to $200 | Better deck construction, name trucks and wheels, sharper grip |
| Cruiser complete | from $180 | Soft wheels, shaped deck, built for getting places |
The gap between a $110 complete and a $190 complete is real but it is not night and day. It shows up in deck construction, truck quality and how long the bearings stay fast. A beginner will progress fine on either. Someone skating four days a week will feel the difference within a month.
What does each part cost separately?
These are our actual shelf prices in August 2026, not RRPs from a distributor sheet.
| Part | Typical | Full range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck | $120 to $160 | $90 to $180 | Graphic does not change the ride. Buy the width |
| Trucks (pair) | $100 to $110 | $90 to $140 | Titanium and hollow builds sit at the top |
| Wheels (set of 4) | $60 to $70 | $55 to $85 | Spitfire Formula Four is the benchmark |
| Bearings (set of 8) | $30 to $55 | $22 to $300 | Bones Reds at $35 is the answer for most people |
| Grip tape | $12 to $25 | $12 to $30 | A single sheet grips one deck |
| Hardware (bolts) | $6 | $6 to $20 | Get the right length if you run risers |
| Bushings | $6 to $15 | $6 to $15 | The cheapest way to change how a board turns |
Is it cheaper to build your own board?
No, and it is not close. Here is the same maths three ways.
| Build | Parts | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | Budget deck $90, Indy trucks $90, Spitfire Bighead $55, Spitfire Cheapshot bearings $22, Mob grip $12, hardware $6 | about $275 |
| Mid range | Pro deck $120, Thunder trucks $100, Formula Four $64, Bones Reds $35, grip $12, hardware $6 | about $337 |
| Premium | Powell Flight deck $180, Indy Forged Titanium $140, Bighead 54mm $85, Bronson G3 $80, grip $25, hardware $20 | about $530 |
So a mid range custom build costs around $337 against $140 to $200 for a complete of broadly comparable quality. Completes are built to a price with components bought in volume, and that saving gets passed on.
Build your own when you know what you want. A specific deck width and concave. Trucks you have ridden before. Wheels matched to the terrain you actually skate. That is worth paying for, and it is why every skater ends up building eventually.
Buy a complete when you do not. Nobody has ever regretted starting on a complete, and the parts are all replaceable one at a time as they wear.
Is a cheap skateboard worth buying?
There are two different things being sold under the word cheap and they are not related.
A $99 complete from a real skate brand is a genuine skateboard. Blind, Darkstar, Z-Flex. Proper maple deck, trucks that hold their shape, wheels that roll. It will teach you to skate and it will last.
A $50 board from a department store is not a cheaper version of that. It is pressed multi-ply that delaminates once it gets wet, cast trucks that bend under an adult, and wheels with no rebound that stop dead on a pebble. It is measurably harder to learn on, because the board fights you, and it becomes unsafe as soon as the trucks flex.
We are not being snobs about this. It is the single most common reason someone gives up in the first fortnight, and it is entirely avoidable for another fifty dollars.
What does a skateboard cost to keep running?
The board is the start, not the total. Skateboarding is a consumables sport and anyone telling you otherwise has not skated in a while.
| Part | Replace when | Cost each time |
|---|---|---|
| Grip tape | It stops gripping, or you get a new deck | $12 to $25 |
| Bearings | They grind, slow down or get wet | $22 to $55 |
| Wheels | Flat spots, coning, or worn under about 48mm | $55 to $85 |
| Deck | Razor tail, cracks, or the pop is gone | $90 to $180 |
| Bushings | Cracked, or the turn feels vague | $6 to $15 |
| Trucks | Rarely. Bent axle or worn through the hanger | $90 to $140 |
A committed street skater goes through decks fastest, sometimes one a month. Someone cruising to the shops might get a year out of everything. Budget $150 to $300 a year if you skate regularly, and less if you do not.
Where should you spend, and where can you save?
Spend on trucks. They are the part you keep longest, often across three or four decks, and they are the most expensive thing to get wrong. Cheap trucks bend, seize and turn unpredictably. A good pair of Independents or Thunders will outlive several boards.
Save on bearings. This is where the most money gets wasted in skateboarding. Bones Reds at around $35 are quicker than most riders will ever need. Ceramics at $150 to $300 are a real product for a real purpose, and that purpose is not skating a local park twice a week.
Do not save on the deck if you are skating properly. Construction is the difference between pop that lasts a month and pop that lasts a week.
Graphics are free. They cost the same either way. Buy the one you like looking at, because you will be looking at it a lot.
What about cruisers and longboards?
Cruiser completes start around $180 and climb from there. You are paying for soft wheels, a shaped deck and usually better trucks than an entry street complete.
Longboards are a different price bracket entirely. The premium brands we carry, Loaded in particular, run from about $450 to $600 for a complete. That buys composite construction, precision trucks and wheels engineered for one specific job. Cheaper longboards exist and we stock some, but the gap between a $200 longboard and a $500 one is far wider than the equivalent gap in street skateboards.
Not sure which you actually want? Start with how to choose a longboard, cruiser or surf skate.
Skateboard cost FAQ
How much does a good skateboard cost in Australia?
A quality complete from a real skate brand costs between $130 and $200 in Australia. Kids and youth completes start around $90. Below about $120 you are usually looking at a starter build with softer trucks and slower bearings, which still rolls but wears out faster.
Is it cheaper to build your own skateboard or buy a complete?
A complete is cheaper, usually by a wide margin. Buying the same parts separately costs around $330 for a mid range setup, against $130 to $200 for a complete. You build your own for the exact deck, trucks and wheels you want, not to save money.
How much does a skateboard deck cost?
Skateboard decks run from about $90 for a blank or budget pro deck up to $180 for premium constructions. Most pro decks from established brands sit between $120 and $160. Deck graphics do not change how the board rides, so buy the shape and width you want.
Is a cheap skateboard from a department store worth buying?
No. Boards under about $80 use pressed multi-ply that delaminates, soft cast trucks that bend, and wheels with no rebound. They are genuinely harder to learn on and often unsafe once the trucks flex. A $99 complete from a real skate brand is a different product entirely.
What does it cost to maintain a skateboard each year?
Budget $150 to $300 a year if you skate regularly. Wheels and bearings last months rather than weeks, grip tape is about $12 to $25 a sheet, and a deck lasts anywhere from a few weeks of heavy street skating to a year of casual cruising.
Where should you spend the most money on a skateboard?
Trucks. They are the most expensive part to get wrong and the part you keep longest, often across several decks. Good trucks last years. Save money on bearings instead, where Bones Reds at around $35 outperform most of what sits above them.
Buying from us
Every complete we send out is checked and adjusted before it ships, not pulled off a shelf in a box. Free shipping Australia wide on orders over $90. We also stock Afterpay and Zip if you would rather spread it.
If you want to talk it through, come to 435A Bridge Road, Richmond, or call 03 9421 2293. Nobody on our floor works on commission, so if the $110 complete is the right board for you, that is what you will be told.
Prices current as at August 2026 and subject to change.
Keep reading: How to Choose a Skateboard · What Size Skateboard Do You Need? · How to Choose a Longboard, Cruiser or Surf Skate · Surf Skate Buying Guide · All Skate Guides
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