Cost of drugs in SA reveals people dropping cost of house deposit on meth, a car on ounce of cocaine

A hit of fantasy for a couple of dollars or a kilogram of cocaine or meth for the cost of a house deposit – we reveal what drug dealers charge to get people addicted.

An ounce of cocaine costs as much as a mid-range second-hand car, while a kilogram of meth could wipe out a healthy housing deposit, data on the price of drugs reveals.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission keeps close tabs of the prices of illicit drugs being sold across Australia.

The figures show a kilogram of cocaine cost between $160,000 and $170,000 in 2020-2021, while an ounce of the drug would cost up to $7500.

A recent UN report found Australia had an insatiable appetite for cocaine with near world-leading numbers of people admitting they had used the drug within the past year.

The price of cocaine remains high because the coca plants used to make the drug are unable to be grown in Australia – instead, the drug needs to be imported, predominantly from South America.

Figures for SA show the street price of methamphetamine has become gradually cheaper but the price of bulk amounts of the drug has been at the whim of international conditions.

The price of a “point” of meth, or 0.1g, was about $100 in 2014-15, however by the time of the latest figures from 2019-20, the price had dropped to $50.

The price of a kilogram of methamphetamine soared to as high as $200,000 in 2019-20, reflecting the pressure on illegal supply lines at the start of the Covid pandemic.

Messages sent and received by criminals over the encrypted AN0M app and intercepted by police indicated a severe reduction in cargo coming in and out of Australia had affected the flow of methamphetamine and precursor chemicals.

4.5 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found at the Adelaide Railway Station. Picture: SAPOL

At the height of the pandemic in 2021, the price of a kilogram of methamphetamine had soared from $100,000 to $240,000.

One of the messages, sent as part of an alleged criminal syndicate, explained “all big importers shut up shop, only 50kg a time getting through”.

As the groups became increasingly desperate, they turned to a meth substitute – covering crystals of a similar substance with methamphetamine oil to create “wet”.

Rocks of cocaine seized from an Adelaide home. Picture: SA Police

The price of heroin has gradually increased over time with a “taste” (0.1g) now costing about $100, compared with $50 in 2014-15.

The price of liquid fantasy has remained constant with a 1ml dose costing between $2 and $5, while a bulk litre quantity costs as much as $1500.

The drug pricing data is taken from police intelligence, specialist units or informants.

The figures indicate niche drugs, such as injectable testosterone, morphine tablets, psilocybin and OxyContin, are not sold widely with no figures available for the illegal substances.