How Much Does Pool Salt Cost? 20 kg Bag Prices and Dose

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Pool salt cost $12.50–$24.95 per 20 kg bag at five Australian online sellers on 22 October 2026, or $0.63–$1.25 a kilogram. Starting a 50,000 L pool at 4,000 ppm takes 200 kg, ten bags: $125.00–$249.50. After that you only replace salt that leaves with water.

The short answer

The bag price: $12.50, $13.50, $14.50, $20.79 and $24.95 for 20 kg at five sellers read 22 October 2026 (GST included); the middle price was $14.50.
Per kilogram: $0.63–$1.25; magnesium mineral blends for mineral chlorinators were $5.50–$8.00 a kilogram in 10 kg bags.
Start-up: litres × target ppm ÷ 1,000,000 = kg. One maker’s table gives 200 kg for 50,000 L at 4,000 ppm, 10 bags; 6,000 ppm takes 15 bags, $187.50–$374.25.
Top-ups: salt is not lost to evaporation, one maker says; it leaves with backwash, splash-out, overflow and leaks. If 12,500 L leaves a 4,000 ppm pool in a year, that is 50 kg, three bags, $37.50–$74.85.
Delivery decides the price: the two cheapest sellers are in Perth and deliver free or only locally; freight elsewhere is extra. The dearest is a national online retailer.

Pool salt prices, 20 kg bags, at five Australian online sellers read 22 October 2026 (retailer-published, GST included unless noted), cheapest first, with the price per kilogram. Sellers are described, not named
Seller	20 kg bag	Per kg	Note
WA online pool shop B, sale price (was $13.15); free delivery in ten northern Perth postcodes, interstate freight at cost	$12.50	$0.63	GST included, sale
WA online pool shop A, Perth metro delivery only	$13.50	$0.68	Inc GST
Online pool store (same page also shows “$9.50/Bag” in a banner)	$14.50	$0.73	As listed
Victorian cleaning supplier, free delivery for 3+ bags in some south-east suburbs	$20.79	$1.04	$18.90 ex GST
National online pool supplies retailer	$24.95	$1.25	As listed
Magnesium mineral blends, for comparison (10 kg bags, two retailers)	$55.00–$79.99 per 10 kg	$5.50–$8.00	Different product: for mineral chlorinators

How much salt does my pool need to start, and what does it cost?

Salt in kilograms = pool litres × target ppm ÷ 1,000,000. One chlorinator maker’s 2022 table uses exactly that, and another maker’s manual says a typical 50,000 litre pool needs 200 kg to set up at 4,000 ppm. The target is your chlorinator’s, from its manual; published ranges run from 1,500 to 7,000 ppm, as set out in what salt level a pool should run at. The table assumes fresh fill water and full 20 kg bags, priced at the cheapest and dearest bag above.

Pool volume	Salt to 4,000 ppm	Bags	Cost at $12.50–$24.95 a bag	Salt to 6,000 ppm	Bags	Cost
30,000 L	120 kg	6	$75.00–$149.70	180 kg	9	$112.50–$224.55
40,000 L	160 kg	8	$100.00–$199.60	240 kg	12	$150.00–$299.40
50,000 L	200 kg	10	$125.00–$249.50	300 kg	15	$187.50–$374.25
60,000 L	240 kg	12	$150.00–$299.40	360 kg	18	$225.00–$449.10
70,000 L	280 kg	14	$175.00–$349.30	420 kg	21	$262.50–$523.95
80,000 L	320 kg	16	$200.00–$399.20	480 kg	24	$300.00–$598.80

A low-salt chlorinator changes this a lot: a model that runs from 1,500 ppm needs 75 kg in 50,000 litres, four bags. So does the volume: a pool you think holds 50,000 litres but holds 60,000 starts 40 kg short.

Fill water is not quite salt-free. Sydney’s tap water averaged 128.3 mg/L of total dissolved solids at Potts Hill in April to June 2026, which in 50,000 litres is about 6.4 kg of dissolved minerals, only some of it sodium chloride. It does not change the bag count.

A 50,000 litre pool needs 200 kg of pool salt, ten 20 kg bags, to start at 4,000 ppm: $125.00 to $249.50 at Australian online prices in October 2026.

How much does pool salt cost a year after start-up?

Only what leaves with water. One maker’s manual says salt is not used up making chlorine or by evaporation; it is lost through backwashing, splash-out, overflow and leaks, and diluted by heavy rain. So every 1,000 litres that leaves takes (your ppm ÷ 1,000) kg with it.

Worked example. A 50,000 litre pool runs at 4,000 ppm. Over a year, backwashing, splash-out and one rain overflow remove 12,500 litres, a quarter of the pool. That takes 12,500 × 4,000 ÷ 1,000,000 = 50 kg. The salt itself costs $31.25–$62.38 at the cheapest and dearest bag prices, but you buy it in bags: 3 bags, $37.50–$74.85, with 10 kg left for next time.

Your own figure depends on how much water your pool loses, which you can measure; a fuller ledger of a salt pool’s running costs, with salt at four target levels, is on the maintenance cost of a salt water pool. Each bag in a 50,000 litre pool raises salt by 400 ppm, so add it a bag at a time against a tested reading, using the method on how to test pool salt level.

Pool salt is only lost with water, so a 4,000 ppm pool that loses 12,500 litres a year needs 50 kg, three 20 kg bags.

Why pool salt prices differ so much

The cheapest and dearest bags in the table differ by $12.45, almost double. On the listings we read, three things explain it:

Delivery area. The two cheapest sellers are both in Western Australia: one delivers free only to ten northern Perth postcodes and charges interstate freight at cost; the other ships within metropolitan Perth and says to email for a price outside the state. The Victorian supplier delivers free only for three or more bags in a band of south-east Melbourne suburbs. The dearest is a national online retailer.
Sale prices. The cheapest bag was a sale price, $12.50 against $13.15.
Listings that disagree with themselves. One online store lists its 20 kg bag at $14.50 while a banner on the same page says $9.50 a bag. We used the listed price.

Twenty-kilogram bags are heavy to freight, so a local pool shop or hardware store you can collect from may beat all five; ask for the price per bag and compare it with the per-kilogram column. Magnesium mineral blends are a different product, priced at $55.00–$79.99 per 10 kg on the listings we read; whether one is worth it is covered in mineral pool vs saltwater pool.

Our maintenance ledger used a $16.50 bag at a national chain on 12 October 2026; that listing did not show a price when we re-read it on 22 October, so it is not in the table.

How to add salt to a pool

One maker’s 2024 manual: add the salt to the shallow end of the pool, not the skimmer, run the filtration for about 6 hours to mix it, and allow up to a day for it to dissolve before switching the chlorinator on or re-testing. Two makers say not to start electrolysis until the salt has fully dissolved.

Salt is the cheap part of a salt pool. The chlorinator cell that uses it is the expensive part; if you are specifying one for a new pool, compare pool quotes with the chlorinator model and its salt range named, and see what a pool chlorinator costs.

Common questions

How much is a 20 kg bag of pool salt?

$12.50–$24.95 at five Australian online sellers on 22 October 2026, GST included; the middle price was $14.50. The two cheapest were Perth sellers, and freight beyond Perth is extra.

How many bags of salt for a 50,000 litre pool?

Ten 20 kg bags to start at 4,000 ppm: one chlorinator maker’s manual says a typical 50,000 litre pool needs 200 kg to set up at 4,000 ppm. At 6,000 ppm it is 300 kg, 15 bags.

How often do I need to buy pool salt?

Only after water leaves the pool. One maker’s manual says salt is lost through backwashing, splash-out, overflow and leaks, not evaporation. Test, then add a bag at a time.

How much does one bag of salt raise the level?

20 kg raises 50,000 litres by 400 ppm, 40,000 litres by 500 ppm and 30,000 litres by about 667 ppm.

Is mineral salt more expensive than pool salt?

Yes. Magnesium mineral blends were $55.00–$79.99 per 10 kg on the listings we read, $5.50–$8.00 a kilogram, against $0.63–$1.25 for pool salt.

Sources

General information only, current at 2026-10-22. Pool rules differ by state and by council, and penalty amounts are updated regularly. Confirm your own obligations with your council or a registered inspector before acting.

How much does pool salt cost?