Household fuels, water and rates have seen price rises far outstripping the consumer price index (CPI) over the past decade, analysis from the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) has found.

Prices up more than double CPI: Gas, household fuels 111pc

Gas, household fuels 111pc Water, sewerage 95pc

Water, sewerage 95pc Property rates and charges 81pc

Property rates and charges 81pc Education 80pc

Education 80pc Medical costs 79pc

Medical costs 79pc Electricity 78pc Price rises less than half CPI: Audio, visual, computing -49pc

Audio, visual, computing -49pc Garments -13pc

Garments -13pc Household appliances -5.7pc

Computing and audio and visual equipment have seen the biggest real falls in prices over the 10 years, a period when SACOSS said the general CPI rose almost 28 per cent.

SACOSS executive director Ross Womersley said both the rises and falls did not affect everyone equally.

"That is particularly the case with utilities [where] price increases impact more on low-income households because they spend proportionately more on those goods and services," he said.

"Our report shows that over the last 10 years the cost of living for households relying on income support payments has gone up by more than the general inflation rate."

Mr Womersley said a single person on a Newstart allowance and supporting two children was $10-16 per week worse off in real terms than a decade earlier.

"By contrast, wage and salary earner households also faced cost of living pressures, but with some respite in recent years their purchasing power is about the same as it was a decade ago," he said.

SACOSS said the analysis made clear that government support payments to the needy fell woefully short of the financial pressures they faced.

"This is another blow for households living on hopelessly inadequate support payments. It means they are going backwards both in their own household budgets and in comparison with the rest of the population," he said.

"We are renewing our call for the Federal Government to increase the level of Newstart, youth allowance and the other base-level benefits."