Government tender documents show the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet spent $104,176 on flags for the two-day talkfest.

The department contracted Victoria-based company Flagworld to provide 282 flags – 19 Australian and 263 international – for display during the Brisbane meeting on November 15 and 16.

The flags themselves cost $58,945. The other $45,000 was spent on flagpoles and car pennants, the department has confirmed.

The latest G20 costs have emerged just weeks after revelations of a blowout in the hotel and taxi bills for the summit.

Hotel and taxi costs have been upwardly revised by $1.8 million in recent months, government tender documents show.

The cost of hotels and serviced apartments blew out from $917,000 to $2.2 million and the cost of taxis blew out from $50,000 to $627,000.

The government has also been criticised for spending $150,000 to transport the summit table to Brisbane and $36,000 to extend it. And there was also the $24,000 cost to hire koalas for world leaders to cuddle for a photo opportunity.

A department spokesperson said the G20 budget was committed by the previous Labor government.

"Upon forming government the Prime Minister asked that his department look for increased efficiencies in relation to Australia hosting the 2014 G20 Leaders' meeting in Brisbane," the spokesperson said.

"This has resulted in $33.6 million being returned to budget, a 10 per cent saving to the amount committed by the former Labor government."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott's tendency to stage press conferences in front of up to 10 Australian flags put the spotlight on how much politicians spend on such adornments.

Federal MPs and senators spent more than half a million dollars on Australian flags in the second half of 2014. Coalition MPs spent about $330,000, compared to Labor politicians on $130,000.

Tender documents show the government also spent more than $10,000 on Tanzanian flags last month to support a little-noticed visit by that country's president.