Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Parramatta Cost of Living Comparison Between Hastings and Parramatta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,639 in Hastings versus $2,284 in Parramatta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,540 in Hastings versus $3,357 in Parramatta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,442 in Hastings versus $4,431 in Parramatta.

Living in Hastings is roughly 16% more expensive than Parramatta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hastings 97% above, Parramatta 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.59 £15.31

$16.58 A$23.10

24.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.5

$79.5 A$111

-1.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 £8.49

$9.59 A$13.37

19.19%

Cappuccino

$4.48 £3.33

$3.35 A$4.67

33.73%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 £1.99

$2.64 A$3.69

1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £0.99

$2.24 A$3.13

-40.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 £5.15

$6.56 A$9.15

5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 £4.98

$7.20 A$10.03

-6.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 £0.53

$1.50 A$2.10

-52.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 £1.06

$2.65 A$3.70

-46.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 £2.08

$1.77 A$2.46

58.19%

Eggs

$3.34 £2.48

$4.06 A$5.66

-17.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 £6.99

$9.01 A$12.55

4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.28 £6.90

$8.17 A$11.38

13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.35 £9.92

$14.33 A$19.97

-6.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 £1.72

$3.32 A$4.63

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$2.68 A$3.73

-40.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 £1.86

$3.10 A$4.32

-19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.68

$4.62 A$6.43

-21.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$2.31 A$3.22

-21.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.10 A$2.93

-42.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$2.35 A$3.28

-57.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.71

$1.27 A$1.78

81.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.70 £13.16

$30.30 A$42.22

-41.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 £5.06

$14.09 A$19.63

-51.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$4.86 A$6.77

-39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.51

$5.28 A$7.35

-36.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.64 A$3.68

1.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 £66.6

$64.7 A$90.2

38.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.80

$4.00 A$5.58

28.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.59 A$2.22

5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 £29.74

$40.50 A$56.4

-1.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.19 A$1.66

63.03%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.4K £15.1K

$28.3K A$39.5K

-28.09%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.1K £24.6K

$22.7K A$31.6K

45.76%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$334 £248

$223 A$310

49.84%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.87 £14.02

$29.12 A$40.57

-35.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.88 £19.98

$52.1 A$72.6

-48.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.31 £34.42

$49.35 A$68.8

-6.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.76 £35.50

$16.01 A$22.30

198.31%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 £9.19

$14.08 A$19.62

-12.14%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,552 £1,154

$1,747 A$2,434

-11.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$13.5K A$18.8K

34.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 £60.6

$73.0 A$102

11.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.86 £30.37

$57.3 A$79.9

-28.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 £88.4

$97.9 A$136

21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 £110

$117 A$163

27.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,470 £1,093

$1,284 A$1,790

14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 £970

$1,080 A$1,506

20.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 £1,520

$1,998 A$2,784

2.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 £1,129

$1,706 A$2,377

-10.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.7K £10.2K

$6,189 A$8,625

120.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,227 A$7,284

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,444 £2,560

$4,210 A$5,866

-18.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

6.29

-10.65%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hastings: May 30, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,470 in Hastings and $1,284 in Parramatta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Hastings vs $79.0 in Parramatta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $343 per month, with Hastings cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hastings vs Parramatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hastings and Parramatta differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,639 vs $2,284 including rent). Parramatta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Parramatta earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,470 in Hastings versus $1,284 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,639 per month in Hastings versus $2,284 in Parramatta – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Parramatta runs roughly 38% less than in Hastings. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,284 in Parramatta versus $2,639 in Hastings, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Parramatta but tight or insufficient in Hastings. The gap between the two cities makes Parramatta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hastings and Parramatta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Parramatta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.