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: $2,683 in Hastings versus $2,871 in Parramatta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,579 in Hastings versus $4,008 in Parramatta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,475 in Hastings versus $5,145 in Parramatta.

Living in Hastings costs roughly 7% less than in Parramatta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hastings 100% above, Parramatta 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.37 £18.44

$17.78 A$25.53

37.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.7 £60.3

$90.8 A$130

-12.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 £8.41

$11.62 A$16.68

-4.39%

Cappuccino

$4.37 £3.31

$3.99 A$5.73

9.52%

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

$2.95 £2.23

$3.12 A$4.47

-5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £1.01

$2.55 A$3.66

-47.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.65 £5.03

$8.45 A$12.13

-21.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 £5.06

$6.98 A$10.03

-4.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 £0.55

$1.69 A$2.43

-56.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.25

$2.89 A$4.15

-42.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 £1.96

$2.31 A$3.32

12.55%

Eggs

$3.21 £2.43

$5.30 A$7.61

-39.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 £7.14

$12.01 A$17.25

-21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 £7.27

$9.39 A$13.48

2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.48 £10.20

$15.46 A$22.19

-12.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 £2.23

$3.99 A$5.73

-26.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 £1.32

$3.23 A$4.64

-46.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 £2.11

$3.34 A$4.80

-16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.54

$5.36 A$7.69

-37.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 £1.32

$3.07 A$4.41

-43.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.19

$2.31 A$3.32

-32.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.95

$2.52 A$3.62

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.32

$1.60 A$2.30

8.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.42 £13.19

$44.59 A$64.0

-60.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 £4.98

$14.03 A$20.15

-53.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 £2.27

$3.93 A$5.64

-23.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 £2.53

$4.09 A$5.87

-18.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 £2.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 £73.6

$139 A$200

-30.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 £3.24

$3.39 A$4.87

26.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 £0.78

$1.57 A$2.25

-33.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.41 £23.77

$40.64 A$58.3

-22.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 £1.53

$1.37 A$1.97

47.45%

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

$37.7K £28.6K

$28.8K A$41.3K

31.11%

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

$40.2K £30.4K

$30.1K A$43.2K

33.50%

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

$326 £247

$216 A$311

50.70%

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

$19.74 £14.94

$27.22 A$39.08

-27.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 £39.76

$54.6 A$78.4

-3.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 £33.97

$35.55 A$51.0

26.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.27 A$27.67

Cinema Ticket

$15.61 £11.81

$15.92 A$22.85

-1.95%

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

$1,583 £1,198

$2,155 A$3,095

-26.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.7K

$20.2K A$29.0K

-10.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £78.8

$78.2 A$112

33.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 £39.15

$57.2 A$82.2

-9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 £77.1

$111 A$160

-8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £97.7

$134 A$192

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 £1,105

$1,808 A$2,596

-19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 £933

$1,514 A$2,174

-18.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 £1,592

$3,932 A$5,645

-46.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,504 £1,138

$2,098 A$3,013

-28.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,020 £3,799

$4,176 A$5,996

20.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,831 £2,899

$3,345 A$4,803

14.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,263 £2,469

$4,062 A$5,832

-19.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

5.84

-15.07%

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

Last update for Hastings: October 5, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: October 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,460 in Hastings and $1,808 in Parramatta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 25% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Hastings vs $91.0 in Parramatta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $384 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,683 vs $2,871 including rent). Hastings is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Parramatta. 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: $1,460 in Hastings versus $1,808 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,683 per month in Hastings versus $2,871 in Parramatta – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hastings runs roughly 43% less than in Parramatta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Hastings is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Hastings gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.