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: $2,584 in Hastings versus $2,314 in Parramatta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,526 in Hastings versus $3,390 in Parramatta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,467 in Hastings versus $4,465 in Parramatta.

Living in Hastings is roughly 12% more expensive than in Parramatta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hastings 93% above, Parramatta 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.14 £14.97

$16.13 A$23.09

24.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 £58.5

$78.2 A$112

0.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.53 £8.57

$10.02 A$14.35

15.07%

Cappuccino

$4.49 £3.34

$3.49 A$4.99

28.65%

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

$2.69 £2.00

$2.56 A$3.67

5.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.31 A$3.31

-42.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 £5.16

$6.41 A$9.18

8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 £4.92

$7.01 A$10.04

-5.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 £0.52

$1.56 A$2.23

-55.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.37 £1.02

$2.68 A$3.83

-48.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 £2.00

$1.79 A$2.56

50.28%

Eggs

$3.30 £2.45

$4.03 A$5.78

-18.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 £7.09

$9.05 A$12.96

5.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.97

$8.30 A$11.88

12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 £10.20

$14.23 A$20.37

-3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.73

$3.24 A$4.64

-28.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.21

$2.73 A$3.91

-40.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 £1.77

$2.97 A$4.25

-19.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 £2.58

$4.71 A$6.75

-26.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$2.28 A$3.26

-19.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.09 A$2.99

-42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 £0.70

$2.37 A$3.39

-60.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 £1.72

$1.34 A$1.91

72.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.34 £12.89

$31.39 A$44.94

-44.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 £4.84

$13.73 A$19.65

-52.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.15

$4.69 A$6.71

-38.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 £2.49

$5.22 A$7.47

-35.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.98

$2.54 A$3.64

5.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 £67.8

$63.8 A$91.3

43.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.16 £3.84

$3.87 A$5.54

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.60 A$2.29

8.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.35 £30.74

$40.51 A$58.0

2.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.14 A$1.63

64.91%

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

$20.2K £15.0K

$29.1K A$41.7K

-30.60%

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

$33.1K £24.6K

$22.9K A$32.8K

44.32%

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

$340 £253

$225 A$322

51.07%

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

$18.36 £13.65

$29.45 A$42.17

-37.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.60 £20.52

$52.4 A$75.1

-47.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.98 £33.44

$47.97 A$68.7

-6.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.08 £35.00

$15.62 A$22.36

201.41%

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 £8.91

$14.60 A$20.90

-17.88%

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

$1,559 £1,159

$1,762 A$2,523

-11.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$13.3K A$19.0K

35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 £59.4

$75.3 A$108

6.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.49 £30.84

$55.7 A$79.8

-25.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.2

$96.9 A$139

21.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 £108

$113 A$161

29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,520 £1,130

$1,243 A$1,779

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 £950

$1,079 A$1,545

18.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 £1,491

$2,029 A$2,905

-1.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 £1,122

$1,694 A$2,425

-10.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.5K £10.0K

$6,231 A$8,921

116.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,113 A$7,321

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,300 £2,453

$4,090 A$5,856

-19.33%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,520 in Hastings and $1,243 in Parramatta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 24% 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 $78.0 in Parramatta. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $343, with Hastings cheaper for home cooking.

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 12% in total monthly costs ($2,584 vs $2,314 including rent). Parramatta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $1,520 in Hastings versus $1,243 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,584 per month in Hastings versus $2,314 in Parramatta – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

At $2,314 in Parramatta versus $2,584 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 12% less than in Hastings. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.