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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,011 in Parramatta versus $2,705 in Hastings.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,241 in Parramatta versus $3,577 in Hastings.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,471 in Parramatta versus $4,449 in Hastings.

Living in Parramatta is roughly 11% more expensive than in Hastings, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Parramatta 118% above, Hastings 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 A$25.08

$24.87 £18.38

-27.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.1 A$130

$82.3 £60.9

13.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.61 A$16.18

$12.06 £8.91

-3.73%

Cappuccino

$4.21 A$5.87

$4.53 £3.35

-7.06%

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

$3.30 A$4.60

$3.26 £2.41

1.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 A$3.90

$1.31 £0.97

113.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.47 A$11.81

$6.84 £5.06

23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 A$10.00

$6.84 £5.06

4.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.36

$0.75 £0.55

125.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 A$3.94

$1.77 £1.31

59.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.40

$2.68 £1.98

-8.96%

Eggs

$5.37 A$7.49

$3.32 £2.45

61.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.05 A$18.19

$9.94 £7.35

31.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 A$13.34

$9.73 £7.19

-1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.19 A$22.58

$13.30 £9.83

21.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 A$5.31

$2.91 £2.15

30.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.30

$1.74 £1.28

77.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$4.91

$2.88 £2.13

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 A$7.25

$3.61 £2.67

44.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 A$4.56

$1.81 £1.34

80.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.57

$1.54 £1.13

66.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 A$3.77

$1.24 £0.91

117.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.12

$1.83 £1.35

-16.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.29 A$63.1

$17.67 £13.06

156.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 A$19.86

$6.80 £5.02

109.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 A$5.99

$3.04 £2.25

41.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 A$5.63

$3.40 £2.51

18.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 £2.57

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$144 A$201

$90.6 £67.0

59.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$4.98

$4.32 £3.19

-17.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.24

$1.10 £0.81

46.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 A$57.7

$32.29 £23.87

28.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 A$1.90

$2.08 £1.54

-34.62%

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

$31.2K A$43.6K

$39.2K £29.0K

-20.41%

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

$30.9K A$43.1K

$42.1K £31.1K

-26.61%

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

$223 A$312

$337 £249

-33.76%

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

$28.43 A$39.63

$20.34 £15.04

39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 A$81.3

$54.2 £40.03

7.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 A$50.6

$42.72 £31.57

-15.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.47 A$28.54

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 A$23.58

$16.21 £11.98

4.32%

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

$2,240 A$3,123

$1,634 £1,208

37.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$29.5K

$18.3K £13.5K

15.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.5 A$114

$104 £77.2

-21.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 A$81.6

$52.9 £39.08

10.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 A$159

$105 £77.4

8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$186

$135 £99.6

-0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 A$2,598

$1,474 £1,090

26.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 A$2,214

$1,267 £937

25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,131 A$5,760

$1,621 £1,198

154.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 A$3,043

$1,537 £1,136

42.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,412 A$6,152

$13.6K £10.1K

-67.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,490 A$4,866

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,197 A$5,851

$3,429 £2,535

22.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

4.96

17.74%

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

Last update for Parramatta: September 8, 2026

Last update for Hastings: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,864 in Parramatta and $1,474 in Hastings. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Parramatta pays 22% 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: $93.0 in Parramatta vs $82.0 in Hastings for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $293 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

Parramatta vs Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Parramatta and Hastings differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($3,011 vs $2,705 including rent). Hastings is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Parramatta, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,864 in Parramatta versus $1,474 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,011 per month in Parramatta versus $2,705 in Hastings – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hastings runs roughly 59% 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, Parramatta and Hastings 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 11% less than in Parramatta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.