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: $2,284 in Parramatta versus $2,639 in Hastings.

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

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

Living in Parramatta costs roughly 13% less than in Hastings, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.58 A$23.10

$20.59 £15.31

-19.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 A$111

$78.7 £58.5

1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 A$13.37

$11.43 £8.49

-16.10%

Cappuccino

$3.35 A$4.67

$4.48 £3.33

-25.22%

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

$2.64 A$3.69

$2.67 £1.99

-1.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 A$3.13

$1.34 £0.99

67.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.56 A$9.15

$6.93 £5.15

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.03

$6.71 £4.98

7.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.10

$0.71 £0.53

111.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.70

$1.42 £1.06

86.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 A$2.46

$2.80 £2.08

-36.79%

Eggs

$4.06 A$5.66

$3.34 £2.48

21.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.55

$9.40 £6.99

-4.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 A$11.38

$9.28 £6.90

-11.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.33 A$19.97

$13.35 £9.92

7.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 A$4.63

$2.31 £1.72

43.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.60 £1.19

67.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.32

$2.50 £1.86

24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 A$6.43

$3.61 £2.68

27.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.22

$1.82 £1.36

26.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.93

$1.21 £0.90

73.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.28

$0.99 £0.74

137.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 A$1.78

$2.30 £1.71

-44.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.30 A$42.22

$17.70 £13.16

71.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 A$19.63

$6.81 £5.06

106.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.86 A$6.77

$2.93 £2.18

65.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.28 A$7.35

$3.37 £2.51

56.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 A$3.68

$2.68 £1.99

-1.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.7 A$90.2

$89.5 £66.6

-27.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 A$5.58

$5.12 £3.80

-21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.22

$1.67 £1.24

-4.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.50 A$56.4

$40.01 £29.74

1.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.66

$1.94 £1.44

-38.66%

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

$28.3K A$39.5K

$20.4K £15.1K

39.06%

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

$22.7K A$31.6K

$33.1K £24.6K

-31.39%

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

$223 A$310

$334 £248

-33.26%

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

$29.12 A$40.57

$18.87 £14.02

54.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 A$72.6

$26.88 £19.98

93.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.35 A$68.8

$46.31 £34.42

6.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 A$22.30

$47.76 £35.50

-66.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 A$19.62

$12.37 £9.19

13.82%

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

$1,747 A$2,434

$1,552 £1,154

12.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K A$18.8K

$18.2K £13.5K

-25.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 A$102

$81.5 £60.6

-10.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 A$79.9

$40.86 £30.37

40.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 A$136

$119 £88.4

-17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 A$163

$148 £110

-21.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 A$1,790

$1,470 £1,093

-12.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,506

$1,305 £970

-17.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 A$2,784

$2,045 £1,520

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 A$2,377

$1,519 £1,129

12.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,189 A$8,625

$13.7K £10.2K

-54.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,227 A$7,284

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,210 A$5,866

$3,444 £2,560

22.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

5.62

11.92%

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

Last update for Parramatta: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hastings: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Parramatta and $1,470 in Hastings. 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 Parramatta vs $79.0 in Hastings. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $284, 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

Parramatta vs Hastings: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Parramatta pays 22% more on average, 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: $1,284 in Parramatta versus $1,470 in Hastings. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,284 per month in Parramatta versus $2,639 in Hastings – 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, 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 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.