Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Parramatta and Sydney

For one person, living costs are similar in Parramatta and in Sydney: $3,303 and $3,267 a month, rent and utilities included.

160

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
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Parramatta Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,303

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Parramatta and in Sydney

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Parramatta and in Sydney actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,303 in Parramatta versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Parramatta $3,303
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,603 in Parramatta versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Parramatta $4,603
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,903 in Parramatta versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Parramatta $5,903
Sydney $6,428

Monthly costs are close between Parramatta and Sydney; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Parramatta 143% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 A$24.58

$17.50 A$24.87

-1.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 A$129

$90.4 A$128

0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 A$16.98

$11.96 A$16.99

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$3.95 A$5.61

$4.00 A$5.68

-1.25%

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

$3.17 A$4.50

$2.81 A$4.00

12.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.63

$2.22 A$3.16

15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 A$12.14

$8.13 A$11.56

5.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.56

$7.20 A$10.23

3.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.34

$1.70 A$2.42

-2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 A$3.97

$2.94 A$4.17

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 A$3.39

$2.51 A$3.57

-5.18%

Eggs

$5.38 A$7.64

$5.66 A$8.04

-4.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 A$17.11

$12.22 A$17.36

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 A$13.58

$9.31 A$13.24

2.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 A$21.91

$16.87 A$23.97

-8.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 A$5.70

$3.90 A$5.54

2.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.57

$3.22 A$4.58

-0.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 A$4.94

$3.43 A$4.88

1.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 A$7.01

$4.33 A$6.16

13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.38

$3.35 A$4.75

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.47

$2.40 A$3.41

1.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.63

$2.34 A$3.32

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 A$1.97

$1.16 A$1.65

18.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.83 A$63.7

$45.47 A$64.6

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 A$19.96

$13.99 A$19.88

0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 A$5.79

$4.11 A$5.84

-0.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 A$5.74

$4.18 A$5.94

-3.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 A$3.19

$3.12 A$4.44

-28.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$198

$152 A$216

-8.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.92

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.26

$1.56 A$2.22

1.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.91 A$58.1

$39.54 A$56.2

3.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.45 A$2.05

-7.59%

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

$29.5K A$41.9K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-1.36%

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

$26.6K A$37.8K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-3.23%

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

$254 A$361

$251 A$356

1.35%

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

$27.25 A$38.72

$27.76 A$39.44

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 A$78.0

$58.0 A$82.4

-5.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 A$76.6

$70.7 A$100

-23.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 A$28.44

$23.25 A$33.04

-13.94%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 A$22.60

$17.83 A$25.33

-10.77%

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

$2,337 A$3,321

$2,358 A$3,351

-0.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K A$29.0K

$27.2K A$38.6K

-24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$114

$80.5 A$114

-0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.3

$69.3 A$98.5

-19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$152

$111 A$157

-3.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$180

$127 A$181

-0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,541 A$3,610

$2,566 A$3,646

-0.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,872 A$2,660

$1,792 A$2,547

4.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 A$5,310

$5,202 A$7,391

-28.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 A$3,876

$3,156 A$4,485

-13.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,197 A$5,963

$13.4K A$19.0K

-68.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,358 A$4,771

$8,727 A$12.4K

-61.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,034 A$5,732

$4,118 A$5,851

-2.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

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

Last update for Parramatta: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Parramatta

$1.9K 56.7%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 4.3% $80

Groceries & Markets

Parramatta

$381 11.5%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Parramatta

$336 10.2%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Parramatta

$302 9.1%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 1% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Parramatta

$166 5%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 4.9% $8.1

Getting Around

Parramatta

$160 4.8%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 10% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Parramatta

$86 2.6%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 24.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,541 in Parramatta and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91 in Parramatta vs $90 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $381 vs $382, with Parramatta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

Same time as Parramatta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,745

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $4,955 in Parramatta and $4,900 in Sydney to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,541 in Parramatta versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,337 in Parramatta versus $2,358 in Sydney. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Parramatta runs roughly 8% less than in Sydney. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Sydney 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 Sydney are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.