Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Parramatta

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

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Parramatta
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Parramatta Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Parramatta

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sydney and in Parramatta

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

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

Sydney $3,267
Parramatta $3,303

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

Sydney $4,847
Parramatta $4,603

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

Sydney $6,428
Parramatta $5,903

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.30 A$24.50

1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$91.0 A$129

-0.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.94

$11.95 A$16.93

0.08%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.67

$3.95 A$5.59

1.27%

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

$2.81 A$3.98

$3.17 A$4.49

-11.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.56 A$3.62

-13.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.52

$8.55 A$12.11

-4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.20

$7.43 A$10.53

-3.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.65 A$2.33

3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.16

$2.80 A$3.96

5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.38 A$3.38

5.46%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.02

$5.38 A$7.62

5.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.30

$12.04 A$17.05

1.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.20

$9.56 A$13.54

-2.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.90

$15.42 A$21.85

9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.53

$4.01 A$5.68

-2.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$3.21 A$4.55

0.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.86

$3.48 A$4.93

-1.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$4.93 A$6.99

-12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.74

$3.08 A$4.37

8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$2.44 A$3.46

-1.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.31

$2.56 A$3.62

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.64

$1.38 A$1.96

-15.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.4

$44.83 A$63.5

1.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.82

$14.05 A$19.90

-0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.82

$4.07 A$5.77

0.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.92

$4.04 A$5.72

3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.24 A$3.18

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$215

$139 A$197

9.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.90

$3.46 A$4.91

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.59 A$2.25

-1.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.0

$40.91 A$58.0

-3.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.34 A$1.90

8.21%

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

$29.5K A$41.8K

1.38%

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

$27.5K A$39.0K

$26.6K A$37.7K

3.34%

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

$251 A$355

$254 A$360

-1.33%

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

$27.76 A$39.32

$27.25 A$38.60

1.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.2

$54.9 A$77.7

5.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$53.9 A$76.3

31.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$32.94

$20.01 A$28.35

16.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.25

$15.91 A$22.54

12.07%

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

$2,358 A$3,341

$2,337 A$3,311

0.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.5K

$20.4K A$28.9K

33.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$80.0 A$113

0.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.2

$55.8 A$79.1

24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$107 A$152

3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$127 A$180

0.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,635

$2,541 A$3,599

0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,539

$1,872 A$2,652

-4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,369

$3,737 A$5,294

39.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,471

$2,728 A$3,864

15.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$4,197 A$5,945

219.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$3,358 A$4,757

159.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,834

$4,034 A$5,715

2.09%

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 Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Parramatta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Parramatta

$1.9K 56.7% 4.5% $80

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Parramatta

$381 11.5% 0.3% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Parramatta

$336 10.2% 0.1% $0.3

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Parramatta

$302 9.1% 1% $3

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Parramatta

$160 4.8% 9.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Parramatta

$166 5% 4.7% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Parramatta

$86 2.6% 19.4% $21

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Parramatta

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

19,745

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.634 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sydney Parramatta 20 km

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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

Sydney vs Parramatta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $4,900 in Sydney and $4,955 in Parramatta 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: $2,566 in Sydney versus $2,541 in Parramatta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,358 in Sydney versus $2,337 in Parramatta. 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, Sydney and Parramatta are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.