Living in a house in Box Hill costs about $12,068 a year: council rates, water and sewerage, commute and home insurance combined. Box Hill sits 37.4 kilometres from Sydney CBD. Unit costs reach $12,398, with the $2,100 body corporate levy accounting for the entire difference between the two. At 37.4km, the commute dominates running costs. Drivers pay $4,559 more per year than public transport users.
The Hills rates (OLG 2024-25 + IPART 2026-27 peg) · average rate
$1,261
Water & sewerage
Sydney Water 2026-27
$1,548
Driving commute
ATO 91c/km · 37.4km from CBD · 192 days
$6,959
Home insurance
Estimated · flood Medium · fire Low
$2,300
Body corporate
Estimated
$2,100
Total annual running cost
$12,068
($1,006/month)
Near The Hills average
SuburbCost affordability score ●●●○○6.1/10 Average
Cheaper to run than 50% of The Hills suburbs. Score blends running cost (50%), schools (20%) and flood & fire risk (30%).
Estimated electricity cost
typical 2-person household
House
$2,720/yr
6,060 kWh
Unit
$2,209/yr
4,545 kWh
Estimated from AER residential benchmarks for Box Hill's climate zone at 2026-27 regulated prices for its electricity network. Get the free report for a breakdown by your exact number of occupants.
Getting around Box Hill
within a 2 km walk
Nearest stop
Tallawong, 4,564 m away, about a 57 minute walk. It is a metro stop.
Supermarkets
0
Cafes
0
Parks
7
Counted from OpenStreetMap via Overpass inside a 2 km walking radius of the suburb centre, built 2026-08-07. Distances are straight line from that centre, so a specific address can be closer or further. Mapping is contributed and can lag a new opening.
Is it cheaper to drive or take public transport from Box Hill to the CBD?
Public transport saves Box Hill residents $4,559 per year. Annual commute cost by car is $6,959 versus $2,400 by public transport using the Opal network.
What are the council rates in Box Hill?
Box Hill falls under The Hills Council. The average residential rate for 2026-27 is $1,261 per year for an owner-occupied house, based on OLG data uplifted by the council's IPART rate peg. Individual properties pay more or less depending on land value. Unit owners in strata schemes pay $1,261 per year. These figures cover the general rate only and exclude waste and cleansing charges.
What does it cost to run a unit in Box Hill?
Running a unit in Box Hill costs approximately $12,398 per year by car or $7,839 by public transport. This includes council rates of $1,261, water and sewerage $1,548, estimated body corporate levy of $2,100, and contents insurance of $530. Body corporate fees vary significantly between buildings. Always confirm the actual levy before purchasing.
Is Box Hill close to public transport?
The nearest scheduled service to the centre of Box Hill is Tallawong, a metro stop about 4,564 m away, about a 57 minute walk. That is measured from the suburb centre, so an individual address can be nearer or further. The commute figure used in the running cost on this page assumes driving, not this service.
What shops and parks are in Box Hill?
Within a 2 km walk of the centre of Box Hill there are 0 supermarkets, 0 cafes and 7 parks. These counts come from OpenStreetMap via Overpass, which is contributed mapping and can lag a recent opening or closure.
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Data sources: Council rates: The Hills rates (OLG 2024-25 + IPART 2026-27 peg). Water: Sydney Water 2026-27. Commute: ATO cents per kilometre rate 2026–27 (91c/km). Insurance: AI-estimated, disclosed as estimate. Schools: ACARA ICSEA 2025. Risk: Fire: NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land. Flood: modelled from 30m elevation (topographic). Data updated 2026-07. Cost estimates are for comparison purposes only and do not constitute financial, insurance, or credit advice.