Living in a house in Brooklyn costs about $13,419 a year: council rates, water and sewerage, commute and home insurance combined. Brooklyn sits 31.6 kilometres from Sydney CBD. Unit costs come in at $12,709, as lower council rates more than offset the $2,100 body corporate levy. At 31.6km, the commute dominates running costs. Drivers pay $4,280 more per year than public transport users.
Cheaper to run than 13% of Hornsby suburbs. Score blends running cost (50%), schools (20%) and flood & fire risk (30%).
Estimated electricity cost
typical 2-person household
House
$2,342/yr
5,238 kWh
Unit
$1,909/yr
3,929 kWh
Estimated from AER residential benchmarks for Brooklyn'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 Brooklyn
within a 2 km walk
Nearest stop
Little Wobby Beach Wharf, 4,204 m away, about a 53 minute walk. It is a ferry stop.
Supermarkets
0
Cafes
0
Parks
0
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 Brooklyn to the CBD?
Public transport saves Brooklyn residents $4,280 per year. Annual commute cost by car is $6,680 versus $2,400 by public transport using the Opal network.
What are the council rates in Brooklyn?
Brooklyn falls under Hornsby Council. The average residential rate for 2026-27 is $1,541 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 $1,541 per year. These figures cover the general rate only and exclude waste and cleansing charges.
What does it cost to run a unit in Brooklyn?
Running a unit in Brooklyn costs approximately $12,709 per year by car or $8,429 by public transport. This includes council rates of $1,541, water and sewerage $1,548, estimated body corporate levy of $2,100, and contents insurance of $840. Body corporate fees vary significantly between buildings. Always confirm the actual levy before purchasing.
Is Brooklyn close to public transport?
The nearest scheduled service to the centre of Brooklyn is Little Wobby Beach Wharf, a ferry stop about 4,204 m away, about a 53 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 Brooklyn?
Within a 2 km walk of the centre of Brooklyn there are 0 supermarkets, 0 cafes and 0 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: Hornsby 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.