Living in a house in Earlwood costs about $8,880 a year: council rates, water and sewerage, commute and home insurance combined. Earlwood sits 9.8 kilometres from Sydney CBD. Unit costs reach $9,210, with the $2,600 body corporate levy accounting for the entire difference between the two. Switching from driving to public transport saves $1,085 per year at this distance.
Cheaper to run than 86% of Canterbury-Bankstown 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 Earlwood'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 Earlwood
within a 2 km walk
Nearest stop
Bardwell Park, 742 m away, about a 9 minute walk. It is a train stop.
Nearest hospital
Canterbury Hospital, 2,773 m away, about a 35 minute walk.
Supermarkets
5
Cafes
15
Parks
57
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 Earlwood to the CBD?
Public transport saves Earlwood residents $1,085 per year. Annual commute cost by car is $3,005 versus $1,920 by public transport using the Opal network.
What are the council rates in Earlwood?
Earlwood falls under Canterbury-Bankstown Council. The average residential rate for 2026-27 is $1,377 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 $1,377 per year. These figures cover the general rate only and exclude waste and cleansing charges.
What does it cost to run a unit in Earlwood?
Running a unit in Earlwood costs approximately $9,210 per year by car or $8,125 by public transport. This includes council rates of $1,377, water and sewerage $1,548, estimated body corporate levy of $2,600, and contents insurance of $680. Body corporate fees vary significantly between buildings. Always confirm the actual levy before purchasing.
Is Earlwood close to public transport?
The nearest scheduled service to the centre of Earlwood is Bardwell Park, a train stop about 742 m away, about a 9 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 is the closest hospital to Earlwood?
The closest hospital to the centre of Earlwood is Canterbury Hospital, about 2,773 m away, about a 35 minute walk. Distance is straight line from the suburb centre and does not account for the road route or whether the hospital has an emergency department.
What shops and parks are in Earlwood?
Within a 2 km walk of the centre of Earlwood there are 5 supermarkets, 15 cafes and 57 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: Canterbury-Bankstown 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.