Living in a house in Newtown costs about $6,314 a year: council rates, water and sewerage, commute and home insurance combined. Newtown sits 4.6 kilometres from Sydney CBD. Unit costs reach $8,494, with the $3,500 body corporate levy accounting for the entire difference between the two. Transport mode has the biggest effect on total cost in a suburb this close to the city.
Cheaper to run than 97% of Inner West 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 Newtown'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 Newtown
within a 2 km walk
Nearest stop
Newtown, 315 m away, about a 4 minute walk. It is a train stop.
Nearest hospital
Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, 1,120 m away, about a 14 minute walk.
Supermarkets
29
Cafes
150
Parks
137
Counted from OpenStreetMap via Overpass inside a 2 km walking radius of the suburb centre, built 2026-11-03. 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 Newtown to the CBD?
Driving saves Newtown residents $405 per year. Annual commute cost by car is $1,515 versus $1,920 by public transport using the Opal network.
What are the council rates in Newtown?
Newtown falls under Inner West Council. The average residential rate for 2026-27 is $1,401 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 $1,401 per year. These figures cover the general rate only and exclude waste and cleansing charges.
What does it cost to run a unit in Newtown?
Running a unit in Newtown costs approximately $8,494 per year by car or $8,899 by public transport. This includes council rates of $1,401, water and sewerage $1,548, estimated body corporate levy of $3,500, and contents insurance of $530. Body corporate fees vary significantly between buildings. Always confirm the actual levy before purchasing.
Is Newtown close to public transport?
The nearest scheduled service to the centre of Newtown is Newtown, a train stop about 315 m away, about a 4 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 Newtown?
The closest hospital to the centre of Newtown is Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, about 1,120 m away, about a 14 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 Newtown?
Within a 2 km walk of the centre of Newtown there are 29 supermarkets, 150 cafes and 137 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: Inner West rates (OLG 2024-25 + IPART 2026-27 peg). Water: Sydney Water 2026-27. Commute: ATO cents per kilometre rate 2026–27 (91c/km). Insurance: estimated from ACCC 2026 premium rates for the area's cyclone risk on a standard $600,000 home, adjusted for flood and fire, disclosed as estimate. Schools: ACARA ICSEA 2025. Risk: Fire: NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land. Flood: modelled from 30m elevation (topographic). Data last verified September 2026. Cost estimates are for comparison purposes only and do not constitute financial, insurance, or credit advice.