How much does a car park cost in Australian cities?

A carpark can add more than $150,000 to a property's value in some of Australia's most coveted suburbs, while CBD car parking can rack up bills as high as $1,100 a month for full-time in-person workers.

We look at what you can expect to pay for a CBD parking space, either temporarily or permanently, in each of Australia’s capital cities and how this compares to public transport costs.

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How much does public parking cost in Australian cities?

Based on data from Parkhound.com.au, the cost of parking in Australian city centres varies markedly across the nation.

1. The cost of parking in Sydney

Sydney is unsurprisingly the capital of expensive parking in Australia. 

• Daily commercial car parking rate: $35 - $55
• Monthly cost (assuming 20 days): $700 - $1,100
• Potential discount on peer-to-peer platforms: 35% - 50%

According to Ray White, casual parking rates in the Sydney CBD can be as high as $78 per day, but early bird and online booking discounts can respectively wipe off 57% or 43%. 

2. The cost of parking in Melbourne

Melbourne drivers have it comparatively better, with Ray White finding the city's parking garages offer the largest discounts to early birds. 

• Daily commercial car parking rate: $30 - $45
• Monthly cost (assuming 20 days): $600 - $900
• Potential discount on peer-to-peer platforms: 40% - 50%

According to Ray White, casual parking rates in the Melbourne CBD can come in at $67 per day, but early bird and online booking discounts can drop that by 66% or 32% respectively.  

3. The cost of parking in Brisbane

Despite Brisbane being Australia's third-largest city, parking in its CBD is among the most expensive.

Ray White findings suggest maximum rates can be as high as $80 in the river city, but notable discounts are offered to those booking online or arriving early.

• Daily commercial car parking rate: $25 - $40
• Monthly cost (assuming 20 days): $500 - $800
• Potential discount on peer-to-peer platforms: 30% - 45%

Brisbane parking operators can offer early bird and online booking discounts reducing costs by 57% or 50% respectively. 

4. The cost of parking in Perth

Compared to its East Coast counterparts, parking in Perth appears cheap.

• Daily commercial car parking rate: $20 - $35
• Monthly cost (assuming 20 days): $400 - $700
• Potential discount on peer-to-peer platforms: 30% - 40%

According to Ray White, casual parking rates in the Perth CBD can reach $36 per day, with early bird and online booking discounts respectively wipe off up to 41% or 31%. 

5. The cost of parking in Adelaide

The city of churches boasts one of the cheaper CBDs for parking in Australia:

• Daily commercial car parking rate: $18 - $30
• Monthly cost (assuming 20 days): $360 - $600
• Potential discount on peer-to-peer platforms: 30% - 40%

According to Ray White, casual parking rates in the Adelaide CBD come in at an average of $25 per day, with early bird and online booking discounts only lowered prices by 30% or 11% respectively. 

6. The cost of parking in Canberra

The nation's capital is another cheap spot for CBD parking:

• Daily commercial car parking rate: $20 - $35
• Monthly cost (assuming 20 days): $400 - $700
• Potential discount on peer-to-peer platforms: 30% - 45%

According to Ray White, casual parking rates in Canberra's CBD come in at around $20 per day, with early bird and online booking discounts only lowered costs by 18% or 7% respectively. 

7. Hobart

Parkhound.com.au doesn't provide data on the cost of parking in Hobart, however Ray White notes commercial parking can set a driver back around $19 per day in the Apple Isle capital.

That's notably cheaper than many other parts of the nation, but early bird discounts generally aren't on the table in Hobart, while booking online can save a parker around 20%. 

8. Darwin

Neither Parkhound.com.au nor Ray White detail parking rates in Darwin. 

However, the City of Darwin charges parkers:

• $3.20 per hour for up to two hours in Zone A
• $2.30 per hour for up to three hours in Zone B
• $1.80 per hour or $9.50 per day in Zone C

The city also offers nine off-street car parks with costs ranging from $5 per day to $2 per hour.

Parking or public transport: Which is cheaper?

So, depending on where you live, parking ain’t cheap. But how does it compare to taking public transport into the CBD? 

According to data from the Australian Automobile Association, here's how much a person traveling from middle-to-outer suburbs might expect to spend on public transport if commuting to the CBD five days a week: 

Sydney and Melbourne are by far the most expensive cities in terms of public transport fares, while Brisbane is notably the cheapest, thanks to its 50-cent fares. 

1. For households in which two people commute from the outer-suburbs into the city, daily car parking might actually end up cheaper than taking public transport. 

How much does a car park cost if buying property?

If you're considering purchasing a home, you might be surprised to know that a car park can boost the value of a property by more than $150,000 in some parts of the country. 

In fact, in certain areas, like Bondi, car parks can cost upwards of a million on their own. 

According to analysis of 115,000 sales by Luxo Living, properties in Sydney's Newtown and Collaroy with a car park typically go for around $156,000 more than those without.

And it's not just Sydney, blue-chip suburbs where such a parking premium is evident: 

"As suburban areas become denser, this study shows that dedicated parking is becoming more scarce for everyday people," Luxo Living founder and CEO Winston Tu said.

"what was once considered a standard feature of a home is now being treated as an additional upgrade, driving up the price of property in an already competitive market."