Homeowners in some of the more affordable suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne have a downside: toll routes are much pricier.
Suburbs where drivers pay the highest road tolls have been revealed – and the data shows those who fled pricey inner areas for cheaper homes in outer suburbs are being stung with the worst charges.
The iSelect modelling used Linkt Toll calculator and Google Routes API to map out how much commuters paid in various areas for every travel minute saved using a toll road over a free alternate route.
It showed drivers in some areas were paying $1-$7 for each minute they were saving by travelling on a faster-moving toll road.
Parts of Melbourne and Sydney tended to have the most expensive roads and popular travel routes, but key Brisbane roads were also emerging as a costly burden on commuters.
Some of the worst affected drivers were in Sydney’s Hills District and Hornsby area and, in Melbourne, across the city’s north.
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Drivers have to pay high amounts to avoid traffic. Picture: Gaye Gerard
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Adrian Bennett, general insurance manager at iSelect, said the choice between a long commute in traffic or an expensive toll route was affecting the quality of life of outer city residents.
“In the long term, high tolls risk worsening inequality,” Mr Bennett said.
“Those who cannot absorb the extra costs are left with longer commutes, which can affect work-life balance, wellbeing, and overall quality of life.”
Digital Finance Analytics analyst Martin North said toll charges were putting extra pressure on families already battling mortgage stress. This was particularly true in outer suburbs where homeowners tended to have high mortgage repayments relative to their incomes.
“Costs of living are still rising and for those living on the outskirts of major cities like Sydney, toll fees are a particular drain,” Mr North said.
SYDNEY ROADS
Sydney drivers faced some of the highest toll premiums in Australia, with commuters who drive through the Ryde, Sutherland, and Canterbury-Bankstown area paying up to $1.70 for every minute saved during peak hours.
Areas including Hornsby and The Hills district had the highest total toll costs, potentially exceeding $29 per trip, while longer commutes through Camden and Ku-ring-gai areas typically offered better value, coming in at less than $1 per minute saved.
NSW SUBURBS WHERE DRIVERS PAY THE MOST
Soure: iSelect
Sydney was the most expensive city in the country for tolls when looking at the average toll charges per road.
MELBOURNE ROADS
Melbourne drivers generally pay far less per minute saved than those in Sydney, but shorter inner-city routes in the Boroondara and Whitehorse areas remain the priciest, costing around $7.35 per minute saved during both peak and off-peak times.
Longer suburban commutes that go through the Whittlesea, Brimbank, and Casey areas can offer much better value, ranging between $1 and $2.50 per minute saved, thanks to extended travel distances and fewer toll segments.
During the off-peak hours, toll efficiency dips slightly. Drivers going through the Moonee Valley area typically saved about $4.22 per minute.
VICTORIA SUBURBS WHERE DRIVERS PAY THE MOST
Source: iSelect analysis.
Longer trips through the Yarra Ranges, Macedon Ranges and Hume areas were usually the most cost-effective at $1.30-$1.80 per minute.
AUSTRALIA’S PRICIEST ROADS
The data from iSelect also revealed the country’s priciest toll roads in total charges and just how devastating they can be on the wallets of those who frequently need to use them.
Most of the most expensive toll roads, were in Sydney and Melbourne and tended to impact those commuting into inner areas from further away.
Sydney had multiple toll roads that cost more than $10 per trip, while Victoria’s CityLink, connecting the airport and city, took the crown as Australia’s most expensive road at $12.25 per trip.
Sydney’s WestConnex M4 Motorway was the second priciest toll in the country at $10.38 per trip. It was also the highest earning toll road in the country, generating an estimated $1.88 billion in revenue annually.
MOST EXPENSIVE ROADS
Source: iSelect.
The WestConnex M4 Motorway is the lifeblood of Western Sydney, connecting some of the city’s few more affordable housing markets with employment hubs like Parramatta and the Sydney CBD.
WestConnex also had the steepest toll charge increases in the country at 12.3 per cent annually, according to the iSelect analysis.
Measured by the price per kilometre, the nation’s most expensive road was Queensland’s Go Between Bridge, a 300m stretch of road linking Brisbane’s South Bank with the inner city bypass at Milton.
Travelling on the road cost a staggering $13.50 per kilometre, the iSelect analysis showed.
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