Engadine vs MenaiTwo Sydney suburbs compared for a home loan
Engadine (NSW 2233) is approximately 32 km south of the Sydney CBD, beside the Royal National Park. Menai (NSW 2234) is approximately 28 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Woronora River. At the 2021 Census, Engadine had 17,736 residents with a median age of 39, and Menai had 10,419 residents with a median age of 39.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 13% of occupied dwellings in Engadine and 3% in Menai, while 14% of Engadine households rented compared with 15% in Menai. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
NSW 2233 · Sutherland Shire
Engadine
Engadine is a Sutherland Shire family suburb beside the Royal National Park, where 47.6 per cent of households hold a mortgage and only 13.6 per cent rent.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 32 km south of the Sydney CBD, beside the Royal National Park.
Read the full Engadine guideNSW 2234 · Sutherland Shire
Menai
Menai is a Sutherland Shire family suburb of large homes with a substantial townhouse component, where 47.9 per cent of households hold a mortgage.
Sutherland Shire. Approximately 28 km south-west of the Sydney CBD, above the Woronora River.
Read the full Menai guide
What buying in Engadine and Menai would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Engadine and Menai.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Engadine to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Menai to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Engadine and Menai: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Engadine | Menai |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 17,736 | 10,419 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 39 | 39 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,303 | $2,575 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $500 | $560 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,600 | $2,600 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 14% | 15% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 48% | 48% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 38% | 36% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 79% | 75% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 8% | 22% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 13% | 3% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 15% | 5% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 42% | 54% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 4% | 3% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Engadine and Menai
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Engadine
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Blocks backing onto the Royal National Park are realistically bush fire prone.
- Complying development is unavailable on BAL-40 and BAL-FZ land, requiring a full DA.
- Bushfire mapping can raise insurance premiums and make cover harder to place.
- Only 13.6 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small.
- Median monthly repayments of $2,600 mean serviceability usually binds before deposit.
Menai
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Downsizers
- Bushland and river valley interface land is commonly mapped as bush fire prone.
- Complying development is unavailable on BAL-40 and BAL-FZ land, requiring a full DA.
- Single-development exposure limits apply to any particular townhouse complex.
- Only 14.8 per cent of households rented, so the tenant pool is small.
- The plateau location means limited access routes over the river bridges.
Housing stock in Engadine and Menai compared
Engadine
- Detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 4,776 at the 2021 Census, 79.4 per cent of occupied homes.
- Three and four bedroom homes
- At the 2021 Census, 2,580 dwellings had three bedrooms and 1,899 had four, with 606 having five or more.
- Apartments near the station
- The 764 flats counted at the 2021 Census, 12.7 per cent of occupied homes.
Menai
- Large detached family houses
- Separate houses numbered 2,583 at the 2021 Census, 75.2 per cent of occupied homes.
- Townhouses
- At 739 dwellings, or 21.5 per cent of occupied homes, substantial by Shire standards.
- Four bedroom homes
- At 1,416 dwellings, the most common size recorded at the 2021 Census, with 429 having five or more.
Official sale price and rent figures for Engadine and Menai
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Engadine
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Engadine, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Menai
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Menai, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Engadine and Menai
Engadine
Transport
- Engadine Station (train)
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Princes Highway (road)
Amenities
- Engadine town centre
- Royal National Park
- Engadine Leisure Centre
Menai
Transport
- Sydney buses (bus)
- Menai Road (road)
- Alfords Point Bridge (road)
Amenities
- Menai Marketplace
- Woronora River foreshore
- Menai sporting fields
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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Request a free assessment: Engadine or Menai
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Engadine and Menai, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.