Expensive excursion ... a day at Bondi Beach.

Expensive excursion ... a day at Bondi Beach. Photo: Tamara Dean

If paying $14 to leave your car near the ocean while you take a dip sounds steep, you're better off avoiding Balmoral Beach this summer.

The picturesque strip of sand in Sydney's north claims the title for the city's most expensive beach parking spot.

Mosman Council increased its rates for Balmoral from last week, courtesy of a special seasonal fee surge. Those opting to feed the meter by credit card must pay a minimum $14 for two hours' parking - or $7 an hour for those otherwise paying cash - as part of a raft of fee increases that were expected to discourage some visitors from using the family-friendly beach.

Manly Council also charges $7 an hour to park along the beachfront on weekends, up by $1 since last July 1.

Beachgoers would find it cheaper driving to Sydney's east. At Bondi and Bronte summer visitors pay up to $5.80 an hour for metered street parking.

Or even better, they should head to Sydney's south. Cronulla and Maroubra beachgoers are not charged a cent to park near the beach. Maroubra offers a public car park nearby with a four-hour limit, and Cronulla imposes no time restrictions for street parking on weekends.

The rates in Manly and Balmoral are comparable to parking charges in Sydney's CBD, with the City of Sydney charging a maximum hourly metered street parking rate of $7 during its weekday peak.

Mosman councillor Simon Menzies said its fee ensured visitors contributed to Balmoral's upkeep while freeing up space for residents. Locals can park for up to three hours at no cost.

''Balmoral's certainly a better place to visit so you would anticipate you'd pay a premium to visit Balmoral before going to Bondi,'' he said.

From July, Mosman's weekend parking increased a dollar to $13 for the first two hours, and $7 thereafter - except in Balmoral between December 27 until January 15, when its initial two-hour rate increases to $14. The fee changes were expected to increase council's income from meters by $310,000 to more than $1.8 million for 2012-13.

Council data found the number of Mosman residents using the beach parking during the holidays had been steadily increasing since the meters were installed in 2009.

Dan Gelati, the manager of Balmoral restaurant La Repubblica, believes the beach's popularity overrides the cost of parking.

''I don't believe parking meters are deterring people from coming here. In summer Balmoral is such a popular beach that people don't care if they are paying $28 for parking.''

However, at least one local resident, who did not want to be named, was more critical.

''It's greedy [of the council], people think that because Mosman is an expensive place to live it therefore means that it's OK to charge over the top prices to park here,'' she said.