Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brandon, MB and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,622 a month against $2,467 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
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Brandon, MB Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,622

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brandon, MB and in Wollongong

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brandon, MB and in Wollongong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,622 per month in Brandon, MB vs $2,467 in Wollongong, rent included.

Brandon, MB $1,622
Wollongong $2,467

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Brandon, MB vs $3,619 in Wollongong, rent included.

Brandon, MB $2,588
Wollongong $3,619

A family of three spends $3,555 per month in Brandon, MB vs $4,772 in Wollongong, rent included.

Brandon, MB $3,555
Wollongong $4,772

Brandon, MB is about 34% cheaper than Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brandon, MB and Wollongong sit above the global median – Brandon, MB by 19%, Wollongong by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.30 CA$20.01

$17.38 A$24.62

-17.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 CA$90.8

$83.8 A$119

-22.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$14.84

$10.66 A$15.10

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.47 A$4.92

-9.22%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$3.03 A$4.30

-40.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$2.28 A$3.23

-27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.20 CA$5.87

$7.17 A$10.16

-41.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CA$7.46

$7.05 A$9.99

-24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.19 A$1.68

22.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$2.97 A$4.21

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$2.21 A$3.13

44.80%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.27

$3.96 A$5.61

-22.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 CA$13.42

$10.35 A$14.66

-7.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 CA$14.89

$9.43 A$13.36

12.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 CA$22.77

$15.68 A$22.22

3.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 CA$4.59

$2.91 A$4.12

12.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.89

$2.54 A$3.60

-46.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 CA$4.82

$3.34 A$4.73

2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.50

$4.71 A$6.67

-31.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 CA$3.19

$2.31 A$3.28

-1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.58 A$3.66

1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$2.54 A$3.59

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.34 A$1.90

-4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.17 CA$21.22

$45.34 A$64.2

-66.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 CA$17.09

$13.90 A$19.70

-12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.35

$4.48 A$6.35

-46.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$4.87 A$6.90

-54.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$2.35 A$3.32

-43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 CA$96.2

$138 A$196

-50.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 CA$3.99

$3.98 A$5.64

-28.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.56 A$2.21

-14.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.08 CA$33.68

$43.53 A$61.7

-44.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 CA$1.45

$1.33 A$1.89

-21.80%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.8K CA$37.4K

$28.5K A$40.4K

-6.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$24.8K A$35.1K

-16.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$163 CA$228

$186 A$263

-12.32%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.19 CA$47.82

$26.37 A$37.36

29.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.55 CA$67.9

$49.87 A$70.7

-2.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.73 CA$59.8

$61.3 A$86.9

-30.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.36 CA$22.88

$13.78 A$19.52

18.72%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 CA$14.84

$13.51 A$19.14

-21.47%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,009 CA$1,411

$2,193 A$3,107

-54.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K CA$25.8K

$20.3K A$28.7K

-9.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.86 CA$61.3

$70.8 A$100

-38.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.65 CA$59.7

$55.8 A$79.0

-23.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 CA$97.6

$106 A$151

-34.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.8 CA$120

$110 A$156

-22.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$798 CA$1,116

$1,400 A$1,984

-43.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 CA$794

$1,162 A$1,646

-51.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 CA$1,940

$2,398 A$3,397

-42.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 CA$1,666

$1,833 A$2,597

-35.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,308 CA$3,229

$4,469 A$6,330

-48.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,300 CA$3,217

$3,568 A$5,055

-35.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,504 CA$3,502

$5,107 A$7,234

-50.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

5.23

-14.91%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brandon, MB

$568 35%

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1% 105% $594

Groceries & Markets

Brandon, MB

$323 19.9%

Wollongong

$357 14.5% 10.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brandon, MB

$246 15.1%

Wollongong

$262 10.6% 6.7% $16

Eating Out

Brandon, MB

$230 14.2%

Wollongong

$284 11.5% 23.7% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Brandon, MB

$109 6.7%

Wollongong

$155 6.3% 41.8% $46

Getting Around

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2%

Wollongong

$159 6.5% 90.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Brandon, MB

$64 3.9%

Wollongong

$88 3.6% 38.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $798 in Brandon, MB versus $1,400 in Wollongong. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Wollongong are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Brandon, MB versus $84 in Wollongong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $323 vs $357 – making Brandon, MB the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

20:40 8:40 PM

16 h ahead of Brandon, MB

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

46,061

280,153

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.706 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brandon, MB Wollongong 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Brandon, MB
Wollongong

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brandon, MB vs Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Wollongong is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,433 per month in Brandon, MB and $3,700 in Wollongong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brandon, MB, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,400 in Wollongong.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Wollongong, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Brandon, MB and $84 in Wollongong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Brandon, MB – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Brandon, MB. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wollongong makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.