Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,577 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brisbane 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 Brisbane and in Wollongong actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,644 per month in Brisbane vs $2,577 in Wollongong, rent included.

Brisbane $2,644
Wollongong $2,577

A couple spends around $3,821 per month in Brisbane vs $3,790 in Wollongong, rent included.

Brisbane $3,821
Wollongong $3,790

A family of three spends $4,999 per month in Brisbane vs $5,004 in Wollongong, rent included.

Brisbane $4,999
Wollongong $5,004

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Wollongong sit above the global median – Brisbane by 96%, Wollongong by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 A$25.42

$17.42 A$24.86

2.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.4 A$122

$84.9 A$121

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.28 A$16.09

$10.63 A$15.17

6.11%

Cappuccino

$4.45 A$6.35

$3.53 A$5.04

26.06%

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

$2.80 A$4.00

$3.33 A$4.75

-15.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 A$3.49

$2.17 A$3.10

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 A$12.28

$7.20 A$10.28

19.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 A$11.94

$7.21 A$10.28

15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.51

$1.14 A$1.62

54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.66

$2.91 A$4.16

-11.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.12

$2.23 A$3.18

-2.24%

Eggs

$4.95 A$7.06

$3.93 A$5.61

25.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 A$13.67

$10.44 A$14.89

-8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 A$12.86

$9.65 A$13.78

-6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 A$19.98

$16.02 A$22.86

-12.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 A$6.01

$3.04 A$4.33

38.49%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.54

$2.50 A$3.56

27.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.99

$3.35 A$4.77

-16.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 A$6.89

$4.49 A$6.41

7.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 A$4.00

$2.39 A$3.41

17.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.36

$2.57 A$3.66

-8.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.37

$2.88 A$4.11

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.70

$1.83 A$2.62

-34.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$39.08 A$55.8

$44.34 A$63.3

-11.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.84 A$18.32

$13.97 A$19.94

-8.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.27 A$7.53

$4.56 A$6.50

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 A$7.01

$4.70 A$6.71

4.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 A$0.52

$2.29 A$3.27

-84.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.39 A$30.52

$140 A$200

-84.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 A$3.72

$3.63 A$5.19

-28.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 A$2.68

$1.87 A$2.67

0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.67 A$59.5

$46.72 A$66.7

-10.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 A$2.11

$1.34 A$1.91

10.45%

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

$29.0K A$41.4K

$29.5K A$42.1K

-1.71%

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

$25.9K A$37.0K

$24.7K A$35.2K

5.04%

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

$160 A$228

$238 A$340

-33.00%

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

$26.65 A$38.04

$31.92 A$45.57

-16.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 A$87.4

$49.91 A$71.2

22.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$87.2

$85.5 A$122

-28.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.66 A$32.34

$13.93 A$19.89

62.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 A$20.19

$13.47 A$19.23

5.05%

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

$1,982 A$2,829

$2,144 A$3,060

-7.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.8K A$38.3K

$12.6K A$18.0K

112.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 A$121

$69.8 A$99.6

21.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.37 A$66.2

$61.6 A$88.0

-24.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$145 A$207

-23.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$111 A$158

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 A$2,793

$1,427 A$2,037

37.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 A$2,057

$1,157 A$1,651

24.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,481 A$4,968

$2,413 A$3,443

44.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 A$3,188

$1,879 A$2,682

18.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,571 A$13.7K

$4,592 A$6,554

108.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 A$9,903

$3,562 A$5,084

94.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,134 A$5,901

$5,227 A$7,460

-20.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

5.23

11.66%

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

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5%

Wollongong

$1.2K 44.9% 19.8% $285

Groceries & Markets

Brisbane

$362 13.7%

Wollongong

$365 14.2% 0.8% $3

Eating Out

Brisbane

$310 11.7%

Wollongong

$286 11.1% 7.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brisbane

$248 9.4%

Wollongong

$320 12.4% 29.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Brisbane

$158 6%

Wollongong

$174 6.8% 9.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Brisbane

$89 3.4%

Wollongong

$112 4.4% 25.9% $23

Getting Around

Brisbane

$35 1.3%

Wollongong

$162 6.3% 366% $127

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,957 in Brisbane versus $1,427 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 run about 26% higher in Wollongong, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Brisbane versus $85 in Wollongong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $362 vs $365 – making Brisbane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

12:32 12:32 PM

1 h ahead of Brisbane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,287,896

280,153

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.622 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Brisbane Wollongong 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Brisbane vs Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Wollongong, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,965 per month in Brisbane and $3,865 in Wollongong. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Wollongong, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,427 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,577 in Wollongong. That makes Wollongong about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,644 in Brisbane and $2,577 in Wollongong. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,577 in Wollongong to $2,644 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.