Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Wollongong Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Wollongong

😐 Solo nomad: Melbourne is 23.2% more expensive than Wollongong without rent, and 25% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Melbourne is 17.8% more expensive than Wollongong without rent, and 36.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.21 A$27.28
$14.78 A$20.99
29.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.9 A$112
$86.7 A$123
-9.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.49 A$13.48
$10.00 A$14.20
-5.10%
Cappuccino
$3.71 A$5.26
$3.41 A$4.84
8.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 A$3.73
$2.60 A$3.69
0.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 A$3.29
$2.21 A$3.14
4.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.18 A$10.20
$5.72 A$8.13
25.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.27 A$10.32
$7.60 A$10.79
-4.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 A$2.14
$1.16 A$1.65
30.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.67 A$3.80
$2.26 A$3.21
18.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 A$3.20
$1.61 A$2.29
39.75%
Eggs
$4.84 A$6.88
$3.41 A$4.84
41.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.91 A$12.65
$9.90 A$14.06
-10.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.17 A$13.02
$8.56 A$12.16
7.13%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.73 A$20.92
$14.14 A$20.07
4.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.47
$2.85 A$4.05
10.53%
Banana (1kg)
$2.83 A$4.02
$2.49 A$3.54
13.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 A$4.20
$2.24 A$3.18
32.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.10 A$5.82
$4.10 A$5.82
-
Potato (1kg)
$2.69 A$3.83
$2.11 A$3.00
27.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 A$3.19
$1.79 A$2.54
25.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.22 A$3.15
$2.36 A$3.35
-5.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 A$2.30
$1.02 A$1.45
58.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$33.12 A$47.03
$30.77 A$43.70
7.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.38 A$20.42
$14.03 A$19.92
2.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.62 A$6.56
$2.89 A$4.11
59.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.19 A$7.37
$3.48 A$4.94
49.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.55 A$5.04
$2.53 A$3.59
40.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$121 A$172
$46.83 A$66.5
158.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.57 A$5.06
$3.93 A$5.58
-9.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 A$1.99
$1.76 A$2.50
-20.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.13 A$38.52
$40.30 A$57.2
-32.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 A$1.61
$1.11 A$1.57
2.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K A$40.2K
$29.1K A$41.3K
-2.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K A$33.3K
$23.1K A$32.8K
1.44%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$153 A$217
$184 A$261
-16.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.87 A$29.64
$28.43 A$40.37
-26.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.3 A$71.5
$48.80 A$69.3
3.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.13 A$69.8
$75.1 A$107
-34.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.38 A$23.25
$15.48 A$21.99
5.81%
Cinema Ticket
$16.19 A$22.99
$11.60 A$16.47
39.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,756 A$2,494
$1,592 A$2,261
10.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.5K A$27.8K
$13.3K A$18.9K
46.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.9 A$95.0
$59.5 A$84.6
12.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.9 A$75.2
$55.9 A$79.4
-5.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 A$151
$98.1 A$139
8.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 A$147
$110 A$156
-5.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,199
$965 A$1,370
60.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,189 A$1,689
$802 A$1,139
48.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,019 A$4,287
$1,916 A$2,721
57.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,004 A$2,845
$1,047 A$1,486
91.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,402 A$10.5K
$4,658 A$6,614
58.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,518 A$9,255
$3,748 A$5,323
73.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,262 A$6,053
$4,014 A$5,699
6.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.29
-1.59%

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

Last update for Melbourne: March 2, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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