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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Melbourne is 29.9% more expensive than Wollongong without rent, and 23.9% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Melbourne is 18.7% more expensive than Wollongong without rent, and 31.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.2 A$29.41
$14.8 A$22.67
29.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.6 A$120
$89.3 A$137
-12.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 A$15.35
$9.97 A$15.27
0.50%
Cappuccino
$3.67 A$5.62
$3.45 A$5.29
6.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 A$3.89
$2.7 A$4.14
-5.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 A$3.49
$2.32 A$3.56
-1.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.28 A$11.15
$5.9 A$9.03
23.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.3 A$11.18
$7.38 A$11.31
-1.08%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 A$2.2
$1.12 A$1.72
28.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.63 A$4.02
$2.15 A$3.3
22.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.27 A$3.48
$1.64 A$2.51
38.41%
Eggs
$4.86 A$7.45
$3.43 A$5.25
41.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.74 A$13.39
$9.74 A$14.92
-10.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.19 A$14.07
$8.61 A$13.19
6.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.95 A$22.9
$14.38 A$22.03
3.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 A$5.1
$2.77 A$4.24
20.22%
Banana (1kg)
$2.84 A$4.35
$2.44 A$3.73
16.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3 A$4.6
$2.22 A$3.41
35.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 A$6.05
$4.15 A$6.35
-4.82%
Potato (1kg)
$2.67 A$4.09
$2.04 A$3.12
30.88%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.58
$1.89 A$2.9
23.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.15 A$3.3
$2.35 A$3.6
-8.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 A$2.5
$1.02 A$1.57
60.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$32.11 A$49.19
$31.26 A$47.89
2.72%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.13 A$20.11
$13.01 A$19.93
0.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 A$6.96
$3.01 A$4.61
50.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.05 A$7.74
$3.6 A$5.52
40.28%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.67 A$5.62
$2.52 A$3.86
45.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$118 A$180
$46.67 A$71.5
152.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 A$5.6
$3.96 A$6.07
-7.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 A$2.05
$1.8 A$2.76
-25.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.26 A$41.77
$40.4 A$61.9
-32.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 A$1.82
$1.16 A$1.78
2.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.6K A$43.9K
$28.7K A$43.9K
-0.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K A$36K
$22.5K A$34.5K
4.21%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 A$230
$180 A$276
-16.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.8 A$31.86
$28.16 A$43.15
-26.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51 A$78.2
$48.17 A$73.8
5.96%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.23 A$73.9
$74.3 A$114
-35.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.91 A$24.38
$16.01 A$24.53
-0.62%
Cinema Ticket
$16.53 A$25.32
$11.68 A$17.89
41.52%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,730 A$2,651
$1,590 A$2,435
8.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.1K A$29.3K
$13.4K A$20.5K
43.16%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$67.8 A$104
$58.1 A$89
16.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.7 A$82.2
$56.2 A$86.1
-4.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 A$165
$97.6 A$150
10.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 A$162
$110 A$169
-3.76%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,548 A$2,371
$992 A$1,520
56.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,228 A$1,881
$799 A$1,224
53.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,973 A$4,555
$1,920 A$2,942
54.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 A$2,997
$1,020 A$1,563
91.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,110 A$10.9K
$4,300 A$6,588
65.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,790 A$8,871
$3,391 A$5,195
70.74%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Melbourne
Wollongong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,045 A$6,198
$3,780 A$5,791
7.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.19
6.29
-1.59%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Melbourne: October 28, 2025

Last update for Wollongong: October 28, 2025

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