Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Perth and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,467 a month against $3,080 in Perth, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
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Perth Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,080 in Perth versus $2,467 in Wollongong.

Perth $3,080
Wollongong $2,467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,194 in Perth versus $3,619 in Wollongong.

Perth $4,194
Wollongong $3,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Perth versus $4,772 in Wollongong.

Perth $5,309
Wollongong $4,772

Living in Perth is roughly 25% more expensive than in Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Perth 126% above, Wollongong 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.45 A$30.50

$17.38 A$24.72

23.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 A$122

$83.8 A$119

2.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 A$15.52

$10.66 A$15.16

2.44%

Cappuccino

$4.55 A$6.47

$3.47 A$4.93

31.12%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$3.03 A$4.31

-7.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 A$3.22

$2.28 A$3.24

-0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.82

$7.17 A$10.20

15.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 A$12.16

$7.05 A$10.03

21.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.39

$1.19 A$1.69

41.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.52

$2.97 A$4.23

7.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 A$2.88

$2.21 A$3.14

-8.60%

Eggs

$5.28 A$7.51

$3.96 A$5.63

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 A$13.52

$10.35 A$14.72

-8.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 A$13.09

$9.43 A$13.41

-2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 A$19.90

$15.68 A$22.30

-10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.54

$2.91 A$4.14

58.08%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.48

$2.54 A$3.61

24.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.52 A$5.01

$3.34 A$4.75

5.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.89

$4.71 A$6.69

2.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 A$3.97

$2.31 A$3.29

20.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 A$2.68

$2.58 A$3.67

-27.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 A$3.14

$2.54 A$3.61

-12.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.34 A$1.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.80 A$60.9

$45.34 A$64.5

-5.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$17.98

$13.90 A$19.77

-8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.35 A$6.19

$4.48 A$6.37

-2.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 A$4.79

$4.87 A$6.92

-30.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 A$3.42

$2.35 A$3.34

2.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.6 A$142

$138 A$197

-27.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 A$5.10

$3.98 A$5.66

-9.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 A$2.07

$1.56 A$2.22

-6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.46 A$57.5

$43.53 A$61.9

-7.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.92

$1.33 A$1.90

1.50%

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

$29.6K A$42.0K

$28.5K A$40.6K

3.56%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$24.8K A$35.2K

13.43%

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

$204 A$289

$186 A$264

9.60%

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

$33.62 A$47.80

$26.37 A$37.49

27.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 A$92.2

$49.87 A$70.9

29.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 A$76.8

$61.3 A$87.2

-11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.16 A$30.08

$13.78 A$19.59

53.56%

Cinema Ticket

$17.29 A$24.58

$13.51 A$19.21

27.98%

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

$2,300 A$3,270

$2,193 A$3,119

4.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K A$32.8K

$20.3K A$28.8K

13.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 A$110

$70.8 A$101

9.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 A$90.6

$55.8 A$79.3

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$172

$106 A$151

13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 A$235

$110 A$157

49.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 A$2,852

$1,400 A$1,991

43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 A$2,379

$1,162 A$1,652

44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 A$4,008

$2,398 A$3,410

17.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,156 A$3,066

$1,833 A$2,606

17.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,504 A$12.1K

$4,469 A$6,353

90.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,037 A$8,584

$3,568 A$5,073

69.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,224 A$6,006

$5,107 A$7,261

-17.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

5.23

13.96%

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

Last update for Perth: 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

Perth

$1.7K 54.3%

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1% 30.6% $511

Groceries & Markets

Perth

$365 11.9%

Wollongong

$357 14.5% 2.4% $8.8

Eating Out

Perth

$338 11%

Wollongong

$284 11.5% 16% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Perth

$302 9.8%

Wollongong

$262 10.6% 13.3% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Perth

$193 6.3%

Wollongong

$155 6.3% 19.8% $38

Getting Around

Perth

$120 3.9%

Wollongong

$159 6.5% 32.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Perth

$89 2.9%

Wollongong

$88 3.6% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,006 in Perth and $1,400 in Wollongong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86 in Perth vs $84 in Wollongong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $357 per month, with Wollongong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Perth

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

21:04 9:04 PM

00:04 12:04 AM

3 h ahead of Perth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,043,762

280,153

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Perth Wollongong 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Perth
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Perth vs Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wollongong is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Perth. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,006 in Perth versus $1,400 in Wollongong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Perth runs roughly 28% less than in Wollongong. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,300 in Perth versus $2,193 in Wollongong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Perth and Wollongong are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.