Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Singapore and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,251 a month against $3,500 in Singapore, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
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Singapore Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,500 in Singapore versus $2,251 in Wollongong.

Singapore $3,500
Wollongong $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,265 in Singapore versus $3,295 in Wollongong.

Singapore $5,265
Wollongong $3,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,030 in Singapore versus $4,339 in Wollongong.

Singapore $7,030
Wollongong $4,339

Living in Singapore is roughly 55% more expensive than in Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Singapore 159% above, Wollongong 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.76 SGD 15.05

$16.72 A$24.06

-29.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 SGD 90.4

$83.9 A$121

-15.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 SGD 10.94

$10.27 A$14.78

-16.75%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SGD 6.66

$3.49 A$5.03

49.00%

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

$1.77 SGD 2.27

$3.16 A$4.54

-43.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SGD 1.58

$2.17 A$3.12

-43.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.26 SGD 10.58

$7.09 A$10.20

16.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 SGD 13.01

$6.93 A$9.97

46.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 SGD 3.89

$1.19 A$1.72

155.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 SGD 3.26

$2.92 A$4.20

-12.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 SGD 3.66

$2.11 A$3.04

35.55%

Eggs

$3.53 SGD 4.51

$3.93 A$5.65

-10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.12 SGD 27.02

$10.40 A$14.96

103.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 SGD 12.67

$9.47 A$13.62

4.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.42 SGD 32.53

$15.48 A$22.27

64.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.57 SGD 5.85

$2.90 A$4.17

57.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.13 SGD 4.00

$2.54 A$3.65

23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.72 SGD 6.04

$3.30 A$4.74

43.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 SGD 2.85

$4.53 A$6.51

-50.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 SGD 3.29

$2.31 A$3.33

11.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 SGD 2.93

$2.58 A$3.71

-11.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 SGD 2.39

$2.56 A$3.68

-26.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 SGD 1.84

$1.33 A$1.91

8.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 SGD 17.88

$44.92 A$64.6

-68.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.48 SGD 30.05

$13.90 A$20.00

68.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.54 SGD 5.80

$4.38 A$6.31

3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 SGD 5.68

$4.67 A$6.72

-4.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 SGD 2.01

$1.97 A$2.84

-20.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 SGD 4.66

$4.11 A$5.92

-11.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 SGD 0.97

$1.55 A$2.23

-50.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.14 SGD 20.66

$42.79 A$61.6

-62.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.45 SGD 3.14

$1.32 A$1.90

85.61%

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

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

$26.6K A$38.2K

484.25%

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

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

$24.8K A$35.6K

499.44%

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

$172 SGD 220

$185 A$267

-7.48%

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

$12.39 SGD 15.86

$27.08 A$38.97

-54.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.21 SGD 33.54

$51.1 A$73.5

-48.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 SGD 138

$81.8 A$118

32.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.31 SGD 15.75

$14.07 A$20.24

-12.51%

Cinema Ticket

$11.64 SGD 14.90

$13.02 A$18.73

-10.60%

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

$1,481 SGD 1,895

$2,148 A$3,091

-31.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

$20.5K A$29.5K

38.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 SGD 103

$68.2 A$98.1

18.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 SGD 64.1

$55.0 A$79.2

-8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 SGD 143

$105 A$152

6.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 SGD 165

$108 A$155

19.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 SGD 3,858

$1,246 A$1,793

141.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,171 SGD 2,778

$1,079 A$1,552

101.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,842 SGD 7,475

$1,947 A$2,802

199.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,044 SGD 5,174

$1,666 A$2,398

142.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

$4,438 A$6,386

436.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

$3,676 A$5,290

355.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,385 SGD 5,611

$5,130 A$7,382

-14.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.44

5.23

-53.35%

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

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Singapore

$2.2K 62%

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9% 50.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Singapore

$458 13.1%

Wollongong

$353 15.7% 22.8% $105

Eating Out

Singapore

$256 7.3%

Wollongong

$277 12.3% 8.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Singapore

$210 6%

Wollongong

$264 11.7% 25.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Singapore

$167 4.8%

Wollongong

$151 6.7% 9.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Singapore

$131 3.8%

Wollongong

$108 4.8% 17.9% $23

Getting Around

Singapore

$107 3.1%

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9% 81.6% $88

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,015 in Singapore and $1,246 in Wollongong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71.0 in Singapore vs $84.0 in Wollongong. Groceries flip the comparison at $458 vs $353, with Wollongong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇬 Singapore

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

3 h ahead of Singapore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,535,002 Capital

280,153

💱 Currency

Singapore Dollar SGD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to SGD – Singapore Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇬 Singapore Dollar ($)

Singapore Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.28 SGD (1 SGD = 0.781 USD). 1 EUR = 1.44 SGD (1 SGD = 0.695 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to SGD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Singapore Wollongong 6,300 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Singapore
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

Singapore vs Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wollongong is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Wollongong. 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: $3,015 in Singapore versus $1,246 in Wollongong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,481 in Singapore versus $2,148 in Wollongong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wollongong – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $71.0 in Singapore. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,251 in Wollongong versus $3,500 in Singapore, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wollongong but tight or insufficient in Singapore. The gap between the two cities makes Wollongong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Singapore and Wollongong are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Wollongong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Singapore. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.