Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,467 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,267 per month in Sydney vs $2,467 in Wollongong, rent included.

Sydney $3,267
Wollongong $2,467

A couple spends around $4,847 per month in Sydney vs $3,619 in Wollongong, rent included.

Sydney $4,847
Wollongong $3,619

A family of three spends $6,428 per month in Sydney vs $4,772 in Wollongong, rent included.

Sydney $6,428
Wollongong $4,772

Sydney costs about 32% more than Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sydney and Wollongong sit above the global median – Sydney by 140%, Wollongong by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.79

$17.38 A$24.62

0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 A$128

$83.8 A$119

7.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$16.94

$10.66 A$15.10

12.20%

Cappuccino

$4.00 A$5.67

$3.47 A$4.92

15.27%

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

$2.81 A$3.98

$3.03 A$4.30

-7.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 A$3.15

$2.28 A$3.23

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 A$11.52

$7.17 A$10.16

13.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.20

$7.05 A$9.99

2.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.41

$1.19 A$1.68

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 A$4.16

$2.97 A$4.21

-1.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.56

$2.21 A$3.13

13.57%

Eggs

$5.66 A$8.02

$3.96 A$5.61

42.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 A$17.30

$10.35 A$14.66

18.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 A$13.20

$9.43 A$13.36

-1.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.87 A$23.90

$15.68 A$22.22

7.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.53

$2.91 A$4.12

34.02%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.57

$2.54 A$3.60

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.43 A$4.86

$3.34 A$4.73

2.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 A$6.14

$4.71 A$6.67

-8.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.74

$2.31 A$3.28

45.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.40

$2.58 A$3.66

-6.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.31

$2.54 A$3.59

-7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 A$1.64

$1.34 A$1.90

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.47 A$64.4

$45.34 A$64.2

0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.99 A$19.82

$13.90 A$19.70

0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.11 A$5.82

$4.48 A$6.35

-8.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 A$5.92

$4.87 A$6.90

-14.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.35 A$3.32

32.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 A$215

$138 A$196

9.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 A$4.90

$3.98 A$5.64

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.54 A$56.0

$43.53 A$61.7

-9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.05

$1.33 A$1.89

9.02%

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

$29.9K A$42.4K

$28.5K A$40.4K

4.73%

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

$27.5K A$39.0K

$24.8K A$35.1K

11.01%

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

$251 A$355

$186 A$263

35.05%

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

$27.76 A$39.32

$26.37 A$37.36

5.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 A$82.2

$49.87 A$70.7

16.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 A$100

$61.3 A$86.9

15.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 A$32.94

$13.78 A$19.52

68.72%

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 A$25.25

$13.51 A$19.14

31.98%

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

$2,358 A$3,341

$2,193 A$3,107

7.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.2K A$38.5K

$20.3K A$28.7K

33.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 A$114

$70.8 A$100

13.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 A$98.2

$55.8 A$79.0

24.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$157

$106 A$151

4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 A$181

$110 A$156

15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,566 A$3,635

$1,400 A$1,984

83.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 A$2,539

$1,162 A$1,646

54.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,202 A$7,369

$2,398 A$3,397

116.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 A$4,471

$1,833 A$2,597

72.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K A$19.0K

$4,469 A$6,330

199.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,727 A$12.4K

$3,568 A$5,055

144.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,118 A$5,834

$5,107 A$7,234

-19.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

5.23

13.19%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9%

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1% 35.2% $630

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$382 11.7%

Wollongong

$357 14.5% 6.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$337 10.3%

Wollongong

$262 10.6% 22.2% $75

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.2%

Wollongong

$284 11.5% 5.1% $15

Getting Around

Sydney

$176 5.4%

Wollongong

$159 6.5% 9.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$175 5.3%

Wollongong

$155 6.3% 11.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$106 3.3%

Wollongong

$88 3.6% 16.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,566 in Sydney versus $1,400 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 24% 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 $90 in Sydney versus $84 in Wollongong. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $357 – making Wollongong the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

Same time as Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

280,153

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

1 AUD = 0.706 USD

1 AUD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Sydney vs Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,267 in Sydney, $2,467 in Wollongong – Wollongong comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,900 per month in Sydney and $3,700 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 $1,400 there versus $2,566 in Sydney.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in Sydney and $84 in Wollongong. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,267 in Sydney and $2,467 in Wollongong. That makes Wollongong about 24% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Wollongong – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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

For expats, Wollongong is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 24% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.