Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,577 a month against $2,644 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brisbane outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
Learn more

Wollongong Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
Learn more

Brisbane Living Index

Jump to prices

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,577

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wollongong and in Brisbane

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wollongong and in Brisbane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,577 per month in Wollongong vs $2,644 in Brisbane, rent included.

Wollongong $2,577
Brisbane $2,644

A couple spends around $3,790 per month in Wollongong vs $3,821 in Brisbane, rent included.

Wollongong $3,790
Brisbane $3,821

A family of three spends $5,004 per month in Wollongong vs $4,999 in Brisbane, rent included.

Wollongong $5,004
Brisbane $4,999

Wollongong is about 3% cheaper than Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Wollongong and Brisbane sit above the global median – Wollongong by 91%, Brisbane by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.42 A$24.86

$17.81 A$25.42

-2.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$121

$85.4 A$122

-0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 A$15.17

$11.28 A$16.09

-5.76%

Cappuccino

$3.53 A$5.04

$4.45 A$6.35

-20.67%

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

$3.33 A$4.75

$2.80 A$4.00

18.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.10

$2.45 A$3.49

-11.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.20 A$10.28

$8.60 A$12.28

-16.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 A$10.28

$8.36 A$11.94

-13.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 A$1.62

$1.76 A$2.51

-35.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 A$4.16

$2.57 A$3.66

13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.18

$2.18 A$3.12

2.29%

Eggs

$3.93 A$5.61

$4.95 A$7.06

-20.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 A$14.89

$9.58 A$13.67

8.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 A$13.78

$9.01 A$12.86

7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 A$22.86

$14.00 A$19.98

14.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.33

$4.21 A$6.01

-27.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.56

$3.18 A$4.54

-21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 A$4.77

$2.79 A$3.99

20.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 A$6.41

$4.83 A$6.89

-7.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.41

$2.80 A$4.00

-14.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.66

$2.36 A$3.36

8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 A$4.11

$2.36 A$3.37

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 A$2.62

$1.19 A$1.70

53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.34 A$63.3

$39.08 A$55.8

13.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 A$19.94

$12.84 A$18.32

8.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.50

$5.27 A$7.53

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 A$6.71

$4.91 A$7.01

-4.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 A$3.27

$0.36 A$0.52

536.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 A$200

$21.39 A$30.52

555.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 A$5.19

$2.61 A$3.72

39.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 A$2.67

$1.88 A$2.68

-0.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.72 A$66.7

$41.67 A$59.5

12.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.91

$1.48 A$2.11

-9.46%

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

$29.5K A$42.1K

$29.0K A$41.4K

1.74%

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

$24.7K A$35.2K

$25.9K A$37.0K

-4.80%

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

$238 A$340

$160 A$228

49.25%

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

$31.92 A$45.57

$26.65 A$38.04

19.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.91 A$71.2

$61.2 A$87.4

-18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.5 A$122

$61.1 A$87.2

40.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.93 A$19.89

$22.66 A$32.34

-38.53%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 A$19.23

$14.15 A$20.19

-4.81%

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

$2,144 A$3,060

$1,982 A$2,829

8.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K A$18.0K

$26.8K A$38.3K

-52.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 A$99.6

$85.1 A$121

-18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.6 A$88.0

$46.37 A$66.2

32.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 A$207

$111 A$159

30.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 A$158

$110 A$156

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 A$2,037

$1,957 A$2,793

-27.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 A$1,651

$1,441 A$2,057

-19.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 A$3,443

$3,481 A$4,968

-30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 A$2,682

$2,234 A$3,188

-15.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,592 A$6,554

$9,571 A$13.7K

-52.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,562 A$5,084

$6,938 A$9,903

-48.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,227 A$7,460

$4,134 A$5,901

26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

5.84

-10.45%

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

Last update for Wollongong: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.2K 44.9%

Brisbane

$1.4K 54.5% 24.6% $285

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$365 14.2%

Brisbane

$362 13.7% 0.8% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$320 12.4%

Brisbane

$248 9.4% 22.7% $73

Eating Out

Wollongong

$286 11.1%

Brisbane

$310 11.7% 8.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$174 6.8%

Brisbane

$158 6% 9% $16

Getting Around

Wollongong

$162 6.3%

Brisbane

$35 1.3% 78.5% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$112 4.4%

Brisbane

$89 3.4% 20.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,427 in Wollongong versus $1,957 in Brisbane. 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 26% 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 $85 in Wollongong versus $85 in Brisbane. Groceries tell a different story – $365 in Wollongong vs $362 in Brisbane – so Brisbane wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

20:54 8:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

1 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

2,287,896

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

1 AUD = 0.701 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wollongong Brisbane 800 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Wollongong
Brisbane

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

Wollongong vs Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane costs about 3% more than Wollongong, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,865 per month in Wollongong and $3,965 in Brisbane. 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 $1,427 there versus $1,957 in Brisbane.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,577 in Wollongong and $2,644 in Brisbane. That makes Wollongong about 3% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 85% less in Brisbane. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,577 in Wollongong and $2,644 in Brisbane. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brisbane has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,577 in Wollongong to $2,644 in Brisbane. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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