Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Perth

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.

119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
Learn more

Wollongong Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in Perth
Learn more

Perth Living Index

Jump to prices

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Perth

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,080

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wollongong and in Perth

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 Perth actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Wollongong $2,467
Perth $3,080

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

Wollongong $3,619
Perth $4,194

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

Wollongong $4,772
Perth $5,309

Living in Wollongong costs roughly 20% less than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 A$24.62

$21.45 A$30.39

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 A$119

$85.5 A$121

-2.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 A$15.10

$10.92 A$15.47

-2.38%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.92

$4.55 A$6.45

-23.74%

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

$3.03 A$4.30

$2.79 A$3.95

8.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.23

$2.26 A$3.20

0.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.16

$8.31 A$11.78

-13.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$9.99

$8.55 A$12.12

-17.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.68

$1.68 A$2.38

-29.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.21

$3.18 A$4.51

-6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.13

$2.02 A$2.87

9.41%

Eggs

$3.96 A$5.61

$5.28 A$7.49

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 A$14.66

$9.51 A$13.47

8.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.36

$9.21 A$13.05

2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 A$22.22

$13.99 A$19.82

12.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.12

$4.60 A$6.51

-36.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.60

$3.15 A$4.47

-19.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.73

$3.52 A$4.99

-5.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.67

$4.84 A$6.86

-2.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.28

$2.79 A$3.95

-17.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.66

$1.88 A$2.67

37.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.59

$2.21 A$3.12

14.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.90

$1.34 A$1.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.34 A$64.2

$42.80 A$60.6

5.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$19.70

$12.65 A$17.91

9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.35

$4.35 A$6.17

2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.90

$3.37 A$4.77

44.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 A$3.32

$2.41 A$3.41

-2.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$196

$99.6 A$141

38.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.64

$3.59 A$5.08

10.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$1.46 A$2.06

6.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 A$61.7

$40.46 A$57.3

7.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.35 A$1.91

-1.48%

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

$28.5K A$40.4K

$29.6K A$41.9K

-3.43%

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

$24.8K A$35.1K

$28.1K A$39.8K

-11.84%

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

$186 A$263

$204 A$288

-8.76%

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

$26.37 A$37.36

$33.62 A$47.63

-21.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.87 A$70.7

$64.8 A$91.8

-23.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 A$86.9

$54.0 A$76.5

13.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 A$19.52

$21.16 A$29.97

-34.88%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 A$19.14

$17.29 A$24.49

-21.86%

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

$2,193 A$3,107

$2,300 A$3,258

-4.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$28.7K

$23.1K A$32.7K

-12.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 A$100

$77.5 A$110

-8.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.0

$63.7 A$90.3

-12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$121 A$172

-12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$156

$166 A$235

-33.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$1,984

$2,006 A$2,841

-30.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 A$1,646

$1,673 A$2,370

-30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 A$3,397

$2,819 A$3,993

-14.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 A$2,597

$2,156 A$3,055

-15.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,469 A$6,330

$8,504 A$12.0K

-47.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 A$5,055

$6,037 A$8,553

-40.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,107 A$7,234

$4,224 A$5,984

20.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

5.96

-12.25%

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

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1%

Perth

$1.7K 54.3% 44% $511

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$357 14.5%

Perth

$365 11.9% 2.5% $8.8

Eating Out

Wollongong

$284 11.5%

Perth

$338 11% 19% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$262 10.6%

Perth

$302 9.8% 15.3% $40

Getting Around

Wollongong

$159 6.5%

Perth

$120 3.9% 24.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$155 6.3%

Perth

$193 6.3% 24.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$88 3.6%

Perth

$89 2.9% 0.2% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Wollongong and $2,006 in Perth. 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: $84 in Wollongong vs $86 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $357 vs $365 per month, with Wollongong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇦🇺 Perth

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

3 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

2,043,762

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Wollongong
Perth

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 Perth: 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.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Wollongong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,400 in Wollongong versus $2,006 in Perth. 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 $2,193 in Wollongong versus $2,300 in Perth. 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, Wollongong and Perth are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.