Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Singapore

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.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
Learn more

Wollongong Living Index
169

Cost of Living Index in Singapore
Learn more

Singapore Living Index

Jump to prices

Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Singapore

🇸🇬 Singapore

$3,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wollongong and in Singapore

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

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

Wollongong $2,251
Singapore $3,500

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

Wollongong $3,295
Singapore $5,265

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

Wollongong $4,339
Singapore $7,030

Living in Wollongong costs roughly 36% less than in Singapore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 A$24.06

$11.76 SGD 15.05

42.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$70.6 SGD 90.4

18.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 A$14.78

$8.55 SGD 10.94

20.12%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$5.03

$5.20 SGD 6.66

-32.88%

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

$3.16 A$4.54

$1.77 SGD 2.27

78.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$1.23 SGD 1.58

76.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 A$10.20

$8.26 SGD 10.58

-14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.97

$10.17 SGD 13.01

-31.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.72

$3.04 SGD 3.89

-60.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 A$4.20

$2.55 SGD 3.26

14.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.04

$2.86 SGD 3.66

-26.22%

Eggs

$3.93 A$5.65

$3.53 SGD 4.51

11.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.96

$21.12 SGD 27.02

-50.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.62

$9.90 SGD 12.67

-4.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$22.27

$25.42 SGD 32.53

-39.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.17

$4.57 SGD 5.85

-36.54%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.65

$3.13 SGD 4.00

-18.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$4.72 SGD 6.04

-30.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.51

$2.23 SGD 2.85

103.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$2.57 SGD 3.29

-10.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$2.29 SGD 2.93

12.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.68

$1.87 SGD 2.39

36.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.91

$1.44 SGD 1.84

-7.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.6

$13.97 SGD 17.88

221.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$20.00

$23.48 SGD 30.05

-40.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.31

$4.54 SGD 5.80

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.72

$4.44 SGD 5.68

5.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 A$2.84

$1.57 SGD 2.01

25.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 SGD 120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.92

$3.64 SGD 4.66

12.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$0.76 SGD 0.97

103.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.79 A$61.6

$16.14 SGD 20.66

165.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$2.45 SGD 3.14

-46.12%

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

$26.6K A$38.2K

$155.2K SGD 198.5K

-82.88%

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

$24.8K A$35.6K

$148.5K SGD 190.0K

-83.32%

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

$185 A$267

$172 SGD 220

8.08%

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

$27.08 A$38.97

$12.39 SGD 15.86

118.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 A$73.5

$26.21 SGD 33.54

94.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 A$118

$108 SGD 138

-24.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.07 A$20.24

$12.31 SGD 15.75

14.30%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 A$18.73

$11.64 SGD 14.90

11.86%

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

$2,148 A$3,091

$1,481 SGD 1,895

45.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.5K

$28.3K SGD 36.3K

-27.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$98.1

$80.6 SGD 103

-15.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 A$79.2

$50.1 SGD 64.1

9.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$152

$112 SGD 143

-5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$129 SGD 165

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 A$1,793

$3,015 SGD 3,858

-58.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 A$1,552

$2,171 SGD 2,778

-50.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 A$2,802

$5,842 SGD 7,475

-66.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 A$2,398

$4,044 SGD 5,174

-58.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 A$6,386

$23.8K SGD 30.4K

-81.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,676 A$5,290

$16.8K SGD 21.4K

-78.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,130 A$7,382

$4,385 SGD 5,611

16.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

2.44

114.34%

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

Last update for Wollongong: October 12, 2026

Last update for Singapore: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9%

Singapore

$2.2K 62% 101% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$353 15.7%

Singapore

$458 13.1% 29.6% $105

Eating Out

Wollongong

$277 12.3%

Singapore

$256 7.3% 7.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$264 11.7%

Singapore

$210 6% 20.3% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$151 6.7%

Singapore

$167 4.8% 10.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$108 4.8%

Singapore

$131 3.8% 21.8% $23

Getting Around

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9%

Singapore

$107 3.1% 444% $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 $1,246 in Wollongong and $3,015 in Singapore. 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: $84.0 in Wollongong vs $71.0 in Singapore. Groceries flip the comparison at $353 vs $458, with Wollongong cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇸🇬 Singapore

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

3 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

5,535,002 Capital

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Singapore Dollar SGD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 SGD = 0.781 USD

1 SGD = 0.695 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SGD, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wollongong Singapore 6,300 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Wollongong
Singapore

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 Singapore: 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.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,246 in Wollongong versus $3,015 in Singapore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,148 in Wollongong versus $1,481 in Singapore. 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, Wollongong and Singapore 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.