Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Sydney

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.

119

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,467

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Wollongong and in Sydney

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

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

Wollongong $2,467
Sydney $3,267

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

Wollongong $3,619
Sydney $4,847

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

Wollongong $4,772
Sydney $6,428

Wollongong is about 24% cheaper than Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.38 A$24.70

$17.50 A$24.87

-0.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.8 A$119

$90.4 A$128

-7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.66 A$15.15

$11.96 A$16.99

-10.87%

Cappuccino

$3.47 A$4.93

$4.00 A$5.68

-13.25%

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

$3.03 A$4.31

$2.81 A$4.00

7.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 A$3.24

$2.22 A$3.16

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 A$10.19

$8.13 A$11.56

-11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 A$10.02

$7.20 A$10.23

-2.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.69

$1.70 A$2.42

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.94 A$4.17

1.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 A$3.14

$2.51 A$3.57

-11.95%

Eggs

$3.96 A$5.63

$5.66 A$8.04

-30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 A$14.71

$12.22 A$17.36

-15.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.40

$9.31 A$13.24

1.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 A$22.29

$16.87 A$23.97

-7.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.14

$3.90 A$5.54

-25.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.61

$3.22 A$4.58

-21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 A$4.75

$3.43 A$4.88

-2.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.71 A$6.69

$4.33 A$6.16

8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.29

$3.35 A$4.75

-31.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.67

$2.40 A$3.41

7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 A$3.60

$2.34 A$3.32

8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 A$1.91

$1.16 A$1.65

15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$45.34 A$64.4

$45.47 A$64.6

-0.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$19.76

$13.99 A$19.88

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.48 A$6.37

$4.11 A$5.84

9.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 A$6.92

$4.18 A$5.94

16.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 A$3.33

$3.12 A$4.44

-24.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$138 A$196

$152 A$216

-8.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.66

$3.46 A$4.92

15.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.53 A$61.9

$39.54 A$56.2

10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.89

$1.45 A$2.05

-8.28%

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

$28.5K A$40.6K

$29.9K A$42.5K

-4.51%

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

$24.8K A$35.2K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-9.92%

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

$186 A$264

$251 A$356

-25.95%

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

$26.37 A$37.47

$27.76 A$39.44

-5.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.87 A$70.9

$58.0 A$82.4

-14.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.3 A$87.2

$70.7 A$100

-13.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.78 A$19.58

$23.25 A$33.04

-40.73%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 A$19.20

$17.83 A$25.33

-24.23%

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

$2,193 A$3,117

$2,358 A$3,351

-7.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K A$28.8K

$27.2K A$38.6K

-25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.8 A$101

$80.5 A$114

-12.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.2

$69.3 A$98.5

-19.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$151

$111 A$157

-3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$157

$127 A$181

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 A$1,990

$2,566 A$3,646

-45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 A$1,651

$1,792 A$2,547

-35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 A$3,408

$5,202 A$7,391

-53.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 A$2,604

$3,156 A$4,485

-41.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,469 A$6,349

$13.4K A$19.0K

-66.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,568 A$5,070

$8,727 A$12.4K

-59.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,107 A$7,256

$4,118 A$5,851

24.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

5.92

-11.66%

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

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wollongong

$1.2K 47.1%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 54.3% $630

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$357 14.5%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 7.2% $26

Eating Out

Wollongong

$284 11.5%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 5.3% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$262 10.6%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 28.5% $75

Getting Around

Wollongong

$159 6.5%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 10.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$155 6.3%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 13% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$88 3.6%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 20.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

Same time as Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

4,840,600

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.631 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,700 per month in Wollongong and $4,900 in Sydney. 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 $84 in Wollongong and $90 in Sydney. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,467 in Wollongong and $3,267 in Sydney. 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.