Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Wilhelmshaven Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Wilhelmshaven

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,929 in Wollongong versus $1,658 in Wilhelmshaven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,776 in Wollongong versus $2,847 in Wilhelmshaven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,623 in Wollongong versus $4,036 in Wilhelmshaven.

Living in Wollongong is roughly 16% more expensive than in Wilhelmshaven, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wollongong 44% above, Wilhelmshaven 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.81 A$21.22

$13.67 €11.96

8.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 A$123

$79.1 €69.2

8.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 A$14.28

$12.34 €10.80

-19.21%

Cappuccino

$3.31 A$4.74

$3.87 €3.38

-14.47%

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

$2.56 A$3.67

$2.87 €2.51

-10.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.22

$2.38 €2.08

-5.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 A$8.41

$5.32 €4.65

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.53 A$10.78

$5.11 €4.47

47.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.62

$1.18 €1.03

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 A$3.13

$2.12 €1.86

3.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 A$2.31

$3.46 €3.03

-53.47%

Eggs

$3.51 A$5.03

$3.97 €3.47

-11.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 A$14.46

$14.85 €12.99

-32.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 A$12.10

$14.72 €12.88

-42.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.50 A$20.77

$19.21 €16.81

-24.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.07

$2.51 €2.20

13.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.64

$1.79 €1.56

41.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 A$3.29

$2.19 €1.91

4.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 A$5.85

$5.42 €4.75

-24.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 A$2.97

$1.55 €1.36

33.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 A$2.56

$1.48 €1.29

20.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 A$3.57

$2.09 €1.83

19.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 A$1.46

$1.03 €0.90

-0.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.03 A$44.46

$10.00 €8.75

210.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.56 A$19.43

$5.65 €4.94

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 A$4.12

$1.07 €0.94

168.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 A$5.04

$1.75 €1.53

101.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.50 A$3.59

$3.02 €2.64

-17.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.67 A$68.3

$56.3 €49.24

-15.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 A$5.77

$7.26 €6.35

-44.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 A$2.55

$2.00 €1.75

-11.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 A$58.4

$51.2 €44.76

-20.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 A$1.67

$2.01 €1.76

-41.79%

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

$28.4K A$40.7K

$31.6K €27.6K

-10.07%

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

$22.6K A$32.3K

$36.3K €31.7K

-37.80%

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

$184 A$264

$307 €269

-39.97%

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

$28.49 A$40.81

$11.52 €10.08

147.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.46 A$69.4

$51.7 €45.27

-6.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.4 A$108

$29.27 €25.61

157.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.42 A$22.09

$23.42 €20.49

-34.16%

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 A$16.92

$15.30 €13.39

-22.81%

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

$1,557 A$2,231

$686 €601

126.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K A$19.3K

$10.2K €8,965

31.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 A$84.9

$84.7 €74.1

-30.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 A$79.9

$34.10 €29.83

63.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 A$138

$58.5 €51.1

65.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$160

$148 €129

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 A$1,382

$573 €501

68.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$802 A$1,149

$401 €351

99.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,962 A$2,812

$777 €680

152.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 A$1,499

$1,229 €1,075

-14.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,562 A$6,537

$5,273 €4,613

-13.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,605 A$5,165

$2,263 €1,980

59.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,286 A$6,141

$3,587 €3,139

19.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

3.96

58.84%

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

Last update for Wollongong: July 13, 2026

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $965 in Wollongong and $573 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Wollongong vs $79.0 in Wilhelmshaven. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $346, with Wollongong cheaper for home cooking.

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 Wilhelmshaven: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wollongong and Wilhelmshaven differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,929 vs $1,658 including rent). Wilhelmshaven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $965 in Wollongong versus $573 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,557 in Wollongong versus $686 in Wilhelmshaven. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Wollongong pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,658 in Wilhelmshaven versus $1,929 in Wollongong, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Wilhelmshaven but tight or insufficient in Wollongong. The gap between the two cities makes Wilhelmshaven 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 Wilhelmshaven 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 Wilhelmshaven gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Wollongong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.