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: $1,945 in Wollongong versus $1,694 in Wilhelmshaven.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,779 in Wollongong versus $2,832 in Wilhelmshaven.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,613 in Wollongong versus $3,969 in Wilhelmshaven.

Living in Wollongong is roughly 15% more expensive than Wilhelmshaven, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wollongong 45% above, Wilhelmshaven 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.77 A$20.58

$13.97 €12.02

5.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 A$122

$79.1 €68.0

10.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.98 A$13.91

$12.67 €10.90

-21.23%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.75

$3.93 €3.38

-13.23%

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

$2.67 A$3.72

$2.85 €2.45

-6.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.16

$2.24 €1.93

1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 A$8.19

$5.11 €4.39

15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.35

$5.12 €4.40

45.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.64

$1.17 €1.01

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 A$3.19

$2.24 €1.93

2.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 A$2.19

$3.39 €2.91

-53.69%

Eggs

$3.50 A$4.88

$3.82 €3.29

-8.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 A$13.55

$14.64 €12.60

-33.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.57 A$11.94

$15.26 €13.12

-43.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.43 A$20.10

$19.75 €16.99

-26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$2.48 €2.13

10.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 A$3.50

$1.74 €1.50

44.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.20

$2.16 €1.86

6.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$5.97

$5.32 €4.58

-19.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.85

$1.56 €1.34

30.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 A$2.55

$1.55 €1.33

18.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.32

$2.06 €1.77

16.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 A$1.48

$1.03 €0.89

2.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.30 A$43.62

$9.91 €8.52

215.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.61 A$20.35

$5.66 €4.87

158.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 A$4.19

$1.12 €0.96

168.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 A$4.86

$1.68 €1.45

107.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 A$3.42

$2.91 €2.50

-15.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.30 A$65.9

$57.4 €49.36

-17.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 A$5.64

$7.49 €6.45

-45.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 A$2.43

$1.94 €1.67

-10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.88 A$57.0

$50.8 €43.71

-19.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.60

$2.04 €1.75

-43.63%

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

$28.6K A$39.8K

$31.4K €27.0K

-9.19%

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

$23.0K A$32.1K

$37.3K €32.1K

-38.23%

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

$182 A$254

$303 €261

-39.96%

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

$28.20 A$39.30

$11.37 €9.78

148.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.07 A$67.0

$50.3 €43.28

-4.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 A$105

$28.73 €24.72

162.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 A$21.84

$22.96 €19.75

-31.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 A$16.06

$15.13 €13.02

-23.86%

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

$1,580 A$2,201

$690 €593

128.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K A$18.6K

$10.3K €8,892

29.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 A$80.6

$82.1 €70.6

-29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 A$79.7

$34.87 €30.00

64.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 A$137

$58.0 €49.92

68.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 A$153

$148 €127

-25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 A$1,359

$579 €498

68.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 A$1,105

$409 €352

93.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 A$2,665

$764 €657

150.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 A$1,465

$1,245 €1,071

-15.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,606 A$6,418

$5,082 €4,371

-9.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,764 A$5,246

$2,293 €1,972

64.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,972 A$5,535

$3,680 €3,166

7.94%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wilhelmshaven: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Wollongong and $579 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays 8% 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: $87.0 in Wollongong vs $79.0 in Wilhelmshaven. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $349, 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,945 vs $1,694 including rent). Wilhelmshaven is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Wollongong pays 8% more on average, 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: $975 in Wollongong versus $579 in Wilhelmshaven. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,580 in Wollongong versus $690 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 $1,694 in Wilhelmshaven versus $1,945 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 15% less than in Wollongong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.