Cheapest priced cityWollongong$1,753 essentials/mo
Priciest priced citySydney$2,738 essentials/mo
Average 1-bed outside centre$1,318across 15 priced cities
Wollongong vs the worldCheaper than 140 of the 535 priced cities we trackessentials, single person, USD
Tourist stay signalETA or eVisitor for most nationalities: free-to-AUD20, 3 months per visit.as of 2026-07
City-by-city monthly costs
Essentials are sourced rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining, and local transport. They are not a full lifestyle budget.
| Wollongong | $1,753 | 101.7 SA3 (statistical area) | $862 | $1,005 | $185 | $385 | $239 | $82 | $4,426 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunshine Coast | $1,833 | 90.4 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,019 | $1,190 | $186 | $378 | $209 | $41 | $3,498 |
| Toowoomba | $1,908 | 94.4 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,129 | $1,234 | $163 | $365 | $131 | $120 | $3,940 |
| Cairns | $2,143 | 95.2 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,236 | $1,464 | $246 | $413 | $232 | $16 | $4,413 |
| Brisbane | $2,245 | 99.9 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,413 | $1,930 | $195 | $379 | $237 | $21 | $4,251 |
| Geelong | $2,290 | 101.4 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,382 | $1,305 | $183 | $386 | $210 | $129 | $3,114 |
| Newcastle | $2,292 | 100 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,197 | $1,574 | $187 | $474 | $281 | $153 | $3,082 |
| Adelaide | $2,315 | 107.8 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,374 | $1,758 | $225 | $392 | $240 | $84 | $3,877 |
| Townsville | $2,338 | 103 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,176 | $1,317 | $204 | $421 | $458 | $79 | $4,109 |
| Hobart | $2,379 | 98.6 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,384 | $1,826 | $195 | $416 | $286 | $98 | $4,171 |
| Melbourne | $2,404 | 98.6 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,382 | $1,737 | $215 | $390 | $278 | $139 | $4,439 |
| Gold Coast | $2,484 | 100.4 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,468 | $2,415 | $213 | $474 | $273 | $56 | $4,199 |
| Canberra | $2,492 | 99.2 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,491 | $1,759 | $211 | $453 | $244 | $93 | $4,369 |
| Perth | $2,507 | 98.3 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,552 | $1,900 | $201 | $400 | $256 | $98 | $4,343 |
| Sydney | $2,738 | 105.1 SA3 (statistical area) | $1,705 | $2,484 | $196 | $406 | $278 | $153 | $4,218 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
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Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0.
