Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Sydney vs Wollongong

Sydney vs Wollongong

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Wollongong 3% cheaper Moderate / Moderate

Sydney

Dan Freeman/Unsplash

Wollongong

Liam Pozz/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$3,809

Sydney

$3,688

Wollongong

Internet

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Sydney

Moderate

Wollongong

Air Quality

5/5

Sydney

5/5

Wollongong

Healthcare

Low

Sydney

Low

Wollongong

Population

4.3m

Sydney

261.9k

Wollongong

Sydney and Wollongong are both in Australia, making this one of the most common comparisons for digital nomads planning a base in the region. This guide breaks down the key differences across cost, internet, safety, weather, and quality of life.

Cost of Living

Both cities sit in a similar price range — Sydney at $3809/mo and Wollongong at $3688/mo — so cost alone is not a deciding factor here.

For families, Sydney costs $6875.703836018018/mo compared to Wollongong's $5967.172832759625/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Internet speeds are comparable: Sydney at 85 Mbps (#103) slightly outpaces Wollongong's 80 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Sydney and Wollongong share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Sydney and Wollongong.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Sydney is March (around 28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 440), while Wollongong peaks in December (28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 374). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

SydneyWollongong

Nomad$3,809/mo$3,688/mo

Expat$2,938/mo$2,591/mo

Local$1,964/mo$1,705/mo

Family$6,876/mo$5,967/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

SydneyWollongong

City Speed

85 Mbps#103

80 Mbps

Country Speed80 Mbps80 Mbps

Environment & Health

SydneyWollongong

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionLowLow

ClimateHighHigh

Humidity5561

Quality of Life

SydneyWollongong

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareLowLow

Monthly Weather Comparison

Sydney

Wollongong

Jan

28°

1mm416

27°

2mm317

Feb

29°

0mm421

28°

1mm327

Mar

28°

0mm440

27°

1mm345

Apr

23°

0mm410

22°

1mm340

May

18°

1mm353

18°

1mm320

Jun

14°

0mm400

13°

0mm349

Jul

13°

0mm402

13°

0mm336

Aug

18°

0mm392

18°

0mm336

Sep

20°

0mm425

18°

0mm369

Oct

22°

0mm401

20°

1mm345

Nov

26°

1mm378

25°

1mm340

Dec

29°

0mm430

28°

0mm374

Who Should Choose Sydney?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Major city energy with 4.3m residents
Peak season in March — 28 degrees, score 440

Who Should Choose Wollongong?

Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Smaller city feel with 261.9k residents
Peak season in December — 28 degrees, score 374

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Sydney is the stronger pick. At $3809/mo it beats Wollongong's $3688/mo by 3%, and the 85 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Sydney Wollongong

ItemSydneyWollongongDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$13.59$12.91

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$81.55$47.57

42%

McMeal or equivalent combo$9.5$7.92

17%

Cappuccino (regular)$3.11$3.08

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$6.12$5.64

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$6.29$6.29

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.23$1.93

13%

Water (0.33L)$2.06$1.72

17%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.4$1.13

19%

White bread (500g)$2.31$1.63

29%

White rice (1kg)$1.88$1.72

Eggs (12)$3.77$3.44

Chicken fillets (1kg)$8.01$8.04

Beef round (1kg)$13.67$16.9

19%

Local cheese (1kg)$7.76$11.33

32%

Apples (1kg)$2.89$3.47

17%

Bananas (1kg)$2.36$2.63

10%

Oranges (1kg)$2.51$1.87

25%

Tomatoes (1kg)$5.28$4.03

24%

Potatoes (1kg)$2.33$1.89

19%

Onions (1kg)$2.1$1.68

20%

Lettuce (1 head)$2.61$1.7

35%

Water (1.5L bottle)$1.47$1.82

19%

Wine, mid-range bottle$12.23$11.21

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$4.27$3.4

20%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$4.61$2.72

41%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$27.18$27.18

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$3.06$2.42

21%

Monthly transport pass$147.73$49.03

67%

Taxi start (normal tariff)$3.19$2.45

23%

Taxi per 1km$1.9$1.49

22%

Taxi 1hr waiting$40.77$38.52

Gasoline (1L)$1.38$1.4

Volkswagen Golf (new)$23,785.29$22,354.77

Toyota Corolla (new)$19,828.64$24,434.96

19%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$133.25$113.26

15%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$50.66$50.63

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.45$0.68

34%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$57.5$34.79

39%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$15.34$12.46

19%

Cinema, 1 ticket$14.27$11.21

21%

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$1,671.95$1,155.29

31%

International primary school/yr$15,310.53—

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$76.13$69.32

Summer dress (chain store)$50.78$29.73

41%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$104.46$80.19

23%

Men's leather business shoes$119.03$101.94

14%

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$1,720.76$2,152

20%

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$1,276.4$1,721.6

26%

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$3,362.87$4,383.29

23%

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$2,175.19$2,899.54

25%

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$11,820.92$3,397.9

71%

Price per m², outside centre$6,996.74—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$4,683.94$3,307.29

29%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$2.97$3.8

22%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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