Living in Wollongong

In Wollongong, unemployment is 6.3% (2026).

Wollongong is a city in Australia.

Last checked 2026-10-0411 sources

Population305,976people30 Jun 2021Official source · ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas

Median rent1,101EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · 2021 Wollongong, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics

Unemployment rate6.3%country median 4.5% — 40% aboveIndependent source · DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026

PM2.5, annual mean5.6µg/m³country median 6.0 — 7% belowOfficial source · NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables

Higher unemployment than 86% of Australian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 73% of Australian cities that publish it.

Which Australia-wide rules apply when you move to Wollongong?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in AustraliaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Wollongong.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€1091

Utilities, 85 m² flat€107

Internet, 60 Mbps€48

Transport pass€46

Fitness club€33

Mobile plan, 10 GB€24

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	32.86 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	47.81 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	1,091 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.19 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.25 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Wollongong. Jul 2026. Prices in Wollongong⁹Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	46.3 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	107 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹¹Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Median monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,101 EUR/month	31 Dec 2021	2021 Wollongong, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics¹Official

Is Wollongong a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker44%strong on work, weak on safety · range 35–53%

Skilled employee49%strong on work, weak on safety · range 41–57%

Student20%strong on education, weak on safety · range 12–28%

Family41%strong on family, weak on safety · range 32–50%

Retirement37%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 26–48%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 6.3% in March 2026.

What is the unemployment rate in Wollongong?

The unemployment rate is 6.3 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰

Unemployment across cities in AustraliaUnemployment in Wollongong is 6.3%. Of 100 cities with data, 32 have unemployment of 4 to under 5%.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1013–14

Wollongong 6.3%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Unemployment rate	6.3 %country median 4.5%	31 Mar 2026	DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026¹⁰Independent

What does a salary buy in Wollongong?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,545of €2,871 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,871
Rentmedian rent of a whole dwelling · official · 2021 Wollongong, Census All persons QuickStats \| Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2021-12-31	− €1,101
Public transport pass€46 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €46
Utilities, 85 m²€107 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €107
Internet€48 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €48
Mobile plan€24 · market price · Cost of Living in Wollongong. Jul 2026. Prices in Wollongong · 2026-07-31	− €24
Left over	€1,545

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Wollongong Salary needed to live in Wollongong

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Wollongong. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Workforce Australia — Public employment service

Australian Government Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Job Search

Open official service

Open the Australia service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Wollongong. Sources checked through 11 Aug 2026.

Family and education

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Public language course providers	1 count	31 Aug 2026	Official public language-service provider/location register⁷Official

Language courses and integration in Wollongong

1 exact course-location record is linked to this city. Check the linked source for dates, availability and enrolment.

Verified locally

1verified local records

1publicly funded course provider

Australian Red Cross Society

View official record

Check courses in Wollongong How the country programme works

Exact city-linked record checked 2026-08-10. Provider-supplied records are supplemental and are not presented as official accreditation.

Find courses near Wollongong

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Wollongong?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.6 µg/m³ (2023) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables⁴

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

26°18°

24°17°

23°14°

20°12°

18°10°

17°8°

19°9°

21°10°

23°12°

23°14°

25°16°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

102

144

109

117

102

JFMAMJJASOND

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.55.6WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in AustraliaAnnual PM2.5 in Wollongong is 5.6 µg/m³. Of 37 cities with data, 12 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

3–44–55–66–77–88–99–10

Wollongong 5.6

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	5.6 µg/m³country median 6.0	31 Dec 2023	NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables⁴Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan 25.8 · Feb 25.8 · Mar 24.5 · Apr 22.6 · May 20.1 · Jun 17.9 · Jul 17.2 · Aug 18.6 · Sep 20.7 · Oct 22.5 · Nov 23.1 · Dec 24.9 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY, 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan 17.9 · Feb 18.1 · Mar 16.6 · Apr 13.8 · May 11.6 · Jun 9.6 · Jul 8.4 · Aug 8.6 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 12.5 · Nov 14.2 · Dec 16.3 °C	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY, 1991-2020³Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 101.9 · Feb 144.4 · Mar 109.1 · Apr 85.4 · May 97.2 · Jun 116.9 · Jul 73.3 · Aug 82.4 · Sep 76.3 · Oct 78 · Nov 102.4 · Dec 96.8 mm	31 Dec 2020	BOM monthly climate statistics — WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY, 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 572.6 km² in 2021. Population density was 562.9 people per km² in 2025.

How many people live in Wollongong?

The published population was 305,976 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport80.5%
Foreign residents19.5%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	572.6 km²	31 Dec 2021	Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA.⁶Official
Foreign-resident share	23.7 %	10 Aug 2021	2021 Census GCP Significant Urban Areas for Australia (DataPack)⁵Official
Foreign residents	59,721 people	10 Aug 2021	Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality.⁵Official
Population density	562.9 people/km²	31 Dec 2025	Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation.⁸Official · significant urban area
Population	305,976 people	30 Jun 2021	ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas²Official

Population over time25 published observations, 2001–2025

255,720

279,573

303,425

327,278

322,343200120052011201520212025

Population rose 23.7% between 2001 and 2025, from 260,655 to 322,343.

Alternatives for people set on Wollongong

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Sunshine Coast as a Wollongong alternative in the same country

Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Unemployment: 3.6% Sunshine Coast vs 6.3% Wollongong−43%
Residents: 387,472 Sunshine Coast vs 305,976 Wollongong+27%
Foreign residents: 26.1% Sunshine Coast vs 23.7% Wollongong+10%

Full comparison More about Sunshine Coast

Alternative cities in Australia

Other cities in Australia to compare with Wollongong, nearest in population first.

All Australia cities

Geelong289,566 residents Central Coast345,066 residents Sunshine Coast387,472 residents Hobart226,653 residents Canberra490,517 residents Townsville190,551 residents

How does Wollongong compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Wollongong's.

Open the full comparison

Wollongong in rankings

#10 of 30 in Largest cities in Australia #11 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Australia #19 of 30 in Most international cities in Australia

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Wollongong when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Wollongong?

The published population was 305,976 people in June 2021. Source: ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas.

Is the air quality good in Wollongong?

What is the unemployment rate in Wollongong?

The unemployment rate is 6.3 % (March 2026). Source: DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026.

How many foreign residents live in Wollongong?

59,721 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality..

How much is public transport in Wollongong?

A monthly transport pass is 46.3 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Wollongong a good place to live?

Wollongong may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Wollongong, Australia: population, rent, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version c7300f74b2ce8cbb0c4e020cda4adddb]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/wollongong/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_wollongong-australia-population-rent-cost-of-living_a0069f7f7623,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Wollongong, Australia: population, rent, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {c7300f74b2ce8cbb0c4e020cda4adddb},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/wollongong/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Wollongong, Australia: population, rent, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/au/wollongong/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version c7300f74b2ce8cbb0c4e020cda4adddb; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

2021 Wollongong, Census All persons QuickStats | Australian Bureau of Statistics abs.gov.au · checked 2026-10-03
ABS Regional population, 2024-25 — 32180DS0004 Table 2: Estimated resident population, Significant Urban Areas ABS Regional population, 2024-25 · abs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-19
BOM monthly climate statistics — WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY, 1991-2020 BOM monthly climate statistics · bom.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26
NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 — Appendix 2 Ambient Air Quality PM2.5 tables NEPC Annual Report 2023–2024 · dcceew.gov.au · checked 2026-07-29
Official 2021 Census GCP G01 Birthplace_Elsewhere_P: persons born outside Australia, at exact associated 2021 SUA grain. This is foreign-born, not foreign nationality. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-08-10
Official ASGS2016 SUA area from ABS ArcGIS attributes, area albers sqkm. Exact queue geography; not GCCSA or LGA. geo.abs.gov.au · checked 2016-07-01
Official public language-service provider/location register immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · checked 2026-09-15
Reproducible exact-ASGS2016-SUA density: ABS ERP at 30 June 2021 divided by ABS ASGS2016 SUA area. Existing local population baseline is only a recovered cross-check; no GCCSA/LGA observation. abs.gov.au · checked 2021-06-30
Cost of Living in Wollongong. Jul 2026. Prices in Wollongong numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
DEWR — Small Area Labour Markets, smoothed unemployment rate by LGA, March quarter 2026 DEWR · dewr.gov.au · checked 2026-07-26

Show 1 more source

Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.