Affordability check · Wollongong · NSW

Can I afford to live in Coniston on $75,000/yr?

Tight — it's a stretch
Weekly take-home
$1,158/wk
1BR median rent
$450/wk
Leftover after rent + tax + costs
$284/wk
Rent share of gross
31%

The verdict

Coniston on $75,000/yr

On $75,000/yr, Coniston is a stretch — rent crosses the 30% rental-stress threshold. About $284/wk left for everything else.

Salary needed (30% rule)
$78,000
/yr gross
Short of 30% rule by
$3,000
/yr
Take-home (after tax)
$60,212
/yr
Annual rent
$23,400
median
Household:

Where your salary goes

$75,000/yr gross · $1,442/wk · single household

Tax + Medicare
$284/wk
20%
1BR rent
$450/wk
31%
Essentials
$424/wk
29%
Discretionary
$284/wk
20%

Essentials use indicative averages (groceries, transport, utilities, insurance, other). Adjust them in the budget tool below.

On $75,000/yr — weekly budget

$874/week total

Rent
$450/wk
Groceries
$180/wk
Transport
$55/wk
Utilities
$55/wk
Insurance
$45/wk
Other
$89/wk

Closest cheaper alternatives

Still over the 30% rule on $75,000/yr, but cheaper than Coniston

Nothing nearby is comfortably affordable on this salary. These are the closest cheaper options — you'd still be over the rental-stress threshold, but less so.

Port Kembla
Wollongong, NSW · 5.2km from Coniston
$570/wk
40% rent
Cringila
Wollongong, NSW · 4.1km from Coniston
$598/wk
41% rent
Lake Heights
Wollongong, NSW · 5.3km from Coniston
$598/wk
41% rent
Warrawong
Wollongong, NSW · 5.6km from Coniston
$598/wk
41% rent
Primbee
Wollongong, NSW · 7.8km from Coniston
$598/wk
41% rent

Want options under the 30% rule? Try a higher salary bracket or browse the cheapest suburbs nationally.

Rent trajectory

Coniston quarterly median vs your salary's 30%-rule ceiling

$600$625$650$675$700Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Q1 '25 → Q1 '26: +10.0%
Dashed segments are estimated from the suburb's annual rent change. They will be replaced with actual bond data as new quarters are published.
30% ceiling on $75,000/yr
$433/wk
Current median (all beds)
$660/wk
Gap above ceiling
+52%

Coniston rents rose 10% over the past year. At that pace, the gap to your salary ceiling is widening.

Same suburb, adjacent salary brackets

How affordability shifts in Coniston with a pay change

Want the full Coniston guide?
Schools, transport, crime, rent trend and demographics
Coniston full guide →

This suburb affordability view is one layer of your NestLedger — rent, salary and household cost context for Australian money decisions.

Estimates only. Not financial advice. See methodology. Read more