Affordability check · Wollongong · NSW

Can I afford to live in Mount Saint Thomas on $60,000/yr?

Tight — it's a stretch
Weekly take-home
$962/wk
1BR median rent
$450/wk
Leftover after rent + tax + costs
$88/wk
Rent share of gross
39%

The verdict

Mount Saint Thomas on $60,000/yr

On $60,000/yr, Mount Saint Thomas is a stretch — rent crosses the 30% rental-stress threshold. About $88/wk left for everything else.

Salary needed (30% rule)
$78,000
/yr gross
Short of 30% rule by
$18,000
/yr
Take-home (after tax)
$50,012
/yr
Annual rent
$23,400
median
Household:

Where your salary goes

$60,000/yr gross · $1,154/wk · single household

Tax + Medicare
$192/wk
17%
1BR rent
$450/wk
39%
Essentials
$424/wk
37%
Discretionary
$88/wk
8%

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

On $60,000/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 $60,000/yr, but cheaper than Mount Saint Thomas

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 Mount Saint Thomas
$570/wk
49% rent
Cringila
Wollongong, NSW · 3.6km from Mount Saint Thomas
$598/wk
52% rent
Lake Heights
Wollongong, NSW · 4.8km from Mount Saint Thomas
$598/wk
52% rent
Warrawong
Wollongong, NSW · 5.4km from Mount Saint Thomas
$598/wk
52% rent
Primbee
Wollongong, NSW · 7.6km from Mount Saint Thomas
$598/wk
52% rent

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

Rent trajectory

Mount Saint Thomas 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 $60,000/yr
$346/wk
Current median (all beds)
$660/wk
Gap above ceiling
+91%

Mount Saint Thomas 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 Mount Saint Thomas with a pay change

↑ Higher
$75,000/yr
Mount Saint Thomas
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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