Can I afford to live in Wollongong on $60,000/yr?
The verdict
Wollongong on $60,000/yr
On $60,000/yr, Wollongong is a stretch — rent crosses the 30% rental-stress threshold. About $88/wk left for everything else.
Where your salary goes
$60,000/yr gross · $1,154/wk · single household
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
Nearby suburbs at this salary
5 closest suburbs — affordability verdict on $60,000/yr
Closest cheaper alternatives
Still over the 30% rule on $60,000/yr, but cheaper than Wollongong
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.
Want options under the 30% rule? Try a higher salary bracket or browse the cheapest suburbs nationally.
Rent trajectory
Wollongong quarterly median vs your salary's 30%-rule ceiling
Wollongong 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 Wollongong with a pay change
What if I earned more or less?
Same suburb, different brackets
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