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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Wollongong vs Cairns in 2026: cost index 108 vs 95, rent $2,050 vs $1,600, income $70,000 vs $62,000, QoL 65 vs 64.
Wollongong vs Cairns in 2026: cost index 108 vs 95, rent $2,050 vs $1,600, income $70,000 vs $62,000, QoL 65 vs 64.
Wollongong ranks #1 with a cost index of 108 and rent of $2,050/month.
Average cost index across these cities: 102 (-5 vs national average of 107).
Average quality of life: 65/100. Top: Wollongong at 65/100.
Safest city: Wollongong (72/100 safety score).
Here's the finding that keeps coming up in different analyses: Wollongong stands out as the top-ranked city in this analysis. With a cost index of 108 and median income of $70,000, it offers competitive value despite costs slightly above the national median. This combination is rare — and valuable.
On quality of life, Wollongong leads with a composite score of 65/100 — reflecting its safety (72), healthcare (72), and walkability (58) metrics. And here's the trade-off: affordability and QoL don't always move in the same direction, and Australia is a good example of that tension.
The country average QoL score is 64/100. Wollongong leads with 65/100, reflecting its safety, healthcare access, walkability, and green space.
Our index is benchmarked to 100 (national median). Sub-categories cover housing, food, transport, utilities, and healthcare. Data sources include ABS, CoreLogic, ATO.
Wollongong (ranked #1) has a cost index of 108 and rent of $2,050/mo. Cairns (#2) has index 95 and rent $1,600/mo — a 13-point gap.