Cronulla vs WollongongTwo suburbs compared for a home loan
Cronulla (NSW 2230) is approximately 26 km south of the Sydney CBD. Wollongong (NSW 2500) is approximately 80 km south of Sydney, between the Illawarra escarpment and the coast. At the 2021 Census, Cronulla had 17,899 residents with a median age of 43, and Wollongong had 20,446 residents with a median age of 35.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments. Flats and apartments made up 73% of occupied dwellings in Cronulla and 77% in Wollongong, while 42% of Cronulla households rented compared with 55% in Wollongong. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
NSW 2230 · Sutherland Shire
Cronulla
A guide to buying in Cronulla, a beachside peninsula suburb with its own rail terminus, covering strata apartments, coastal exposure and lending.
Sutherland Shire Council. Approximately 26 km south of the Sydney CBD.
Read the full Cronulla guideNSW 2500 · Illawarra
Wollongong
A guide to buying in Wollongong, the coastal city centre of the Illawarra, covering apartments, older houses, rail links, strata and lending.
Wollongong City Council. Approximately 80 km south of Sydney, between the Illawarra escarpment and the coast.
Read the full Wollongong guide
What buying in Cronulla and Wollongong would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Cronulla and Wollongong.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
- Loan amount
- $2,543,000
- Loan to value ratio
- 96.2%
- Transfer duty, New South Wales
- $126,652
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- Deposit under 5%
- Upfront cash needed
- $229,652
- Loan amount
- $1,149,326
- Loan to value ratio
- 91.7%
- Transfer duty, New South Wales
- $48,322
- Lenders mortgage insurance
- $46,326
- Upfront cash needed
- $151,322
- At these prices, Cronulla costs $8,446 more a month than Wollongong and needs $78,330 more cash upfront.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Cronulla and Wollongong: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Cronulla | Wollongong |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 17,899 | 20,446 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 43 | 35 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.0 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $2,058 | $1,549 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $500 | $410 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $2,404 | $1,950 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 42% | 55% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 24% | 18% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 34% | 24% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 20% | 14% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 6% | 7% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 73% | 77% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 60% | 64% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 14% | 6% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 11% | 12% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Cronulla and Wollongong
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Cronulla
- First home buyers
- Upgraders
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Valuers and lenders look closely at the condition of older coastal strata buildings, including concrete, balconies and waterproofing.
- Planned special levies and ordinary strata levies are counted in serviceability and can reduce borrowing capacity.
- Serviced apartments, very small studios and buildings with a holiday letting component may fall outside standard residential lending policy.
- Any company title building should be identified early, as a number of lenders restrict this form of ownership.
- Coastal or flood notations on a planning certificate can affect insurance, which lenders require to be in place at settlement.
Wollongong
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Some lenders cap exposure to a single building or apply tighter loan-to-value limits where many new apartments have been completed.
- Student accommodation, studios and serviced apartments commonly fall outside standard residential lending policy.
- Units above commercial premises may be assessed more conservatively where the commercial component of the building is large.
- Strata levies are counted as living expenses, and lenders discount rental income when assessing investor serviceability.
- Coastal, flood or land stability notations on a planning certificate can affect insurance, which must be in place at settlement.
Housing stock in Cronulla and Wollongong compared
Cronulla
- Older walk-up strata apartments
- Low-rise blocks between the station and the beaches, often without lifts and with limited parking.
- Beachfront and boutique apartment buildings
- Taller or newer buildings with larger floor plans, lifts and views, carrying higher levies.
- Detached houses
- Scarce freestanding homes in the quieter streets away from the town centre and beachfront.
Wollongong
- Older walk-up apartments
- Low-rise strata blocks around the centre and towards the beaches, often with modest levies and ageing common property.
- City centre towers and mixed-use buildings
- Mid-rise and high-rise apartments, frequently above ground-floor commercial space.
- Detached cottages and bungalows
- A limited number of older houses on the suburb's edges, some with redevelopment potential.
Official sale price and rent figures for Cronulla and Wollongong
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Cronulla
- Median dwelling price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2230)
- $1,350,000
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2230)
- $2,643,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2230)
- $1,200,000
- Median weekly rent, house (all bedrooms), 2026 Q2 (postcode 2230)
- $1,250
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat/unit, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2230)
- $750
Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Wollongong
- Median dwelling price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2500)
- $843,000
- Median house price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2500)
- $1,203,000
- Median unit price, 2026 Q1 (postcode 2500)
- $750,000
- Median weekly rent, 3 bedroom house, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2500)
- $775
- Median weekly rent, 2 bedroom flat/unit, 2026 Q2 (postcode 2500)
- $650
Source: NSW Department of Communities and Justice.
Transport, schools and amenities in Cronulla and Wollongong
Cronulla
Transport
- Cronulla Station (train)
- Cronulla to Bundeena ferry (ferry)
- Cronulla Station bus stands (bus)
- Kingsway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Cronulla Public School (primary, government)
- Cronulla South Public School (primary, government)
- Cronulla High School (secondary, government)
Amenities
- Cronulla Beach
- North Cronulla Beach
- Gunnamatta Park and baths
- Cronulla Street mall
- Don Lucas Reserve
- Monro Park
Wollongong
Transport
- Wollongong Station (train)
- Free shuttle bus (bus)
- Princes Highway (road)
- Southern Freeway via Mount Ousley (road)
Schools and campuses
- Smiths Hill High School (secondary, government)
- St Mary Star of the Sea College (secondary, catholic)
- TAFE NSW Wollongong (tertiary, tafe)
- University of Wollongong (tertiary, university)
Amenities
- Wollongong Hospital
- Wollongong Central and Crown Street Mall
- Wollongong City Beach
- North Wollongong Beach
- WIN Stadium
- Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the New South Wales education department.
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