True annual cost of living in Shoalhaven Heads, NSW 2535
Living in a house in Shoalhaven Heads costs about $12,508 a year: council rates, water and sewerage, commute and home insurance combined. Shoalhaven Heads sits 49.9 kilometres from Wollongong CBD. Unit costs come in at $11,918, as lower council rates more than offset the $1,800 body corporate levy. At 49.9km, the commute dominates running costs. Drivers pay $4,161 more per year than public transport users.
ATO 91c/km · 49.9km from Wollongong CBD · 192 days
$6,561
Home insurance
Estimated · flood High · fire Medium
$3,100
Body corporate
Estimated
$1,800
Total annual running cost
$12,508
($1,042/month)
↓ 44% below Shoalhaven average
SuburbCost affordability score ●●●○○6.8/10 Good
Cheaper to run than 92% of Shoalhaven suburbs. Score blends running cost (50%), schools (20%) and flood & fire risk (30%).
Estimated electricity cost
typical 2-person household
House
$2,720/yr
6,060 kWh
Unit
$2,209/yr
4,545 kWh
Estimated from AER residential benchmarks for Shoalhaven Heads's climate zone at 2026-27 regulated prices for its electricity network. Get the free report for a breakdown by your exact number of occupants.
Getting around Shoalhaven Heads
within a 2 km walk
Nearest stop
Unnamed, 3,653 m away, about a 46 minute walk. It is a ferry stop.
Supermarkets
1
Cafes
1
Parks
8
Counted from OpenStreetMap via Overpass inside a 2 km walking radius of the suburb centre, built 2026-08-07. Distances are straight line from that centre, so a specific address can be closer or further. Mapping is contributed and can lag a new opening.
Is it cheaper to drive or take public transport from Shoalhaven Heads to Wollongong CBD?
Public transport saves Shoalhaven Heads residents $4,161 per year. Annual commute cost by car is $6,561 versus $2,400 by public transport using the Opal network.
What are the council rates in Shoalhaven Heads?
Shoalhaven Heads falls under Shoalhaven Council. The average residential rate for 2026-27 is $1,547 per year for an owner-occupied house, based on OLG data uplifted by the council's IPART rate peg. Individual properties pay more or less depending on land value. Unit owners in strata schemes pay $1,547 per year. These figures cover the general rate only and exclude waste and cleansing charges.
What does it cost to run a unit in Shoalhaven Heads?
Running a unit in Shoalhaven Heads costs approximately $11,918 per year by car or $7,757 by public transport. This includes council rates of $1,547, water and sewerage $1,300, estimated body corporate levy of $1,800, and contents insurance of $710. Body corporate fees vary significantly between buildings. Always confirm the actual levy before purchasing.
Is Shoalhaven Heads close to public transport?
The nearest scheduled service to the centre of Shoalhaven Heads is Unnamed, a ferry stop about 3,653 m away, about a 46 minute walk. That is measured from the suburb centre, so an individual address can be nearer or further. The commute figure used in the running cost on this page assumes driving, not this service.
What shops and parks are in Shoalhaven Heads?
Within a 2 km walk of the centre of Shoalhaven Heads there is 1 supermarket, 1 cafe and 8 parks. These counts come from OpenStreetMap via Overpass, which is contributed mapping and can lag a recent opening or closure.
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Data sources: Council rates: Shoalhaven rates (OLG 2024-25 + IPART 2026-27 peg). Water: Regional NSW estimate. Commute: ATO cents per kilometre rate 2026–27 (91c/km). Insurance: AI-estimated, disclosed as estimate. Schools: ACARA ICSEA 2025. Risk: Fire: NSW RFS Bush Fire Prone Land. Flood: modelled from 30m elevation (topographic). Data updated 2026-07. Cost estimates are for comparison purposes only and do not constitute financial, insurance, or credit advice.