Australia has some of the least expensive cities in the world. The economy is somewhat influenced by Western culture but the per capita gross domestic product (GDP) when it comes to the purchasing power of the country is higher compared to the United Kingdom.
In the United Nations Human Development Index in 2006, Australia made third place while also making sixth place in The Economist 2005 quality-of-life index. In the meantime, economists are foreseeing an upcoming crisis due to the poor performance of GDP. It has increased by 7% and has the fourth biggest deficit in terms of current accounts.
However, due to other areas that Australia has been excelling very much in recent years, foreign debt is still significantly low and the economic state is generally as stable as it can get. Thus the cost of living in the country is still dependent on the individual’s circumstances and lifestyle. As reported last June 7 2009 in the Australia Expat Forum:
Food prices are running at 2.5 x UK cost of goods ( logistical costs / population density cited as reason why ?? )
Wine / Beer & Spirit prices ( retail ) currently running at up to 300 % !
Some of the notable cities that boast quality living and expenses are Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. All of Australia’s major cities made it in the top 30 best places for expatriates. In Western Australia, the cost of living is even lower. Migrants can expect nothing less when it comes to rent space, transportation, education, commodities and leisure.
Compared to any other place in the United Kingdom, all of the cities and provinces in Australia significantly offer much cheaper living conditions not to mention the added financial and educational benefits provided to every citizen. In 2004, the World Competitiveness Yearbook remarked that Australia is the third best worldwide country when it comes to low cost of living.
Food and Drinks Cost in Australia
An average family of four would expect to spend around 500 euro every month for food and drinks. Usual meats in Australia are either lamb or beef which is acquired and processed locally. Fish is generally cheap but cities located near the sea and ocean will charge more for their catch.
Fruits and vegetables are very easy to come by. Milk and beef are probably the cheapest commodities in the country since there are virtually several hundreds of cow ranches located throughout the country. Australian wine is also very affordable and water is fresh, clean and free. One of the biggest industries in Australia is their alcoholic beverage industry, owing to the penchant for wine and merriment at any time of the day.
What would cost more are imported products like cereals, biscuits, beer and imported fish. Australia is widely popular for exporting milk, beef for world-famous steaks and some exotic products like kangaroo meat and King Island cheeses. New South Wales offers rock oysters and Illabo milk-fed lamb, Victoria offers Meredith lamb and Gippsland beef, South Australia is known for its scallops and tuna while Queensland has great fruits like Bowen mangoes and papaya that are commonly exported. Other exotic food products are crocodile, shark, ostrich and emu meat. Everything that is acquired locally is very affordable.
Clothing and Accessories Cost in Australia
Locally made Australian clothes and items are cheap while imported ones are expensive. Citizens equally wear traditional and modern fashion wear. People can find several products available, especially clothes made from local Chinese material. A lot of the preferred cut and color of Australian clothes today stemmed from Chinese culture brought by early migrants during the 1800s. Silk, chiffon and velvet are some examples that are still used to make shawls and coats. In terms of local accessories, there are several cheap items in flea shops and bazaars like bead necklaces and bracelets as well as wooden earrings and anklets that all have aboriginal roots.
Australia also doesn’t lag behind when it comes to modern fashion. Although the locals typically prefer a more casual appearance, several designers can be found in most of the major cities. Victoria is still considered as the most fashionable place in Australia. The clothes and accessories designed by local designers are expensive since most are created for exportation purposes. The products are still made available to locals if they want to and can be purchased after fashion festivals and publicized catwalk shows. The Australian fashion industry is doing very well which is why the country is known worldwide for textile and ingenious creation of design. As posted on Australia Expat Forum last January 24, 2009, the average costs for casual clothes are as follows:
Clothes
– Mens business suit – $600
- Mens business shirt – $80
- Mens business shoes – $120
- Surfy brand TShirt = $50
- Surfy brand boardshorts = $90
- Pair of “surfy thongs” (flip/flops) = $20
- Pair of “Bonds” underwear = $14
- Pair of running/gym shoes – Asics/****/Reebok etc = $100-300
Housing Costs in Australia
Australia is in need of more immigrants, and this is the reason why there are several housing options available for everyone’s comfort and preferences. People can choose from single room apartments to small houses with yard space to huge areas or condominiums downtown. Most Australians prefer having a house and lot in suburban neighborhoods.
Land is very much in excess in comparison with the actual number of residents in any given state. Housing in major cities will generally cost more compared to living out in the province and farmlands. On average, a family of four will spend around 400 euro every month for rental or mortgage. If you are in the hunt for a house and lot, here are the latest price figures from the major cities are indicated below:
- Sydney $528,500 (£215,400)
- Melbourne $398,200 (£162,300)
- Brisbane $388,200 (£158,200)
- Adelaide $355,800 (£144,800)
- Canberra $488,800 (£199,000)
- Perth $503,300 (£205,200)
- Darwin $421,000 (£171,700)
- Hobart $258,000 (£105,200)
Utilities are very affordable and some states provide free clean water to residents. A typical family will have a bill of around 100 euro every month for electricity and water consumption. Generally, middle class citizens get to buy their own house and lot after eight years. Giving an initial deposit and applying for a bank loan is common practice. Renting apartments and condominiums are not common practice compared to the United Kingdom. Public housing is also offered for lower class citizens. Part of their income automatically goes to rent.
Services Costs in Australia
The Australian government gives national health policies to all citizens and immigrants. Health services are subsidized and all medical services, pharmaceuticals and health institutions are provided financial assistance. Almost 10% of the country’s per capita GDP goes to the health sector. Technology and professional training is generally up to date.
Australia also gives importance to education and every individual up to 17 years of age is ordered to stay in school. Public schools are free with additional allowances provided to students. The costs are partly or wholly subsidized by the government. Students can also opt to study in private institutions and universities provided that they pay back their tuition once they start working.
Employment Costs in Australia
At present, Australia is in great need of health care professionals especially nurses. Other jobs available for expatriates are positions in the fields of information technology, pharmaceuticals, accounting, education, domestic travel and transportation as well as marketing. Tourism and export are the two main things that comprise the bulk of the nation’s finances. The taxing scheme in Australia makes high-income earners pay over 45% of their income as tax. Over ten million people in Australia are employed with the unemployment rate at 5.8% as of 2009.
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{ 86 comments… read them below or add one }
The cost of living in Australia has increased significantly then since this was written . Food costs are ridiculous here a family of four would be spending at least $250 per week approx . A lot of food is imported from China. It is getting increasingly difficult to buy goods made in Australia. Amenities are always on the rise (every year) as are fuel, travel fares etc and now with a Labor govt in charge it will increase yet again.
I always read about the same argument Labor vs Libs blah blah blah.
I don't agree it could correlated to the side of the wing: Labor vs Libs.
In fact is some other countries the trend is to say "it's because of Libs".
Well, they can't all be right then, so maybe the truth is somewhere else?
May be this factor has got no effect? So let's take it out of the equation…
I think it's not because of Labor or Libs that prices go up, it's because of individual greeds.
Who pulls my rent price up more than inflation? My landlord! Not Labor or Libs!
Who pulls the price of reparing my lawn mower of car up, more than inflation? My garagist! Not Labour or Libs!
Who pulls the price of the kilo of apples or tangelos whereas they just grow here outside in the hills nearby? My supermarket and/or my local producers! …and way more than inflation! And those guys don't rent, they own, so they're not subject to their own landlord moods.
So it's an individual greedy thing to provide increasingly expensive goods and services, or so I think.
Why? Because "money is good". Capitalism is right.
May be if we globally decreased our lifestyle, we would be happier, and the prices would come down again. But this is Utopia.
As a person living in the US. I can assure you that living in Australia is not cheap at all. It may seem cheaper coming from the UK – but I would say it is half as cheap for me to live here in the US.
All in AUD – my last trip to Australia saw petrol at $1.30 per litre, Milk at $2.20 per litre and eggs (free-range) at $6 per dozen. Your average fast food meal combo is up to $8-$9 and the cost of clothing, luxury items and high-income tax means that you really don’t save. Public transport is at $11 a day for daily travel ticket and have a look at the cost of some small properties within inner Sydney or Melbourne – they can get up to 600-700k
The only thing that I think works well in Australia are social services, medical and 401/Superannuation.
I compare this to the US where income tax is significantly lower, food/clothes/gas is dirt cheap (though I question the food quality here) – I’m willing to wear the lack of government amenities if it lives me with more money in my pocket.
Very true, and if you compare living in states outside LA and NYC, the cost difference is even greater. I am looking at buying a house in Kansas City for $60,000, 15% rental yield. For that kind of money, you could not even get a carspace in Brisbane, a car space in Sydney will now cost $120,000 for instance.
There are so many great places to live in US – Colorado, Arizona, South Carolina, and they are all big populations.
I will also say, the government services in Australia is actually WORSE than US – medical services are over-rated, we have low standard doctors, most people still have private medicare so that they can receive better treatment. In US, it is common to have school buses and school meals, in Australia, no such services.
US is far better than Australia, I don't understand why Americans would consider moving here at all…
back in 1985 i built a 4 bedroom quality house on a 700 square metre block in a good area, for $70000 in total. the land cost $20000. the house $50000. now, the same would cost approx. $350000. wages have doubled in the last 25 years. interest rate was approx. 13% in 1985. its now just over half of that, and rising… u dont have to be a mathematician to work out that life was easier back then. huge deposits are required to achieve affordable repayments now. the new generation has been negated of realistic costs by greedy people and obtuse politicians, here and all over the world.
I have been researching a move to Aussie from the US. It is getting increasingly hard to live in this country as a Christian, and I have always loved the scenery of Australia, and am working on making a decision to move there. We are a middle class family in the southern US, and have no savings at the moment. There are changes within our laws and government that will begin to take place in 2010 and we really want to get out. I am a medical billing specialist and my husband is an auto mechanic with 10 years experience and welder with 7 years experience. With this information, how do you think we would fare? And what can we expect as far as rent for a family of 6? We would need 3 bedrooms.
Angie and Phillip, you are spot on about the cost of living in Australia. I have been reeling from sticker shock ever since I arrived here to join my Australian spouse. When I compare the costs in the US and Aus as a factor of my wages earned in the respective countries, Aus comes out as being even more expensive . I earned USD 32/hour as a speech pathologist in the US. I paid USD 635/MONTH for a two bedroom apt with dining room, lounge room, and kitchen with electric, gas, water, and heat, and parking included. This was in a midwestern college town. In AUS, I have 2 part-time jobs. One pays AUD 25/hour, the other pays AUD 36/hour. I live in a two bedroom house with a yard in a country town and pay AUD 240/WEEK. Flats aren’t much cheaper. Our gas/electric bill for the last quarter was around AUD 600 (for two people). The cost of food, sundries, clothing, fuel, dining out, transportation, you name it it, is outrageous. To top it off, many household items that I need aren’t even available in Australia. My Aus spouse was shocked when he moved back here from the US. We’re heading back to the USA ASAP.
Kollette: I saw your comment about moving to Australia because of Christian values. My husband and I have the same concerns about the direction of the US. I am a Southern Baptist Christian from Alabama living in Australia for the past 2 years. Unfortunately, the Christian values in Australia are even lower (almost non-existent) in Australia. Many Australians consider Christians odd and are not accepting of you. On the subject of money; rent on our 3 bedroom house, in a suburb of Brisbane, is $2,000.00 per month. Our grocery bill per month for a family of 3 runs about $600.00. I’m not sure on the jobs, but Australia has socialized medicine which is funded by the government, therefore there are not that many jobs for medical billing specialists. They do have a small private healthcare system that is growing, but to what degree, I am not sure. My opinion is that you must have a savings to move with. It is VERY EXPENSIVE to live here in Australia. Don’t get me wrong, I love Australia and it is a beautiful place to live. But you do need a substantial amount of funds to make the move. Good luck on your future plans.
We left Australia because we realised that we would be facing increased costs when the Labor Party won office in 2007. Western Australian is a very expensive place to live. Rents average $500-600 per week in Perth. Much higher on the east coast. My son lives in Sydney and it costs around $70000 a year to keep a family of four without factoring in the mortgage payments. Clothing is now mainly imported from China (even top Aussie brands are made there). We have decided to retire in the Philippines because we can have a far more comfortable life here.
Other friends of ours are looking at Bali, Malaysia and Thailand for the same reasons. Australia is a great place to live if you are prepared to face higher costs in the near future.
I’m a Philippine national but currently present in the USA. I work here as a registered nurse in the US. I am interested in working in other countries like Canada or Australia. Between the two, with my US RN license, it is easier for me to register in Australia than in Canada. Can someone give me an idea how nurses are doing in terms of practice in nursing, cost living, salary, taxes, expenses in Australia? Thanks
I currently live in the US looking to move to Australia. I am a liscensed hair stylist hoping to work in an aussie salon. I am beginning to understand the costs of living, however a larger concern of mine is liklihood of landing a job. So local Austalians: Do you find your fellow citizens go to the salon or do your hair at home? Would you be willing to get your hair styled by an american? I just want to know if my services would be utilized over seas. I have seen some Aussies move to the US, hoping its not an indicator.
Stay in US or move to Canada, much better choice. The hair styling industry in OZ is already over-saturated.
It depends where you are going, but because of the competition, it's hard to charge more – you may get biz from weddings, children businesses if you are "local" enough.
But living cost in Australia is much higher than US, and if you work for yourself as a "small biz", it's not as "friendly" as in US, where the banks, society supports small biz, here the Govt thinks all small biz are tax cheaters..and it's very discouraging sometimes.
I am moving to North America end of this year myself, after 22 years in OZ, if that's an indication.
You will be very surprised how expensive it is in Aust now, especially AUD is very strong against USD, and it's a very small market.
i am a 40year old divorced male. i have worked as a sheet metal worker for 18 years, in that 18 years i have trained in the heating and air conditioning service and installation field aswell. the last 7 years i have been the service manager and a estimator for the company i work for. i have been thinking of re-locating to AUS. if anyone can tell me, is there work in this field and would it be a good move to do? i currently live in northeastern part of USA and i would rather live someplace warm!
This is a very informative post. I was surprised to hear the the cost of living in AUS is higher than the US. Do you get what you pay for, though? I’m considering a 1 year house swap for the 2011/2012 school year (starting July 2011).
Me: I own an operate a US based web site, so I will be bringing my salary with me. For round numbers, let’s say $100,000 USD per year. The exchange rate seems to be favorable ($92usd to $100 aud) so by earning income in usd, I figure I’d be ahead of the game. My house here is paid, and like I said previously, I’m hoping to do a house swap so rent is moot. I will be bringing one child with me, who will be a high school freshman when we hope to move.
With this in mind, do you still think it will be more expensive to live in Australia for a year?
We just started looking into this so I could be way off base. While I have you, how are the schools in Australia? In what city should we focus our attention do you think? Keeping in mind cost of living, family values, education, single life …
Thanks for your feedback!
Your US salary will see you through very nicely in Oz. Brisbane for afordability and lifestyle.
Your Salary in USD should see you through comfortably. Just be mindfull that our school year in Australia is different as our summer holiday's are DEC and JAN and our school year starts at the end of Janurary. All our cities are lovely. If you are looking for slower pace of iife and warmer climates then head to Top end of Australia (ie Townsville, Cairns, Brisbane) or if you want hustle and bustle and big city then Sydeny and Melbourne are great. Tasmania is cooler than the rest of Australia all year thru but offers beautifully scenery especially the Huon Valley (best known for its apples and wood). But my bias lies with Melbourne, we have the best of everything.
There are really just Sydney or Melbourne to choose from.
I lived in US for a long time and still go there every 3 months. US is still by far, far far cheaper than Australia even exchange rate was $0.75. High schools here can be quite bad especially for public schools. USD 100,000 is enough for 1 year for a family, but you would not save much as living cost is higher. Not sure where you are in US, if you are California or New York State, then the rent may cover the rent here, if you are in other states, you are likely to lose out.
Also, as you are non-resident, your child maybe considered as international student which will charge at least $20,000 a year even in public school, in that case, you might as well send him/her to private school for the same cost.
Tax here is also higher, so if you are considered as a resident, you could be forced to pay higher tax in OZ than in US even there is a tax-treaty between the 2 countries.
I would choose either Melbourne or Sydney and travel around, I am biased, as I have been to all Australian cities and found them all the same..Sydney is like San Francisco, Melbourne is kind of like Atlanta or Chicago (lakes, rivers), Brisbane is very boring, Gold Coast is like South California but beaches are nice, but expensive, Perth is kind of San Diego, Adelaide is a church city, I think it's like Memphis..lol
Tasmania is nice spot with fresh food, only good for travel though, population is only 200,000. Canberra, forget about it, nothing like Washington, D.C.
But come for an experience. It's kind of like Canada only much hotter summers and more expensive and different accent and drives on the left.
Your salary will see you through but not as comfortable as back in US.
Education here is worse than US in my view as I have been to schools in US. No school bus, no school meals, some schools are quite big.
You should live in better areas as schools in bad areas are also quite bad just like in US. Private schools are more expensive here than compared to US, but then again, depends where you are from.
Sydney is somewhere (cost wise) between NYC and San Francisco, although food is more expensive in Australia than most US cities including NYC.
High School is completely different here…there are more clubs and activities in Australia…
Come and have a look around anyway, bring your clothes, books, computer, electronics as they are much more expensive here especially.
US$100,000 = AUD$110,000, do check on your tax as Australian tax is 2 to 3 times higher than US as you have flat tax system.
This article is WAY out of date. It’s impossible to buy a 3 bed house in a decent (and I don’t mean exclusive) part of Melbourne for less than $1m now. We moved back to the UK in 2008 (after more than 10 years in Melb) and found supermarket and restaurant prices comparable with Melb. Outside of London, they’re usually cheaper. Clothes are significantly cheaper in the UK and with 2 teenagers, this is something for us to consider. House prices in the south of England are comparable with melb but often you get more for your money in UK in terms of style and garden space. Another thing not mentioned in the article is the cost of banking in Australia. In the UK, you are not charged for withdrawing from an ATM (even that of a different bank to yours) or paying with a debit card at point of sale – these charges really slug you in Australia. Our UK incomes are higher too.
I was offered the opportunity to apply for a Social Work position in Australia. I am a MSW (Master Social Worker) and was told the pay range would be between 68,000 to 117,000 (aud) per year (actual pay will be negotiated before I accept) My moving expenses would be covered however, after researching and reading the comments I am concerned. What is a realistic income to live comfortably in Australia for a single woman. Also, I read a couple of comments (on another site) about racism (towards black people) there and how bad it is. I know that racism is every where but I am concerned and I’m just trying to get an idea of what I would be getting myself into as a single, black woman who is considering moving to Australia. What is a salary that is comparable to living expenses i.e housing, food, enteratainment, etc. ? Are there any diverse, nice areas to live in? Which cities or places should I avoid living in? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Monique –
I would recommend somewhere like Melbourne as a more culturally diverse place to live, but it is certainly more expensive than other cities such as Brisbane and Adelaide. I am also a social worker (with a Masters) and I am a little shocked to hear of this job offer, as social work rates of pay are notoriously low in Australia. (At present, an average salary in a community organization would range between 50 and 60k). Unless you are thinking of working in a hospital setting, which may raise the rate of pay slightly, or in a supervisory role, which again may pay higher.
As a single black woman in a cosmopolitan city, I don't imagine that you would encounter a great deal of racism – but it certainly exists (as it would in the USA too, I imagine). Housing is expensive (Melbourne for example, in a decent suburb I pay 1500 rent a month and share with one other person). Petrol, food, entertainment is also expensive, but depends on lifestyle, I suppose.
For most social work positions, you would also require an Australian Police check, and an Australian driver's licence. I would keep this in mind also.
Best of luck!
Monique, I would just like to let you and everyone else on this know that it does not matter if you are black, green, yellow or white in colour. In Australian culture, you will only ever have problems with the "Aussie" culture if you arrive and put yourself in a corner and have a "us and them" attitude (which is what ALOT of cultures/races have done here). In regards to income and city to live in, I think Adelaide is the cheapest overall, and it is certainly not Brisbane (lived there). Melbourne is cheaper than Brisbane. Your lifestyle on a single income would certainly be dependent on if you share accomodation, live in a lower crime area etc… To be blunt, Australian house prices are out of control compared to average household incomes, rent is expensive and so is food. My wife and I take home around $1300 per week (after tax), rent a 2brm box for $290 per week in the outer suburbs and after the bare minimum expenditure per week, we have about $300 left over. I did not cover clothes, a movie, a dinner, a museum or a drink with a friend. This country is great compared to alot of others, but the price comes with it, which is why I plan to settle in a more affordable country abroad. Good luck.
Yes, racism does exist, particularly against black people. Aussies have no ideas between the differences between black people and Indian, and Middle Eastern…it's so bad, they just call them wogs which means anyone non-Asian looking from other parts, and all Eastern Asians are nips..They are so bad. I left Adelaide because of racism there, Sydney & Melbourne are much better, Brisbane & Perth, racism are more obvious in those cities.
While it's gone the days like in the 1980s and 1990s where you would get egged on street, and people tell you to go home…prejudice does exist mainly at workplace. non-Aussies are much harder to get promoted, and usually the first ones to get sacked.
Despite of all these, things are improving, though as I have lived in US and Canada before, I think there is still much better chance there. Like others have posted, living cost is significantly higher in Australia than US & Canada, it is more expensive than NYC, LA and Vancouver. $200,000 will buy you absolutely nothing here, it's easy to see rent above $2000 a month just for a small apartment. I was living in Dallas Texas, 2 bedroom apartment with swimming pool for $600 a month, just a comparison!!
If you have a chance, come and have a look around before you come. Visit http://www.realestate.com.au to check out prices.
Hello Monique, I am an MSW in California that was just offered a position in the Brisbane area. (I am still in California). My salary is still to be negotiated. I would love to chat a little bit more as it is so rare to meet a fellow social worker. I am also a single woman. I am curious about the high salary range of your social work position. Most positions that I have seen advertised seem to go from 60-90k (I haven't looked that extensively but on the AASW website etc).
You can reach me at Tory616@yahoo.com I will try to subscribe to this forum but in case it doesn;t work, you have my email!
Regards,
T
Tory
Lifestylewise, Brisbane is affordable I think, and all right if you tolerate high humidity, non double glazed windows, and the noise that comes from the traffic starting at about 3:30 am. Sunsets around 6pm all year round. But remember it's far from any decent beach. You need half a day to half a good time at a beach (Bribie Island, Moreton, Gold Coast).
The only place to go out at night seems to be the Valley or South Brisbane, and that's just not enough for a 2 million ppl place in 2010.
They'd need to make every suburb a living / entertaining centre to compete with int'l standards.
I lived 3 years in Brisbane, and I did like its formidable development. In Chermside in particular, there was clearly some modern thoughts in the way the suburb was being developed: close to the mall, in mid-rise buildings, with green all around. I regret there was no stress put on ecology though. Energy was spent too much I think, especially in unneeded lightings.
Having left Brisbane, I now *don't* miss the heat 8 months of the year and no aircon (common), or just a fan; the early lifestyle (I live at night, and I was miserable in this early-sleepers city); and the stinging ants that got me about every month in the foot anywhere I went.
You'll make your own mind.
Good Luck
I am an Australian with European and Arab background. I was born in Australia and grew up here, and I can assure you there is a great deal of racism in Australia. I spent all my school years from 4 years old right through to the graduation being called various names centerng around the term "wog". In the present day, racism is somewhat hidden with Anglo-Australians not wanting to admit that it exists here. One only has to look back to the disgraceful Cronulla riots only a few years ago. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to hear people muttering under their breaths derogatory comments about Arabs and other "black" races. Only a few weeks ago I got called a dirty wog walking down the street running errands. Racism IS rife in Australia although Anglo-Australians refuse to admit it.
My friend is an Asian social worker in Sydney, she said the biggest problem is the attitude from Australian families…she often get asked "How come you are stealing our jobs?" "Send me an Aussie social worker", or they just refuse to understand her, she speaks perfect English, she was actually born here!!! I had a volunteer experience on "Meals-on-wheels" and encountered exactly the same problem, twice, I was refused to enter their house simply because I am an Asia.
Certain areas are better, in norther part of Sydney, southwestern part of Sydney and certain parts of Melbourne where there is equal mix of races are better. Black people tend to get the worst racist attacks in Australia, so be careful with that. Last week, there was a case in Melbourne when a neighbour abused his nigerian neighbour over 3 years.
Police here are also quite racist…they would assume you are wrong straight-away.
I had lived in US for long time, I would say US is much more tolerant, I lived with my flat-mate (Afro-American), and we only encountered a problem in Texas once..
Expense is ridiculous, tax is ridiculous – be careful when you look at your salary, $100,000 means you get around $60,000 after tax, and probably $55,000 after pension…so 55% gone…
I would suggest not to move to Australia because of the racism issues here.
i am thinking about moving out to southern australia. i am a heart surgeon and my husband is a pedatrician. we have one child. we want to buy a 1 bedroom house. and we have savings. how much would you say it would cost for us to move out there from the us. we will in the west coast. would the cost of living be the same? also were is the nice areas in australia. more for the… wealthy you could perhaps say?
Don't go to South Australia, it's hot in summer (desert weather), it's very racist if you are a "visible minority" or if you do not speak Aussie accent, they are very intolerable to "foreigners", even to other state. I remember they said, when we moved to Sydney, "Oh, you will be shot into pieces, nobody lives in Sydney because of the violence"…what dumb comments.
My neighbour used to sit there on Sat and invited his mates to throw stones at our house when his Dad would just watch and said no words.
It's not nice, weather is horrible, housing cost is bad, comparing South Australia to west coast of US is a completely insult to west US…stay in western US, you guys don't know how lucky you are. I lived around west coast of USA, why would you want bother move here??
If you really want to move, bring everything with you because everything here costs at least 50% more.
This article was written about 9 months ago yet it sounds like it was written in 2001 (apart from the house prices).
Rentals at €400 a month? I think you mean a week.
Australia is getting ever more expensive and yet we lack decent public transport, we suffer from a restricted and slow broadband system, our utilities and insurances climb drastically year after year and our housing costs are blown out of proportion.
Seriously, stay at home or just come for a holiday. You’ll be broke before long.
I also find these statistics a little unreal. Living in Adelaide (the cheapest of the mainland capitals), we spend $1440 a month on rent, $1400 a month on groceries (2 adults and one 2 year old), internet/phone costs another $100 a month, cable tv $120 a month, a new car is (realistically) $35,000, health insurance is another $160 a month, but then there is a bill at the end of the year of $1500 for Medicare (which does not pay for much anyway). Electricity costs us $250 a month as well. I have no idea why they say that Australia is cheap! And re the house prices, you can by a pretty awful house in Adelaide for $350,000, for a decent house, expect to pay $450,000 to $600,000. And lastly, don’t forget that if you are earning $75,000 a year, you will be paying 35% tax.
Can't but agree with all points. I live in ADL too.
Hi, question, what tax bracket or taxes do expats have to pay in Australia. I am coming from U.S.A. Also, how much do we have to pay in taxes to the U.S.A?
Thanks
These costs are killing me >< I had thought that now that I had FINALLY finished uni and was on a decent wage job (bit over 50,000) then I would be able to afford to live out of home. Apparently not.
You need two (decent) incomes to live at bare basics. Would be easier without a car, but living on the Gold Coast the public transport options SUCK (it is faster for me to walk to the shops – approx an hr rather then wait for the bus)
The information in this article is old. I have been living in Australia for 3 years.
I would say you will easily spend more than $AUD 350 per week in rent/housing for a family. For a decent house/apartment you will have to pay more than $500 per week. Many people have to live with their parents even after they graduated and have got a job. The clothes/amenities are double the price of those in US. Food and drinks in Sydney are even more expensive than New York. The tax is high. Plus the public transport is expensive and the service is terrible.
You will pay $79 a month for broadband with download limit.
It’s really hard to save money even you have a decent job. I am really considering moving out of Australia.
HI
Im working as an Accountant since 10 years and thinking of visiting abroad to Australia … i would like to know (if anyone helps) what would be my prospect coming to Australia … searching job as an Accountant … what would be my average earning approx??? and what would be my expenses and savings ??? Can any one elaborate???
will it be a good decision considering that im still single and want to save lots ….
Hi, Australia, as you can see other threads – it's pretty messy now. Better opportunities are still in North America.
If you are foreign trained accountant, you are unlikely to get any accounting job other than very junior clerk positions, which means you have to study CPA here – so extra time required.
Accounting jobs are always there, but you may end up in having casual jobs…rate os between $25 to $45 per hour depends on how senior your position is.
I don't need to repeat living cost here is extremely high compared to North America, especially accomodation, food, IT, petrol, tax..(what else!!)
It's impossible to save here and forget about it once you have a family, unless you want to live in a shabby shared accomodation.
Job wise, really just melbourne and sydney, the rest of Australia is still very behind and very small markets
Hi there,
Australia is pretty screwed up right now. It was once deemed "the lucky country" when my parents arrived here in the late 90's. Now things are aren't so lucky. I live in Melbourne at the moment…
Someone mentioned about nursing – my girlfriend is going to be a fully qualified nurse, and will be earning around $25 AUD an hour.
I actually cannot think of anything that is cheap(er) in Australia right now. I'm 21 and depressed at the prospect of ever being able to own a home. Houses are all 700,000+ in Melbourne. Rent, the cheapest I can find is $330 a week for a crappy 3 bedroom, i'm a student so ill live in it, but a professional family would expect to pay avrg $550+ easy, for something decent.
Food/drink is outrageous. 250-300 a week for a 3 person family easily. Alcohol is very heavily taxed. Tobacco more so.
Yay, petrol is a slight bit cheaper! oh wait, cars are friggen expensive, especially compared to UK/US. Oh insurance. Oh… registration… never mind nothing to be happy about.
Clothes – lol don't get me started. I went to Thailand recently, $4 AUD for a T shirt, quality is the same! exactly the same. Here you pay $50.
Anyway, whenever I say this stuff, the typical aussie attitude is "Well why don't you go somewhere else then MATE". "Why don't you just appreciate what we have".
I do. We have beautiful landscapes, clean places to visit. I just want to visit them, without spending as much on a trip in Australia as I would overseas. I love scuba diving, and yet, I haven't dived the great barrier due to costs!
Australians have a complaint, bend-over-and-take-it attitude that pisses me off. We need more Aussies like me to change this country from an unpolished diamond into something of true value. I'm with protesting against internet censorship (please joint the Facebook page) – can you believe we are going to have censored net, on top of the fact that we pay ridiculous price for it?
Enough is enough. I want to love Australia again, but we need to take her back and make her livable.
Rant out.
SO well said, I said the same thing everytime I came back from overseas, and told my friends "we should bring more supermarkets, we should have competition", so that we can have lower price, Why US is so cheap, because of the competition!
Then Aussies will say "Yeah..but we have harbour bridge", who cares about harbour bridge when you pay $25 just to park 2 hours there.
"Oh, Americans use illegal migrants so they can have cheaper price"…dumb comments, so Canadians use illegal immigrants? UK as well, so is Thailand, China, hell, even Japan is cheaper now..
As you have said, as much as I want to love Australia again, when comes to pressure, who can spare their love to Australia anymore?
I am so sick of living here due to the cost pressure, especially for a family.
I am making a move and moving my whole family in 2 months time, this is the "RIGHT CHOICE", I don't think I will come back.
"I want to love Australia again, but we need to take her back and make her livable."
- Exactly the same feeling is mine.
So the answer to the "typical Aussie attitude" to "so why don't you live", is "because we loved it, and we want to love it again, so let's work all of us to make it better".
The thing is, we've got no power just the handful of us, it needs a society change. Hard to get, unless they open the doors to immigration and let other trends come in in the migrants baggage, and it'd slowly get there…maybe.
Well well well….
I have lived in the UAE – Emirates here for 2 years.
I am originally from Adelaide and will be moving there again, and will be living out of home for the first time. Will see how long I last.
This post makes me depressed and saddened that I will be going from a frivolous lifestyle in a developing country, to – stock standard middle class struggle. Dubai has been awesome. But not a reality.
Think I'll pack my bags and go to HK or Singapore for income and lower living costs. Or back here and try Abu Dhabi.
Shame I can't return to my own country – and work in my professional field, as I won't settle for this struggle imposed on us by the govt.
I'll probably buy a unit and rent it out when i move o/seas again – and get put up rent free by my employer.
I have just got a job in perth earning approx $220Kpa inclusive of super annuation. Is this a comfortable salary to live on for a young family of 4?
What will the take home pay be on this salary ?
We are alarmed at the cost of food/drinks etc comapared with the uk, we currenyl spend approx £80pw in uk how would this compare?
Company are paying to ship container of our personal effect, furniture etc, what would you recommend we take out to Aus, things that are more expensive to buy ?
Hi,
I'm Oz PR but haven't really moved in to Oz yet. I'm currently working in Singapore as Civil Engineer. A few years back, I was mad of moving to Oz because of its living standard, high pay, work & life balance etc,. Now, things have changed. I realized that living cost is Oz is not so cheap. I am earning about 70Kpa before tax in Singapore. If I compare the income after tax, the income in Oz I could earn may be lower, I think. Tax in Singapore is not that expensive. I'm not sure about long run. I'm in hard situation to move to Oz.. Any Civil Engineer around with this kinda experience?
I’ve read most of these comments and I must say I’m never moving to a big city!! I live in North Queensland – Townsville…the perfect paradise
We have around 170,000 people here, you’ll rent a nice place for around $350, my electricity bill is about $240, I can EASILY live off $100 food each week (and it’s all so fresh and yummy because a large portion is grown locally) to go out in the clubs here you’ll pay around $5.50 for a basic spirit, a cab ride will never cost you more then $30 even from one side of town to the other! We have a beautiful tropical island 6km off our shores with daily ferry’s going to and from, we have 2 fresh water creeks, (one north, one south) that constantly have cold, fresh running water, the nearest towns (although smaller) are only 1 hr away in any direction, and we’re right on the ocean, access to the Great Barrier Reef is simple! Fishing is fantastic, the beaches are clean, I believe we won best beach in Australia a few years back…and it’s EASY to find a job here, anyone that is looking go to careerone.com.au and put Townsville in the search area. The schooling system is great because we’re still a smaller town (so there’s still some respect and discipline!) you can choose from a number of public schools or a few private schools, we have 4 hospitals (one public) and one of the best universities in the world!
Hmmm, maybe I should stop selling it now or we’ll be over run by tourists
Good luck everyone, I’ve got to go now, there’s not a cloud in the sky and the beach is calling!
Did I mention we have arond 350 days of sunshine a year and the temps range from no lower then 14 deg – 35 deg (celsius) in the middle of summer? mmm just perfect! hehe
Thanks Emma
I am a portuguese nurse and I want to go to your town to live and work. Can you suggest me a place/cost to hollidays in the next august during one month to find a job and a place to live and see the life? Thanks Ema
Don't overrate TSV. It's a holiday place, it's ok in winter, blue sky and dry, that's right. Maggie is my fav place BTW, but I wouldn't recommend anyone to make a living there, unless you don't need to work for a living.
It's way too humid 10 months in the year. Living / working in the aircon all day all night is not quite I'd like, but you might.
UV index too high, can't run for 2 hours or cycle for 5 hours you'd get cancer that year.
Food on $100 a week on brocoli mangoes and beef granted, but if you want dairies / cheese / and "euro food" in general t's not really available or too expensive.
This topic up is completely outdated. I do agree with all the other posts saying Australia's life got more and more expensive, and life for the rest of us, workers, is undoubtedly harder than before. AU is turning capitalist like it's never been, and the gap between the social layers is expending. Riches are getting richer on the back of the popular layer who's getting ripped off.
I lived in 4 countries, and to the best of my experience, Western Europe zone is the best compromise : cheap, social, and sun (around the Mediterrenean).
This was my view, anyway.
Don't be fooled by Townsville even QLD, it's a very hot place, lack of jobs, and some of the locals can be very rude and racist. I stayed there for 1 year, and gave up.
Go somewhere else, consider Canada or US, or maybe other parts of Europe. Being a Portuguese nurse, I can assure you will not be fairly treated well in Australian hospitals. I was in emergency last year, and there was a nice Spanish nurse helping me, but her English was not as good, her colleagues were ordering her around and told her off…I feel sorry for her.
The only place worth considering is Sydney but it's at least 3 times more expensive than Portugal.
Emma,
I completely disagree with your comments. Townsville may be a nice place for a little break, but I can assure you the quality of life and lifestyle you describe are far from ideal. Drinking and a cab ride home are certainly not the priorities in life for those of us with families. Beaches abound all over Australia and certainly in other parts of the world where life is definately cheaper and far better. Furthermore I certainly cannot remember a time when I was able to purchase decent and healthy groceries for $100/week anywhere in Australia, even for just myself. Having said that, I have lived in some of the "most expensive" cities in the world long term such as Tokyo, LA, and the centre of Paris, and I will contest anyone when they claim that Australia is cheap and a good place to live. Compared to those cities, Australia is VERY expensive, there is nothing to do after 5pm except hang at a pub and drink alcohol; additionally… daily essentials such as rent and transport are astronomically priced compared to other most other developed countries.
Emma you make Townsville out to sound perfect! Interesting you mentioned the university. Can you share more about it? We are considering moving to Australia and precisely Townsville to take a position at the University. What is the hardest challenges about living there and what makes it the best university? thanks for your reply
I have lived in Townsville, there are no. of "challenges"
1. It's a town, not a city, so there aren't a lot of activities – most people just hang around pubs in the weekends and after works, there are absolutely no shopping malls or entertainment
2. Weather – I hate humid and hot weather, and that's Townsville – it's very sticky, if you like cooler weather, forget about it
3. Very Remote – remote from everywhere else, so if you want to travel, it's always extra cost
Personally, it's not for me, I left after 3 months – too many drunks on the street, and drinking seems the only past time activity there, the accent is also very distinctive, even more distinctive than other Queenslander accent, I also found racism does exist in Townsville, and that does make me feel quite uncomfortable..
But everyone is different, so give it a try if you like town-style living environment and if you love heat..
Nemo, avoid Townsville! Small backward town, nothing to do but drink alcohol and fall over, and the University is certainly NOT one of the "best" in Australia, let alone the world (actually it doesnt even rank in Aust top 20). There is no lifestyle there whatsoever unless you like drinking, humid weather most of the year, and not being able to swim at the beach in the summer due to jellyfish (this is EVERY summer).
HI I am nurse in UK. I work as a deputy nursing home manager. I a sure finding Job would nt be problem for health care professionals. I am interested in Sydney. What is average pay for deputy manager s/care ,anagers in nursing home of sydney?
secndly, how business friendly is australia?
I cannot think of anything in that article being correct! Maybe it was written back in the 1950’s but Australia is really expensive! Consider every statement wrong, think of the opposite and you will get an idea of what its like here!
I am a Australian and I have a good job. So does my husband. Yet the house which we could afford easily 7 years ago when we were in less paying jobs is now becoming a struggle, even though our mortgage is lower and we earn much more. Minimum wage is about $12 an hour i believe??? You dont get bonus’s or tips.
Groceries are skyrocketing due to the fact there is two large supermarket chains that hold a monopoly on the market, electricity bills have gone up 24% this year and (we pay around 700 a quarter) ans so have city rates, and water is definateley not FREE! Its costs around the same as electricity, as well as gas, and petrol is $1.40 a litre. Phone bills are huge too, as well as internet, which is $100 month for anything decent, as well as another $100 a month for Cable.
Never mind that you have to travel into the city for a decent job, meaning petrol bills per week are commonly $80-100 dollars. Parking in the city is often $30 a day, public transport, which is few and far between and unreliable as well is $14 for a daily ticket.
We are not booming, we are floundering. Jobs have moved offshore, you cant call a utility company and speak to an Australian, and no clothes are made in Australia anymore.
China made clothes in run of the mill shops/kmart/target are between $50-$150 (womens tops, jeans) $10-15 each for underwear, socks.
If you want a brand name, your looking at $150-300 for jeans. $200-400 for dresses.
Designer clothes, I wouldnt know, cant afford to look at them!
Australian manufacuting is down the toilet. Australian made is non existant. All local shops are owned by foreigners, all our famous Australian brands are owned offshore now. Even the company I work for sources their product from China now. Customer service? What customer service?
Im seriously considering moving to America.
I'm considering moving with my family to Australia from Canada. We can't take the long winters here anymore…
We bring home around $100,000 USD/month.
But we are self-employed and will not be participating in the local labour market.
Any chance they'll taake us?
Jack, you can take my spot, I am leaving Australia for Canada, as it is much better country. I love Toronto, it's so affordable compared to Australia, and has much more diversity, and also business opportunities.
I can understand your views about winters, but it really depends where you live. Australia has very long and hot summers, very hot summers which I can't stand.
Bottom line is, do not use weather as the only factor, as Canada is better than Australia (and i i have lived here 2/3 of my life) in almost all regards apart from winter does get cold..but you can travel to US to escape winter anyway.
If you can continue to bring in $100,000 USD a month, you can live in OZ not a problem, but expect more expensive lifestyle, lower quality food, clothes, cars..and worse education system.
I used to love here, but just want to leave now for a better life.,
Hum, you sure about the 100,000 USD a *month* ? Not a year ?
If you make this sort of many, you shouldn't really be asking any questions…
If you bring home US$100,000 / month..why bother living in Australia, there is nothing to do here!
Maybe you mean $100,000 a year, then you better go to US and you can be a business visa or investor visa if you don't like cold.
Being a Canadian, you can also travel to US regularly.
I am also self-employed (web-based business), I will definitely stay in North America.
Moe, you were very right with your, "Australians have a compliant, bend-over-and-take-it attitude that pisses me off" comment. Having lived in other western cities, then brought my experiences home to Australia, whenever I mention things like public transit, cost of clothing, shopping hours (I'm from Perth), etc, I get that classic Aussie line: "If you don't love it here, leave!" Yes, because just saying, "Oh, well, it's not good enough, but that's good enough for me!" is how progress is made.
To all above saying that Australia is expensive: absolutely spot on. Americans, Canadians, Britons, one way to do things is use a high street chain that is present in all of our countries. Look at American Apparel, find a t-shirt model sold in each country, then look at the prices from one country to the next. A shirt that was CAD$64 (converts to AUD$70) is being sold in Australia for AUD$93.
P.S. – Original article author, Australia is not actually part of the United Kingdom, but the Commonwealth, and we have states here, not provinces.
Hi.. i am planning tomove in Aus in 2012 as applied for immigration and it will take approx 2 years… I m an IT Professional.. what is the best place to work interms of job oppurtunity and cost effectiveness… I have awife but i am planning to come alone first for a year and then will bring my wife there…
Please let me know what things to keep in mind before entering Aus.
Thanks
Hi Adie,
Given that we outsource most IT jobs and so there are few challenging IT jobs around, I would be very surprised that you would want to immigrate to AUS. I assume that you have done very detailed research as to your job prospects in AUS. Though given that you are asking about job opportunities in AUS, you do not appear to have a complete understanding of what you are likely to encounter here in your chosen career. The best advice I can give is that you check out the online job site to attain a better understanding of your prospects here.
I wish you luck.
Hi,
I can only agree with all of the above. I migrated to Australia in the early 90s an it was a 'golden' country back then.
Now, I am shocked at the prices like most people and making ends meet, even with a good job, is very difficult.
People migrating will have to think their options through very thoroughly, ESPECIALLY as a family. If you move on your own and you are a professional, you will be ok. If you move and bring a lot of funds with you or are financially self-sufficent, then you will be ok.
If you move to Australia as a family, then you will need to bring a lot of savings to get through the first 6-12 months adjustment period and protect yourself against any unforeseen circumstances. Also, in some areas the public schools are notoriously bad and private school fees are very expensive.
I write this simply as a word of caution, not discouragement.
So come to Oz, bring loads of cash and have low expectations and you will probably be happy (or keep an open return ticket..)
I am staying because my little baby boy is Australian and we love the ocean and the water and the lifestyle. And it's too hard to uproot and move anywhere else.
Good luck to everyone.
I agree with all the comments above about struggling in Australia.
I have been living in Australia for 8 years now, having come out here from Ireland.
My trade is in Information Technology (I.T.) with 18 years experience and a doctorate in computer science under my belt.
believe it or not, I have not been able to secure a permanent full time job in 8 years of working here.
Recruitment agencies are snapping up 80-90% of the jobs and you have little chance of finding work unless you sign up for a recruitment agency.
I did this on one occasion and got a 9 week contract, I was earning $38 an hour of which $21 was going to the recruitment agency.
Do not think that just because you have an "in demand" skill, that you will automatically find work here.
my wife is a nurse, another "in demand" profession. It took her 2 years to get a job here. She works for $24 an hour and is classified as "casual" meaning she is not entitled to either holidays or sick days. she has had 1 day off in 14 months and it was unpaid.
The problem with nursing is that whilst there are actually plenty of nurses in this country, the government have not allocated the necessary funding to hire them. So hospitals are crying out for nursing staff but cannot hire any due to the lack of funding.
if you plan on renting a property, expect to pay on average $350-$450 per week for a 3-4 bedroom modern home.
we were paying $410 per week on the gold coast for a 6 year old 4 bedroom detached home (very badly built i might add). The landlord decided to put the rent up to $450 a week in 2008 and so we left.
Mortgages, if you can find a bank that will lend you money, make sure you have 80-90,000 dollars in the bank, saved over a period of time, before a bank will even look at you for a mortgage.
the average interest rate at present (as of 1st august 2010) is 7.5%, add that to the hugely over-priced houses and you have a hefty mortgage repayment every month.
for example, 160,000 in Ireland at present will buy you a modern 4 bedroom home on around half an acre of land, in Australia that is equal to around 283,000 dollars, and for that kind of money, you would be struggling to buy a 20 year old run down 3-4 bedroom in a older suburb.
check out http://www.realestate.com.au or http://www.domain.com.au and use your own property value in your country and compare with what you'd get here for the same money.
Food prices are extortionately high here, again you can compare food prices by going to http://www.woolworths.com.au or http://www.coles.com.au and comparing prices with your own food prices in your country.
my 11 year old volvo s40 cost me $4950 to buy, the same car in the UK would cost me 400-500 pounds.
petrol here is cheaper, yes. But you do tend to drive more and cars are bigger here (bigger engines) so you will find you spend more time at the pump than you would be used to)
Australia may look like a great country to live. but don't be blinded by the sun. Sun will not feed or clothe you – unless you plan on working the land.
Australia is a bloody tough country to live in, and it is only getting harder by the week. Food, Electricity, gas, water, house rates, cars, houses, taxes are all continually rising.
Please do as much research as you can and don't listen to the nonsense from all the usual tourist places that only intention is to draw people here. It is a huge move to come to another country, and even more so with one as remote as Australia.
For me, "the great Australian Dream" turned out to be a nightmare. That's why myself and my family will be leaving this country and returning back to Ireland. Ireland is in a recession, at least they have a reason for struggling. Australia largely missed the GFC and yet the struggle to live here is increasing all the time.
Don't be naive about Australia, Get as much info as you can from ordinary people who live here, and make an informed decision.
best of luck to all.
I came across this thread while doing some research on Australian costs of living. I'm an Australian living in the UK. I moved here from Melbourne about 9 years ago and I'm utterly gobsmacked at how expensive Australia has become since I've been away. Although I would earn a comparable salary in Australia, the living costs are now way higher than the UK. I could not find a single property in any area of Melbourne that I could afford to buy on that salary and only 14 that I could afford to rent. I am effectively priced out of my hometown so there's no way I'll be returning soon. Wake up Australia, you're dreaming!
14 sounds a lot..lol, if you look at no, people at rental inspection! 200 at one inspection for a run-down flat, because there is nowhere to live. The family across my house paid $1000/week for a 3 bedroom house, he is on good salary, but that's $50,000 a year, and he paid another $40,000 on tax, $90,000 gone before you even see food on table…guys are on $100,000 salary for years and can not even save a cent.
You are making a good move, I am outta here soon, this is a ridiculous place to live. Go and find some properties in US or Canada, I am going to North America my hometown and forget about Australia.
Hi All
I have been in UAE & in India @ Structured cabling for 6 years & planning to move to Aussie.Can anyone help me for the smooth transition.just let me know the opportunities in australia & the basic minimum cost of living for 2 people.
Don't come, your skills will not be recognized, as they do not seek skills from UAE or India as "equal standard", you are more likely need to do further trainings. My previous job had many electricians and cabling specialists, they refuse to hire foreign trained people, I had an Indian collegue, highly qualified, but he could only work as a part time electrician like fixing the light bulbs…
It's freaking expensive for 2 people in Sydney, if you go to other cities, there are much less jobs. The structured cabling industry is very controlled by big guys, you are only likely to be a contractor or sub-contractors, so no leaves for you or benefits.
As you can see from other threads, Australia is very tough to live now. If your job involves in cabling / structured cabling for telco, go to larger markets like Canada or US – living cost there is much lower than Australia, it's 2 to 3 times cheaper there, even UK is cheaper now.
Hi All,
First off, many thanks for all the useful information. I am a single person looking towards a move to Sydney from USA in the spring/summer 2011. How much of my income will be taxed on a salary of$55,000-$60,000 per year? Does it seem possible for me to live in a comfortable standard of living in Sydney? Also, how is healthcare handled with a work visa? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.
Can't compare Sydney to all USA. But as a regular traveller who has lived in Australia & US, Sydney is more expensive than just about any city in US apart from New York City. But NYC has much higher income than Sydney. Sydney is more expensive in terms of housing, food, mortgage, cars, gas (petrol), utilities..pretty much everything. Your tax will be much higher than in US, $60,000, you can probably walk home with $40,000 if you are lucky..to live comfortably in Sydney, you need at least $3000 a month, and that's living in a small 1-bedroom apartment in a good suburb, bad areas are cheaper but with higher crime rate.
You do get medicare which is a public funded healthcare but expect very long delays, and don't get complicated illness as you could wait for 6 to 12 months to see a "specialist"..most people have private health care here because public system is useless.
As a visa worker, there are companies issue private health, I know Bupa (UK company) does, so is Medibank Private.
Before you come, have a chance to travel here first, Sydney is very very expensive, top 10 most expensive cities in the world, parking is at $8.80 per hour in downtown, and in carparks, it's as high as $25 per hour, which is 8 times more than most US cities.
Personally, I am moving overseas from Sydney as the living cost is getting out of control, America is still very affordable especially now.
Living cost in Sydney for family of 4.
Too many people have asked this question, let me share this with you, we have been here 22 years, I have 2 kids, 3 & 6. I travel to US 3 to 4 times a month and moving to Canada soon, so I have a very good comparison
Rental/month: 3 bedroom a house in a middle range suburb: $800/week (50 years old house)
Petrol: $1.30 to $1.39/litre which is about 3 times of in US ($0.60/litre converting from gallon)
Grocery: Easily $300 per week just from supermarkets, no alchohol or any fancy meals
Family Meal: Easily over $35 here – no drinks, no such thing as refill in OZ, our large size is your small size in US
Utilities: You have to pay Electricity, Water, Gas, Council Rates
Telephone & Internet: Min. $120/mth (no cable TV, just a fixed line and a slow Internet)
No Property Tax here, and council tax is lower than in US/Canada but you get no service at all
Transportation: Yes, they do exist, costed me $15 just to get to downtown
Parking in Downtown: $8.80 to $25 per HOUR!! in Sydney, or $50+ per day
Clothing / Computers / Books: Anywhere between 2 to 3 times more expensive than USA
Tax: Much higher here, you can move to 47% tax rate very easily
Medicare: Comes off from your tax, service is crap, very long waiting time
Private Insurance: Almost everybody has private insurance, costs between $200 to $300 a month if you want a decent coverage
Mortgage rate: 7.50%+
To sum up: Our living cost compared to when we were in US is around 60% higher in Australia, accomodation is around $1500 difference a month already, if you are buying a house, it is $2,000+ difference a month!
Income: It's not very high, certainly not as high as those in SF, Seattle, Chicago, NYC or Boston. Min. wage is higher, but so is tax. The moment you start doing overtime, they will tax you into next category, you may get $30 an hour in the weekends, but end up like $20 or less after tax…
Beautiful place, Sydney has nice waterviews, Melbourne has nice buildings, Gold Coast has beaches…but unless you are wealthy, it's an impossible place to live for ordinary people.
Lots of folks are leaving every year – there were over 120,000 left Australia permanently in 2009, up from 50,000 in 2007, so that stat tells you something already.
Thomas your post was very helpful. We are considering a move to the Gold Coast for my husband's job. We also have children your ages. He was offered the same salary as he makes in the US where we live comfortably. We realize things are more but wonder if we can "make it" on his rate alons figuring it might be difficult for me to work at first. He makes more than $140K. We visiuted Au last year for 6 weeks and loved it – but his company was paying for almost everything!!!
Any insight would be very helpful.
Depends on your situation – $140K sounds nice, but you have to be aware of the difference in tax. I was on same income in US, but "net income" is much higher in US because of the lower personal tax rate in US. Also, in US, you can offset your income with your home loan interest? (correct)? Also, interest rate in Australia (mortgage wise) is 7.5%+, but low in US, I am moving to Canada next month, where the mortgage rate is only 2%. Living cost in Gold Coast is quite expensive (food, gas (petrol), education).
You will be doing OK, but I do think you will live more comfortably in US, and definitely in US, you can afford to buy properties.
Property price in Gold Coast is especially expensive, apartments (condos) are cheaper, but beware, as many are now facing problems, and there are a lot of scams targeting new immigrants or investors.
So, do some research and check out what the "net income" after tax is. You will first deduct 10% off from your income as superannuation (pension), then you will be taxed progressively, you may end up having less than $100,000 after all these deductions. If you buy a house in Gold Coast which costs easily over $1m, the interest itself will be $75,000 a year.
At the end of the day, it's the "net income" that counts, I was on twice the salary in HK compared to Australia, but walked home with nothing every month as an example. ..salary is due to living cost in Australia, not because Australian companies are offering more.
Thanks for the insight. We are still trying to decide what is best. Your information has been very useful.
Another alternative is living in Brisbane or Northern part of NSW and travel to Gold Coast for work..that's a common strategy used by families. I will rent for a year or 2, some parts of Gold Coast have seen property correction already, and Australian property is on verge of bubble burst, so I will rent first and check it out.
Can anyone tell me how the cost of living in Perth compares to the UK?
I have been offered a position in Perth around $80K. At first this salary appears quite good, but on further researsh on the cost of living I am having doubts.
Can anyone tell me what the costs of living currently are in Perth for a single person wanting there own place within commuting distance (preferable by bike) of central Perth (the city)?
Thanks in advance.
Perth is now considered as the "most expensive" city in Australia. The actual living cost is even higher than Sydney in all fronts, which has surprised many. Accomodation is especially very expensive, and buying a house in Perth is very expensive. According to a UK report, Perth is rated as the most unaffordable city in Australia, followed by Brisbane, Sydney actually came 3rd.
$80k salary is not a lot, it means after tax, you are probably just around $55k. You will do OK, but don't expect to buy a fancy house, it's probably enough to buy an apartment or an old house.
But, house will be better as apartments here attract very high levy and maintenance fees, you should also be aware that interest rate is around 7.5% for mortgage at moment. Things like cloths, food, furniture, electronics are all more expensive in Perth, especially if you compare to UK.
I don't think you can find a place within central Perth (CBD), maybe try townhouse..If I am in your situation, I will take Australian salary and buy a property outside Australia, like US, Canada or UK..Australian property is on course of crash.
I am an Australian born American, and lived here here until I am about 26, before I moved to US (california), I now live in LA, which is considered as the 2nd most expensive city in US. When I came back for a visit this year, boy, what a difference, this makes LA like a cheap place to live!
My relatives live in a 3 bedroom house in North Shore, and it's 50 years old and needs a complete done up, and that costed them $800,000 at 7.5% mortgage rate. My family members told me that up to 60% to 70% of household income just go straight into mortgage repayments each month. Child care is so expensive, and they said it's going to go up again, it's already $60/day (no meals) for a crap day care managed by Government. I don't think I am coming back, this makes me feel California is actually quite affordable in global standard
This article is at least 15 years old and a complete lie.
Living cost, I had checked my diary for last 10 years had never been under $5000 a month, and since we had our children, it's been over $7000 a month and we don't eat out, we don't drink, we don't go on holidays.
Life is really sucks here as it is so expensive – accomodation will cost you easily over $3000 a month (mortgage or rental), plus tax (we have very high tax system), medical cost (medicare is useless), plus utilities will add another $1000 a month.
Seriously, go to US or go somewhere else, I have lived here whole life and definitely move overseas next year.
Unless you have $100,000 job, forget about having a family here, and don't think about buying a house unless you have $150,000 combined income.
Check these websites out then you will know the true cost. http://www.realestate.com.au for property sale & rental (very high), and lots of people turn up at rental competition.
Check out price at http://www.woolworths.com.au and http://www.coles.com.au, all other supermarkets have been squeezed by these 2.
You can use http://www.getprice.com.au to find price range for electronics, mind you, not a lot of range or stores to choose from if you compare to US, UK or Asia, if you order online, postage can be very high, and there is always hidden credit card charge as well.
Look around, I have lived in US, Asia, Canada, but not in UK. Australia is certainly a lot higher compared to North America, food is way much higher than Asia, but property in Asia is a complete nutcase because of population density.
I can't comment on UK, but the recent report puts Sydney as the 9th most expensive city in the world, and Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth all made to the "expensive" list. The only city in UK made to the list is London.
It is an official figure released last month or two that Australia has the highest grocery inflation, which is 47% over last 3 years, higher than India!
For us living here, I can tell you it's probably more like 100% last 3 years, a lot of items are going up by avg. 17% a year especially children-related items like child care, swimming lessons, tuition fees..
So do your research, if you have lots of cash (yes, case as credit card will incur 4% or higher fees here), and if you are a tradesman (they seem to be the only one making money here because of cash-society), I think you will do well.
We are planning to go to australia after having work experience here in our country. One of my closest friend already lives there and he said that its really practical to there since you can readily find a job. We are choosing between australia and canada. Any comments on where to possibly go?
Go to Canada, I am going there too…been here 20+ years..things are getting worse in OZ…things are so expensive…it jumped big time last 4 or 5 years and salary has not grown I can tell u.
Canada offers similar level of salary but living cost is way below than in Australia.
You can simply check out 2 things: Property, go to http://www.realestate.com.au and then go to http://www.mls.ca for rental properties.
Mortgage rate: Australia: above 8% sometimes, Canada: less than 2% sometimes.
Do not be fooled by "oh, yeah, higher hourly rate" it all depends how much you can save each month.
Schools in North America is also much better, and much more opportunities for kids as well.
In summary, you need $5,000 to $7,000 a month in OZ for a family of 4, in Canada, you just need around $3,000/month
Hey Everyone
A very informative discussion! Thanky you!
I am an undergraduate Civil Engineer looking to Graduate in about 10 months time (god willing, with a first) from the UK looking to move to Australia. I have been doing some research and a Graduate Civil Engineer's average salary is around $50,000 + company car etc. I would be moving there on my own and will probably live in a 1 bed apartment.
Just wondering if i will be earning enough money to have a decent lifestyle after rent etc and be able to save a little money? Gradute Civil Engineers get paid less here in uk as well and usually you have to do so much overtime that you end up in the high tax bracket anyway so 40%
Disagree with article. Outdated if not biaised.
Agree with almost all posts.
AU has become a rip off. What a shame. I was so proud that everything or almost was made in AU when I first came in 1996.
Now it's made in China…At AU prices!
Banks rip us off. David Jones-like shops too. Tradies make too much profit too. Check their hourly rates. Should have become one maybe?
Mining companies make too much money too. It should be taxed to help the ones who struggle and improve the country educational and health systems.
AU cities now (like to) think they're special and boast NYC or Parisian prices for real estate, who do they think they are?
I might have some news for them… Nightlife is inexistent past 6pm in winter. Can't really compete, so lower the rents please…
The supermarket shelves are still offering about 5% of the range we can find in US / EUR counterparts.
It's turning capitalist. Only riches have a ball here. Considering only coming here to see my family, and move back to EUR zone.
I hope one day Australia will come back to the country I liked before : offering a chance to the lower middle class workers, like me.
Good luck for those who's got fate in AU these days.
Australia is getting worse and worse each year..the stated economy growth led by consumer spending is a false signal – this is actually caused by very steep rise in consumer prices (up by 20% each year on certain items), and yet, Australian retailers actually make more $$ because of exchange rate.
I feel very sad as a an Aussie been here whole life, I am moving to North America..just done my trip there (3 times to make sure), living cost accounts to almost 1/3 compared to Australia, I am moving to Toronto..I am paying $3000+ a month in rent a month for a fibro house, I will be paying $1,800 a month in Toronto OWNING a house..see the difference in that already?
My family has moved back to Canada last year, the kids are now in private school, very happy, lots of activities because of the sudden availability of all the disposable income and they eat well..
Back in OZ, they can only go to public school (crap ones), eat frozen pizza every week because food price is so expensive (highest in western world), and wear 2nd hand cloths.
Don't come, unless the country has changed…it's a rip-off country and gets worse each year..if even a 100% Aussie like me is leaving, what do you think about the immigrants looking for a new life.
You need at least $100,000 a year (gross, not after tax) just to survive.
I can't believe I read almost every post, and several replies to posts as well. I visited a suburb of sydney (thornleigh) this past june (2010) to visit my gf, which she is soon to be my fiance. we're in the middle of a fiance visa right now, which will probably be granted to me at the end of the year, or in january. (hopefully) when i visited her, we went to sydney a few times and it was nice. big city, kinda like ny. but even where she lived, just 30 minutes outside of sydney, prices were nyc like. i don't understand how wine is the same price as it is here in US, but beer is like double the money. even when you buy a twelve pack at the liquor store it's like 3 times more than a 12 pack here. now i understand that there's like a 15-20% exchange rate, but that's like on the low end of the price differences I noticed. i was thinking a kilo of strawberries was almost like a pound here, but a little less. 1 kilo is 2.2 pounds. wtf!?!??! I mean, i know i'm going to move there soon, there's no turning back, but all of these posts just confirmed what i saw during my week there. I have no college degree. i don't even know if a college will accept a US hs diploma. at least i'll be happy to be with her. good luck to meeeeee.
Man, why not try the other way out – move to US once things are settled. I am moving to US, my sister married to someone in California, she is so happy there, she came back and visited me twice, and never wished to come back again. You are right, food can be 3 times more expensive.
Remember, our large size is small size in US…and refill?? Never heard of refill…meal portions are tiny here even if you pay same price as in US.
Most of time US diplomas will not be recognized. My friend had a PhD from MIT from Boston, no-one has ever heard of MIT or Ivy league. My friend has a degree from Yale, she is now a kitchen-hand at supermarkets here, no-one cares..if anything, Australians are known to be anti-US than anything else..I don't why, but they always make stupid jokes that Americans are the dumbest people in the world, where in fact, Aussies are not much better…most of them will not know if NYC is in East Coast or West Coast.
Make sure you stay away from Sydney West areas, they have serious crime problems there.
Keep your options open, that's all I can say..I am outta here soon..hooray!
Oh..don't forget..tax rate in OZ is much-much higher than in US…and have u looked at mortgage rate or housing cost!!! LA is nothing compared to Sydney.
living in Australia is a complete joke, I am a 2nd generation Australian, I am an accountant, and I can't even dream about buying a house or having a family here.
I have no night-life, as going out at a night means $100+ easily without even a touch of alcohol, lucky I don't drink a lot. Most Aussies just forget about their "Australian dreams" and spend all their money on drinks.
It's tough, very tough, then I saw a post from Australian Government saying that average living cost for Australia is $14,000 a year..what a complete lie, that's probably living in the middle of no where with no water and electricity.
Australian government has been very dishonest overseas in promoting how great lifestyle is in Australia and always hiding true pictures like living cost and no. of people leaving each year. They stopped published data since 2008, as it was alarmed 100,000+ Australians left permanently just on that year, doubled from 2007 figure..they fear this would damage their global image.
I am like, many people considering moving overseas soon for a better dream. For those thinking coming over, please think very very carefully, and best to travel here first to really make sure you can afford living here, especially for families, as education cost is 2 to 3 times more than North America, and also more expensive compared to some UK and European schools. ..uniform is $35 for a shirt, where you can get that in US for $5!!!, and it's a crap quality, everything is from China these days, but American & European get best quality ones, and we get left-overs.