Australian Immigration Guide - The Cost Of Living In Australia

This installment of our emigrating to Australia guide focuses on the cost of living in Australia…

It’s human nature to convert prices back to your home currency when you first arrive somewhere new and prices in Australia can seem cheap when doing this. However, once you start earning Australian Dollars you’ll find that the money doesn’t go as far as you first hoped. Living is less expensive in Australia, but that you may well earn less and will possibly be taxed more.

Yet despite having less money coming in, most immigrants find that their overall standard of life improves after moving to Australia. It’s consisently highly in the various international quality of life indexes that are carried out, and low in the the level of expensive ones, with Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide doing particularly well when two such indexes are cross-referenced.

On average, a family of four can expect to spend around $500 a month for rental or mortgage, though this will vary depending on whether youre living in a major city (in which case it will be higher) or in the provinces (in which case it will be lower). Utilities are also very affordable, with monthly electricity and water bills averaging at about $150 for both.

As for food, when compared to the US it costs around the same, but that’s still 25 percent less than most countries in Europe; for a family of four, $700 would be a fair estimate for monthly outgoings on it. When you also consider that schools are free and healthcare is subsidized, you can see who Australia is such a popular destination with those looking to emigrate.

It’s worth noting though that manufactured items (such as clothes, electronics and automobiles) cost more than you’re probably used to, and that, despite petrol being well-priced, the larger than normal distances between locations (particularly outside of the major cities) mean that travel costs will likely be higher than they are now. Still, the cost differences on these aspects are outweighed by the savings elsewhere.