Living Costs In Australia
The cost of living in Australia is the topic for this installment of our guide to emigrating to Australia…
By converting Australian prices back to your home currency, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that it’s a relatively cheap place to live. However, this is only really the case if you’re spending money that you saved up before arriving in the country. Once you start living off the money you actually earn in Australia, you’ll probably find that you’re not as well off as you initially thought you would be, as you’ll likely be earning less and being taxed more that you were in your home country.
Still, most find themselves in a better all round position after moving to Australia. It has some of the least expensive cities in the first world, despite also being ranked as one of the top countries in the world for quality of life. In particular, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne, rate highly when expense and quality of life are cross-indexed.
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.
The price of food is similar to the US and around 25 per cent less than most European countries. Approximately $700 should be sufficient to feed a family of four for a month in most areas. As for schools and health care, the former are free and the latter is subsidized for all citizens and immigrants.
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.