Lifestyle and Leisure
The cost of living in Australia
A recent Mercer survey has identified yet another reason for moving to Australia – it's a much cheaper place to live than the UK and the cost of living is better
While Britain had the second most expensive city surveyed (London), Australia's major city, Sydney, didn't appear on the list until number 21 – a fall in the table from number 19 last year, and behind such countries as Russia, Singapore, China and Israel.
At the same time, results were released from the American Express Foreign Exchange Holiday Cost of Living Index survey which supported Mercer's findings and indicated that prospective migrants did not have to worry about their research trips. Australia was one of the four countries judged as being the best value for holidaymakers.
Of course, where you live in Australia and the type of lifestyle you choose to maintain will have a major influence on your cost of living. "How much you pay will pretty much depend on how you want to live and where you are thinking of living," says Tim Nash of Aussies Online.
"Also, where you want to work and how far you are prepared to travel to get there. Sydney, for example, is a very big place. Rent for a two-bedroom apartment will vary from between AUS$250 and AUS$500 per week depending on how far you live from the city centre. In terms of food, you could eat at the height of luxury for AUS$150 per week in Sydney, but you could definitely survive on much less than that."
In spite of the average cost of living in its cities being less than in the UK, there are some aspects of life in Australia which are expensive. One of these is the purchase of manufactured goods, especially cars, mobile phones and clothes.
On the other hand, food is generally cheaper than the UK (similar to the US and up to 25 per cent less than western European countries). Around AUS$400 (approximately) should be sufficient to feed two adults for a month.
House prices and rents are steadily rising in Australia, but are still a good deal cheaper than in most areas of the UK. However, as in any other country, there is a large discrepancy between different areas. According to the Mercer Global Cost of Living Survey, Sydney finishes 21st on the table with a score of 94.9 (compared to London's 126.3).
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