Moving to District of Columbia from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to District of Columbia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to District of Columbia, you would find that District of Columbia is 44.2% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $111,000 in District of Columbia to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to District of Columbia.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → $111,000
To maintain the same standard of living in District of Columbia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 30.7% more
Groceries
pay 35.9% more
Transportation
pay 9.7% more
Housing
pay 84.8% more
Childcare
pay 92.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.9% more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Australia to District of Columbia, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Australia to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
63.103,446
Australia
Key Indicator Comparison
How Australia and District of Columbia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
District of Columbia performs significantly better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than District of Columbia across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though District of Columbia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than District of Columbia across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
National Weather ServiceVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Australia passport holder visiting United States
Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in District of Columbia than Australia?
Day-to-day costs in District of Columbia run about 44% higher than Australia on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to District of Columbia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$110,000 comparable salary, that's around $27,750 in District of Columbia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from District of Columbia?
Working remotely from District of Columbia's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and District of Columbia.
How is healthcare in District of Columbia compared to Australia?
District of Columbia performs significantly better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in District of Columbia compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Washington is 66°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Washington receives around 41.5 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in District of Columbia?
Both Australia and District of Columbia share the same official language: English.
