Moving to New York from Australia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Australia to New York — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Australia to New York, you would find that New York is 18.0% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,021 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $83,332 in New York to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Albany averages 58°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Australia to New York.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,021 → $83,332
To maintain the same standard of living in New York
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 5.2% more
Groceries
pay 34.7% more
Transportation
pay 4.8% more
Housing
pay 36.1% more
Childcare
pay 50.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.8% 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.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in New York cost about 25% more than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Australia to New York, based on official data.
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
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Australia to New York.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than New York 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
New York generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than New York 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 | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 37°/19°F (2°/-7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 68°/47°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 78°/58°F (26°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Albany |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.8°/-9.7°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 35°/17°F (1.4°/-8.2°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 44°/26°F (6.9°/-3.5°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 58°/37°F (14.6°/2.9°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 69°/47°F (20.8°/8.4°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.6°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 82°/61°F (27.9°/16.3°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 80°/60°F (26.9°/15.5°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 72°/52°F (22.3°/10.9°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 60°/40°F (15.4°/4.2°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 48°/31°F (8.8°/-0.3°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 36°/21°F (2.1°/-6.0°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 New York than Australia?
No — New York is on average about 11% more expensive than Australia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to New York?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $20,833 in New York on a A$107,021 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from New York?
Usually fine from major cities in New York. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in New York compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than New York across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in New York compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Albany is 58°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Albany receives around 39.4 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in New York?
Both Australia and New York share the same official language: English.
