Moving to Pennsylvania from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Pennsylvania — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Pennsylvania, you would find that Pennsylvania is 9.3% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,021 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $74,235 in Pennsylvania to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Pennsylvania.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,021 → $74,235
To maintain the same standard of living in Pennsylvania
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 1.6% less
Groceries
pay 30.7% more
Transportation
pay 8.6% less
Housing
pay 18.3% more
Childcare
pay 52.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.5% less
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 Pennsylvania, 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 Pennsylvania stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Pennsylvania 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
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 42°/25°F (5°/-4°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 71°/50°F (22°/10°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 81°/61°F (27°/16°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 52°/34°F (11°/1°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Harrisburg |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 36°/21°F (2.5°/-5.9°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 40°/23°F (4.4°/-5.1°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 49°/30°F (9.3°/-0.9°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 61°/40°F (16.1°/4.6°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 72°/50°F (22.2°/10.1°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 81°/60°F (27.2°/15.5°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 85°/64°F (29.2°/17.8°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 83°/63°F (28.2°/17.0°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.8°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 63°/42°F (17.4°/5.6°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 52°/35°F (11.1°/1.6°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 40°/26°F (4.4°/-3.2°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 Pennsylvania than Australia?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Pennsylvania and Australia; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
How much money do I need to move to Pennsylvania?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,021 comparable salary, that's around $18,559 in Pennsylvania for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Pennsylvania?
Working remotely from Pennsylvania's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and Pennsylvania.
How is healthcare in Pennsylvania compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than Pennsylvania across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Pennsylvania compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Harrisburg is 61°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Harrisburg receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Pennsylvania?
Both Australia and Pennsylvania share the same official language: English.
