Moving to United States from Australia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Australia to United States? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Australia to United States, you would find that United States is 9.4% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,867 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $90,592 in United States to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Australia and United States.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,867 → $90,592
To maintain the same standard of living in United States
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 4.9% more
Groceries
pay 24.0% more
Transportation
pay 7.9% less
Housing
pay 31.3% more
Childcare
pay 30.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 5.2% 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.
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 United States cost about 52% more than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Australia to United States.
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
The numbers behind daily life in United States compared to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs better than United States across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though United States leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Australia generally does better on infrastructure, though United States leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
Australia performs better than United States across all family life metrics.
Data: Australian Taxation Office, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
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 United States than Australia?
On average United States is around 21% pricier than Australia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to United States?
Budget about $22,648 for 3 months in United States (based on a A$107,867 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from United States?
Connectivity is usually fine (United States: 37.8 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does United States offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is United States safe for expats?
Australia performs better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United States is 6.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in United States compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in United States, compared to 39.8 in Australia. United States scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in United States 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 United States?
Both Australia and United States share the same official language: English.
