Moving to Virginia from Australia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Australia to Virginia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Australia to Virginia, you would find that Virginia is 11.1% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $85,900 in Virginia 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 ↓Is Virginia cheaper than Australia?
How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 10.6% more
Groceries
pay 19.5% more
Transportation
pay 9.4% less
Housing
pay 26.0% more
Childcare
pay 26.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Virginia?
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → $85,900
To maintain the same standard of living in Virginia
Calculate with your salary →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 Virginia cost about 20% more than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Virginia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Australia to Virginia.
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 Virginia compared to Australia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Virginia 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
Virginia performs significantly better than Australia across all employment & economy metrics.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than Virginia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), World Health Organization (2024), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2020), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Virginia vs Australia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sydney | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) | 53°/32°F (12°/0°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 69°/54°F (21°/12°C) | 78°/55°F (26°/13°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 86°/65°F (30°/19°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/61°F (24°/16°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sydney | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.6°C) | 47°/28°F (8.6°/-2.1°C) |
| Feb | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.7°C) | 51°/31°F (10.7°/-0.8°C) |
| Mar | 78°/65°F (25.4°/18.1°C) | 60°/37°F (15.6°/2.8°C) |
| Apr | 74°/60°F (23.3°/15.3°C) | 70°/46°F (21.3°/7.8°C) |
| May | 69°/54°F (20.6°/12.5°C) | 78°/55°F (25.5°/12.8°C) |
| Jun | 64°/49°F (18.0°/9.7°C) | 86°/65°F (30.1°/18.1°C) |
| Jul | 63°/48°F (17.4°/8.7°C) | 90°/69°F (32.1°/20.5°C) |
| Aug | 66°/49°F (18.9°/9.7°C) | 88°/67°F (30.9°/19.7°C) |
| Sep | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.0°C) | 81°/60°F (27.3°/15.6°C) |
| Oct | 73°/58°F (22.8°/14.4°C) | 71°/48°F (21.7°/9.1°C) |
| Nov | 75°/61°F (23.8°/16.3°C) | 61°/39°F (16.3°/4.1°C) |
| Dec | 78°/65°F (25.5°/18.3°C) | 51°/31°F (10.4°/-0.3°C) |
Bureau of Meteorology
National Weather ServiceCan you move from Australia to Virginia?
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 Virginia than Australia?
On average Virginia is around 11% pricier than Australia, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Virginia?
Budget about $21,475 for 3 months in Virginia (based on a A$110,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Virginia?
From major Virginia cities the network usually holds up. Visa rules, your employer's stance on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and Virginia are what actually decide it long-term.
How is healthcare in Virginia compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than Virginia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Virginia compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Richmond is 70°F, compared to 72°F in Sydney. Richmond receives around 43.6 in of rainfall per year, while Sydney gets 48.1 in.
What language do they speak in Virginia?
Both Australia and Virginia share the same official language: English.
