Moving to Wisconsin from Australia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Australia to Wisconsin — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Australia to Wisconsin, you would find that Wisconsin is 7.0% more expensive than Australia overall. A A$107,021 salary in Australia would need to be roughly $69,574 in Wisconsin to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Madison averages 56°F vs 67°F in Canberra, making it significantly cooler.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Australia to Wisconsin.
What does your salary buy?
A$107,021 → $69,574
To maintain the same standard of living in Wisconsin
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 1.6% less
Groceries
pay 13.1% more
Transportation
pay 14.8% less
Housing
pay 6.6% more
Childcare
pay 71.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 12.7% 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 Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs better than Wisconsin across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs better than Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs better than Wisconsin 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 | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 33°/17°F (1°/-8°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 68°/46°F (20°/8°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 78°/57°F (25°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 44°/28°F (7°/-2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Madison |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 26°/11°F (-3.1°/-11.6°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 31°/15°F (-0.5°/-9.4°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 43°/25°F (6.2°/-4.0°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 57°/36°F (14.1°/2.1°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 68°/46°F (20.2°/7.8°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 78°/56°F (25.5°/13.4°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 79°/59°F (26.3°/15.0°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 72°/50°F (22.1°/10.1°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 59°/39°F (14.9°/3.8°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 44°/28°F (6.7°/-2.1°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 30°/16°F (-1.0°/-8.9°C) |
Visitor 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 Wisconsin than Australia?
Generally yes: Wisconsin runs about 7% cheaper than Australia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Wisconsin?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a A$107,021 comparable salary, that's around $17,394 in Wisconsin for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Wisconsin?
Working remotely from Wisconsin's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Australia and Wisconsin.
How is healthcare in Wisconsin compared to Australia?
Australia performs better than Wisconsin across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Wisconsin compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Madison is 56°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Madison receives around 34.5 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Wisconsin?
Both Australia and Wisconsin share the same official language: English.
Bureau of Meteorology
National Weather Service