Moving to Australia from California
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from California to Australia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from California to Australia, you would find that Australia is 10.2% cheaper than California. A $75,000 salary in California would need to be roughly A$88,602 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left.
How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from California to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → A$88,602
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 12.6% less
Groceries
pay 19.4% less
Transportation
pay 1.4% more
Housing
pay 36.1% less
Childcare
pay 32.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.7% 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 Australia cost about 31% less than cities in California.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Australia
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from California to Australia, based on official data.
people moved from United States to Australia · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to Australia?
Top countries of origin for Australia's foreign-born residents.
- 1,285,149
- 653,232
- 611,266
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
- · · ·
-
14.116,620
United States
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from California to Australia.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
California performs better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs significantly better than California 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
California 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 significantly better than California across all family life metrics.
Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Sacramento | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Sacramento | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
National Weather Service
Bureau of MeteorologyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States and Australia. To live, work, or study long-term in Australia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Australia's immigration authority.
United States passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting United States
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 Australia than California?
Yes — Australia is on average about 17% cheaper than California. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly A$22,150 in Australia on a $75,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Usually fine from major cities in Australia. 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 Australia compared to California?
California performs better than Australia across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Australia compared to California?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 74°F in Sacramento. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Sacramento gets 18.5 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
Both California and Australia share the same official language: English.
