Moving to Australia from Maryland

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Maryland to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Maryland to Australia, you would find that Australia is 3.5% cheaper than Maryland. A $75,000 salary in Maryland would need to be roughly A$98,065 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?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Maryland to Australia.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 A$98,065

To maintain the same standard of living in Australia

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 0.2% less

Groceries

pay 20.2% less

Transportation

pay 7.7% more

Housing

pay 17.4% less

Childcare

pay 37.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 30.0% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (June 2026)

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 18% less than cities in Maryland.

Maryland

Bethesda 71%

Australia

Sydney 64%
Melbourne 60%
Perth 57%
Brisbane 57%
Adelaide 55%

Compare cities head-to-head

Get free moving quotes to Australia

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Maryland to Australia, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
2,863 ↓ 10% vs 2022

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.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Maryland and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

How's the healthcare?

Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

MD
33.4%
AU
29.0%

Australia performs significantly better than Maryland across all health & wellbeing metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

MD
91.6%
AU
96.0%

Australia performs significantly better than Maryland across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

MD
3.7%
AU
3.7%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

MD
$69,127
AU
$59,500

Maryland generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2022

average years of life at birth

MD
76.8 yrs
AU
83.1 yrs

Australia performs significantly better than Maryland 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.

Annapolis Rain: 47.3 in/yr (1201 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Canberra Rain: 24.8 in/yr (629 mm)
67° / 44°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Annapolis Canberra
Jan–Mar 50°/33°F (10°/0°C) 80°/54°F (26°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 77°/57°F (25°/14°C) 61°/39°F (16°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 86°/69°F (30°/20°C) 56°/35°F (13°/1°C)
Oct–Dec 59°/42°F (15°/6°C) 73°/47°F (23°/9°C)
View all months
Month Annapolis Canberra
Jan 44°/29°F (6.9°/-1.6°C) 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C)
Feb 48°/31°F (9.0°/-0.5°C) 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C)
Mar 57°/38°F (13.7°/3.5°C) 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C)
Apr 68°/47°F (20.1°/8.6°C) 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C)
May 77°/57°F (25.0°/13.7°C) 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C)
Jun 86°/67°F (29.8°/19.2°C) 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C)
Jul 89°/71°F (31.9°/21.9°C) 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C)
Aug 87°/71°F (30.8°/21.4°C) 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C)
Sep 81°/64°F (27.2°/17.6°C) 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C)
Oct 69°/52°F (20.7°/10.9°C) 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C)
Nov 59°/42°F (14.9°/5.3°C) 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C)
Dec 48°/33°F (9.1°/0.4°C) 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service, Bureau of Meteorology Bureau of Meteorology

Visitor 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

United States passport holder visiting Australia

Electronic Travel Authorisation
United States passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter Australia.
Australia passport

Australia passport holder visiting United States

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United States.

Data: 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 Maryland?

Generally yes: Australia runs about 8% cheaper than Maryland on average, though it depends heavily on the city.

How much money do I need to move to Australia?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around A$24,516 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Australia?

Working remotely from Australia's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Maryland and Australia.

How is healthcare in Australia compared to Maryland?

Australia performs significantly better than Maryland across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Australia compared to Maryland?

The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 68°F in Annapolis. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Annapolis gets 47.3 in.

What language do they speak in Australia?

Both Maryland and Australia share the same official language: English.

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At a Glance

AU
Population 5,773,552 26,141,369
Currency United States Dollar ($) Australian Dollar (A$)
Languages English English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +1 +61
Time zones 11 8
Emergency number 911 000