Moving to Australia from Netherlands
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Netherlands to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Netherlands to Australia, you would find that Australia is 7.7% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €65,700 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly A$90,992 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Netherlands to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
€65,700 → A$90,992
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 25.6% less
Groceries
pay 5.9% more
Transportation
pay 30.8% less
Housing
pay 15.3% less
Childcare
pay 4.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 18.7% 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 17% less than cities in Netherlands.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Netherlands to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Netherlands 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
- · · ·
-
20.83,585
Netherlands
Key Indicator Comparison
How Netherlands and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Netherlands performs better than Australia 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 generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in adult obesity rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Netherlands generally does better on environment, though Australia leads in air pollution deaths.
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 Netherlands 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
Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in top income tax 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 significantly better than Netherlands across all family life metrics.
Data: Tax and Customs Administration - Belastingdienst, 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 | Amsterdam | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Amsterdam | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.
Netherlands passport holder visiting Australia
Electronic Travel Authorisation
Australia passport holder visiting Netherlands
Visa FreeData: 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 Netherlands?
Generally yes: Australia runs about 16% cheaper than Netherlands 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 €65,700 comparable salary, that's around A$22,748 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Australia?
With 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Australia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Netherlands and Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Netherlands performs better than Australia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Netherlands.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Netherlands?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Netherlands leads in adult obesity rate. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 39.1 in Netherlands. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Netherlands?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.
