Moving to Australia from New Zealand
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from New Zealand to Australia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from New Zealand to Australia, you would find that Australia is 20.2% more expensive than New Zealand overall. A NZ$130,152 salary in New Zealand would need to be roughly A$122,149 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from New Zealand to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
NZ$130,152 → A$122,149
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 13.9% more
Groceries
pay 10.1% more
Transportation
pay 0.3% more
Housing
pay 22.5% more
Childcare
pay 67.5% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 19.1% 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 24% more than cities in New Zealand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from New Zealand to Australia, based on official data.
people moved from New Zealand 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
-
3.611,266
New Zealand
- 579,264
- 286,303
- 269,812
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from New Zealand to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia performs significantly better than New Zealand 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 New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
New Zealand 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
New Zealand generally does better on infrastructure, though Australia leads in water stress level.
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
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though New Zealand 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 New Zealand across all family life metrics.
Data: New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, 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 | Wellington | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 69°/58°F (21°/14°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 59°/49°F (15°/10°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/46°F (13°/8°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 64°/53°F (18°/12°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Wellington | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70°/58°F (21.2°/14.7°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 70°/59°F (21.3°/14.8°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 68°/56°F (19.8°/13.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 63°/53°F (17.4°/11.5°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 59°/49°F (15.2°/9.7°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 56°/46°F (13.1°/7.9°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 54°/44°F (12.3°/6.9°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 55°/45°F (12.9°/7.4°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 58°/48°F (14.5°/8.8°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 60°/50°F (15.8°/10.0°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 64°/53°F (17.5°/11.4°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 67°/56°F (19.6°/13.5°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Data:
New Zealand National Meteorological Service,
Bureau of Meteorology
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between New Zealand 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.
New Zealand passport holder visiting Australia
Visa on Arrival
Australia passport holder visiting New Zealand
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 New Zealand?
No — Australia is on average about 13% more expensive than New Zealand. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Australia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly A$30,537 in Australia on a NZ$130,152 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Australia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Australia has 35.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than New Zealand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in New Zealand.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to New Zealand?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though New Zealand leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 35.7 in New Zealand. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (New Zealand: 85).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to New Zealand?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 62°F in Wellington. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Wellington gets 37.7 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In New Zealand, the official languages are English, Māori and New Zealand Sign Language.
