Moving to Australia from North Carolina
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from North Carolina to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from North Carolina to Australia, you would find that Australia is 7.9% more expensive than North Carolina. A $75,000 salary in North Carolina would need to be roughly A$107,217 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 North Carolina to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → A$107,217
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 6.4% more
Groceries
pay 12.4% less
Transportation
pay 16.0% more
Housing
pay 16.8% less
Childcare
pay 13.4% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 55.4% 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 12% less than cities in North Carolina.
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 North Carolina to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
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
How North Carolina and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs significantly better than North Carolina 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
North Carolina 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 significantly better than North Carolina 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 | Asheville | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 52°/32°F (11°/0°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/53°F (24°/12°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 82°/62°F (28°/17°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 58°/38°F (15°/3°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Asheville | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/28°F (8.1°/-2.4°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 50°/31°F (10.2°/-0.6°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 58°/37°F (14.4°/2.9°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 67°/45°F (19.7°/7.3°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 75°/53°F (23.9°/11.7°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 82°/61°F (27.6°/16.1°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 85°/65°F (29.3°/18.1°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 84°/64°F (28.7°/17.7°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 77°/57°F (25.1°/13.8°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/46°F (19.9°/7.9°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 58°/38°F (14.7°/3.1°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 49°/30°F (9.4°/-0.9°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 North Carolina?
Headline costs are within a few percent between Australia and North Carolina; rent and dining are where you'll actually feel differences.
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$26,804 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 North Carolina and Australia.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to North Carolina?
Australia performs significantly better than North Carolina across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Australia compared to North Carolina?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 67°F in Asheville. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Asheville gets 37.0 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
Both North Carolina and Australia share the same official language: English.
