Moving to Australia from Thailand
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Thailand to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Thailand to Australia, you would find that Australia is 2.5 times more expensive than Thailand overall. A THB2,497,395 salary in Thailand would need to be roughly A$177,525 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Canberra averages 67°F vs 91°F in Bangkok, making it significantly cooler.
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 Thailand to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
THB2,497,395 → A$177,525
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 4.3 times more
Groceries
pay 66.4% more
Transportation
pay 64.8% more
Housing
pay 2.9 times more
Childcare
pay 2.7 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.9 times 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 64% more than cities in Thailand.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Thailand to Australia, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Thailand 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
- · · ·
-
22.82,292
Thailand
Key Indicator Comparison
How Thailand 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
Australia performs significantly better than Thailand 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
Thailand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Thailand 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 performs significantly better than Thailand across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Thailand generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in gdp per capita.
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 Thailand across all family life metrics.
Data: The Revenue Department, Government of Thailand, 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 | Bangkok | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/74°F (33°/23°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 93°/78°F (34°/26°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/77°F (32°/25°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/73°F (32°/23°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Bangkok | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/70°F (32.0°/21.0°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.3°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 93°/77°F (33.7°/24.9°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 95°/79°F (34.9°/26.1°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 93°/78°F (34.0°/25.6°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 92°/78°F (33.1°/25.4°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 91°/77°F (32.7°/25.0°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 90°/77°F (32.5°/24.9°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 90°/76°F (32.3°/24.6°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 90°/76°F (32.0°/24.3°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.1°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 88°/69°F (31.3°/20.8°C) | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) |
Thai Meteorological Department
Bureau of MeteorologyVisitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Thailand 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.
Thailand passport holder visiting Australia
Visa Required
Australia passport holder visiting Thailand
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 Thailand?
Day-to-day costs in Australia run about 65% higher than Thailand on average; specific cities can swing further.
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 THB2,497,395 comparable salary, that's around A$44,381 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 Thailand and Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than Thailand across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.8 in Thailand.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Thailand?
Thailand generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Australia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 9.3 in Thailand. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Thailand: 82).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Thailand?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 91°F in Bangkok. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Bangkok gets 59.0 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
The official language in Australia is English. In Thailand, the official language is Thai.
