Moving to Australia from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Australia, you would find that Australia is 0.9% more expensive than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly A$88,049 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 United States to Australia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → A$88,049
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 3.8% less
Groceries
pay 10.8% less
Transportation
pay 12.2% more
Housing
pay 23.0% less
Childcare
pay 17.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 33.2% 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.
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States 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 United States 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 United States 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
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Australia performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
United States 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
United States 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
United States performs better than Australia across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though United States leads in education spending.
Data: Internal Revenue Service, 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 | Washington | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Canberra |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°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 United States?
Generally yes: Australia runs about 17% cheaper than United States 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$22,012 in Australia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, deposits, 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 United States and Australia.
Is Australia safe for expats?
Australia performs significantly better than United States across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Australia is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to United States?
Australia performs significantly better than United States across all health & wellbeing metrics. There are 39.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Australia, compared to 36.1 in United States. Australia scores 87 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Australia compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Canberra is 67°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Canberra receives around 24.8 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
Both United States and Australia share the same official language: English.
