Moving to Australia from Washington
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Washington to Australia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Washington to Australia, you would find that Australia is 12.5% cheaper than Washington. A $75,000 salary in Washington would need to be roughly A$93,300 in Australia to maintain the same lifestyle. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Sydney averages 72°F vs 60°F in Seattle, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Australia cheaper than Washington?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 12.9% less
Groceries
pay 10.7% less
Transportation
pay 0.7% less
Housing
pay 26.6% less
Childcare
pay 18.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 7.2% 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.
What salary do you need in Australia?
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → A$93,300
To maintain the same standard of living in Australia
Calculate with your salary →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 13% less than cities in Washington.
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 Washington 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 Washington and Australia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Australia performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Australia performs significantly better than Washington 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
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Australia leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Australia performs significantly better than Washington across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2024–2025), US Census Bureau (American Community Survey) (2023), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES) (2022), World Health Organization (2024), Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025), Bureau of Economic Analysis (2024), The World Factbook (2020), OECD Regional Demography (2020). How we calculate this
Weather in Australia vs Washington
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seattle | Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 50°/38°F (10°/3°C) | 79°/66°F (26°/19°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/47°F (18°/8°C) | 69°/54°F (21°/12°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 74°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 66°/50°F (19°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 52°/41°F (11°/5°C) | 75°/61°F (24°/16°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seattle | Sydney |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47°/37°F (8.4°/2.7°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.6°C) |
| Feb | 50°/37°F (9.9°/2.7°C) | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.7°C) |
| Mar | 54°/39°F (12.1°/4.1°C) | 78°/65°F (25.4°/18.1°C) |
| Apr | 58°/42°F (14.7°/5.7°C) | 74°/60°F (23.3°/15.3°C) |
| May | 65°/47°F (18.2°/8.5°C) | 69°/54°F (20.6°/12.5°C) |
| Jun | 70°/52°F (21.1°/11.1°C) | 64°/49°F (18.0°/9.7°C) |
| Jul | 76°/56°F (24.3°/13.1°C) | 63°/48°F (17.4°/8.7°C) |
| Aug | 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.3°C) | 66°/49°F (18.9°/9.7°C) |
| Sep | 71°/52°F (21.4°/11.2°C) | 70°/54°F (21.2°/12.0°C) |
| Oct | 60°/46°F (15.4°/7.7°C) | 73°/58°F (22.8°/14.4°C) |
| Nov | 51°/40°F (10.5°/4.4°C) | 75°/61°F (23.8°/16.3°C) |
| Dec | 46°/36°F (7.6°/2.0°C) | 78°/65°F (25.5°/18.3°C) |
National Weather Service
Bureau of MeteorologyCan you move from Washington to Australia?
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 Washington?
Generally yes: Australia runs about 13% cheaper than Washington 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$23,325 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 Washington and Australia.
How is healthcare in Australia compared to Washington?
Australia performs significantly better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Australia compared to Washington?
The average high temperature in Sydney is 72°F, compared to 60°F in Seattle. Sydney receives around 48.1 in of rainfall per year, while Seattle gets 37.5 in.
What language do they speak in Australia?
Both Washington and Australia share the same official language: English.
