By Blair Pedersen
The cost of living in Australia
Australia is a land of opportunity with many jobs in all professions, from seasonal work to mining and then all areas of white-collar professions. There’s something for everyone here. With white sand beaches, tropical rainforest, the 12 apostles, Aires rock, red deserts and high annual salaries, it’s easy to understand why people flock from around the world to establish a life in Australia.
Let’s see if Australia is the land of milk and honey that many people say that it is.
Groceries
The necessities of living are always found at the grocery store. An excellent indication of the cost of living in any country is the price of groceries and other supermarket goods. Here is what you would expect to pay for the basics.
Milk | $1.60 | 1 litre |
Loaf of bread | $2.70 | loaf |
Rice | $2.65 | 1kg |
Eggs | $4.30 | Dozen |
Cheese | $9.50 | 1kg |
Chicken breasts | $10.60 | 1kg |
Beef round | $16.00 | 1kg |
Apples | $4.15 | 1kg |
Bananas | $3.40 | 1kg |
Oranges | $3.80 | 1kg |
Tomatoes | $4.90 | 1kg |
Potatoes | $3.30 | 1kg |
Onions | $2.60 | 1kg |
Lettuce | $2.20 | per head |
Dining out
Sydney and Melbourne are legendary for their boutique eateries around the city and surrounding suburbs. They’re also very diverse cities, capturing the spirit of Australia’s migrant tradition. Check out the list of pricing that you would expect when dining out per person in Australia.
Restaurant in Sydney | |
Burger with fish or meat | $17.00 |
Salads | $16.00 |
Pizza | $16.00 |
Desserts | $12.00 |
Cafe in Sydney | |
Burger | $16.00 |
Chicken risotto | $15.00 |
Meat tenderloin 350g with a garnish | $21.50 |
Caesar salad | $12.00 |
Pasta carbonara | $15.00 |
Soup of the day | $7.50 |
Restaurant in Melbourne | |
Salad | $12.00 |
Burger | $13.00 |
The main fish or meat dish | $18.00 |
Beer 0.5l | $8.50 |
Alcoholic cocktails | $17.00 |
Gym memberships
Although you probably want to spend time outside in Australia, sometimes it gets a bit too hot, making an air-conditioned environment a great place to work out. The average gym membership in Australia is about $65 a month, or about $780 a year.
Petrol prices
Compared to New Zealand, the petrol prices in Australia are much more affordable. Expect to pay anywhere between $1.24 and $1.74 a litre for regular, 91 unleaded fuel in Australia. As with the rest of Australasia, the petrol price in Australia is volatile.
Vehicle costs
You need a car in Australia. It’s such a big country that it puts a new meaning to the phrase ‘road trip’. As an example, a road-trip from Brisbane to Townsville will take 20 hours with close to 1,400 kilometres between the 2 cities, which are both in the same state! This illustrates the need to have a good car to get around in Aussie. See these prices for brand new cars of the most popular brands in the country:
Toyota Corolla | $21,240 |
Mazda 3 | $24,990 |
Suzuki Swift | $15,990 |
Commuting in Australia
Everyone needs to get to work and studies show that shorter commutes are directly related to overall quality of life. Here is the average amount of time you should expect to spend commuting to work every week in Australia.
Average weekly commuting times | Hours |
ACT | 2 |
Adelaide | 3.5 |
Perth | 3.5 |
Brisbane | 4 |
Melbourne | 4.5 |
Sydney | 4.5 |
Sourced from: https://www.tai.org.au/sites/default/files/DP78_8.pdf
Property prices
Property prices in Australia vary wildly. Sydney has the highest average housing price while other rural areas offer extremely affordable pricing, if you’re willing to be a little isolated. For the sake of this article, we’re going to focus on prices in urban centres.
Here are average property prices in Australia for reference:
City | Average house price | Average unit price |
Sydney, NSW | $955,000 | $720,000 |
Melbourne, VIC | $737,000 | $550,000 |
Brisbane, QLD | $530,000 | $390,000 |
Adelaide, SA | $465,000 | $340,000 |
Perth, WA | $500,000 | $380,000 |
Hobart, Tasi | $450,000 | $336,000 |
Canberra, ACT | $670,000 | $426,000 |
Sometimes circumstance dictates that renting is a more attractive option than purchasing a property. Here is a list of average rental prices to set an expectation of what to pay when you move there.
Metro area | Apartments | Houses |
Sydney | $312 | $200 |
Melbourne | $270 | $140 |
Brisbane | $230 | $137 |
Perth | $200 | $116 |
Adelaide | $150 | $120 |
Hobart | $185 | $164 |
Darwin | $160 | $133 |
Canberra | $350 | $176 |
Price per room. Sourced from: https://www.rent.com.au/blog/rental-snapshot-may-2019
Wages
Australia has one of the highest minimum wages in the world, it’s in the midst of a mining boom and has many large cities that are home to enormous businesses. It’s one of the most prosperous countries in the world and an attractive place to live.
Here is the average salary by state in Australia:
State | Average annual wage |
Tasmania | $71,718 |
South Australia | $75,369 |
Queensland | $80,304 |
Victoria | $80,610 |
New South Wales | $83,517 |
Northern Territory | $86,762 |
Western Australia | $90,496 |
Capital Territory | $94,224 |
Breaking it down to professions, here is the average salary in Australia:
Business Sector | Average annual wage |
Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants | $59,415 |
Retail Trade | $60,892 |
Other services | $66,404 |
Manufacturing | $73,523 |
Administrative and Support Services | $74,927 |
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services | $76,476 |
Construction | $80,616 |
Wholesale Trade | $81,406 |
Arts and Recreation Services | $81,676 |
Transport, Postal, Warehousing | $86,694 |
Health Care and Social Assistance | $87,786 |
Public Administration and Safety | $89,253 |
Education and Training | $94,375 |
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | $97,240 |
Electricity, Gas, Water, and Waste Services | $98,878 |
Financial and Insurance Services | $100,365 |
Information Media and Telecommunications | $102,278 |
Mining | $137,660 |
Sourced from: https://www.livingin-australia.com/salaries-australia/
Healthcare
Australia has a public healthcare system available to all citizens. It’s called Medicare. Medicare will cover you for a doctor’s visit and will also cover ambulance and hospital costs if you have an accident or become sick.
There are approximately 700 public and 600 private hospitals in Australia. The average cost of private health insurance for 1 person is $2,000 per year. Although it is not necessary, private health insurance will fast track your hospital visits.
The cost of living in Australia
If you enjoy sunshine, a good quality of life and work opportunities across many different sectors, Australia could be the country for you. As with all countries, there are some expensive cities that pump up the living expenses. In general, the average cost of living is comparable to New Zealand with more affordable house prices. Remember to check how Australian dollars fare against your currency with our currency converter.