Where to live in Australia?

Julien wrote:

Australia is definitely too big! There are so many places to see, cultures to discover ...

Which city would you recommend to expatriates? Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth (or others)?

Is it easy to integrate the Aussie way of life?

Given that I never went anywhere else... I say Melbourne (I was 3.5 months there recently).

Good for me because the weather is not too hot (but winter was quite warm compared to UK). Friendly people. High proportion of Asia culture (mainly Chinese and Vietnamese.... but a good amount of Japanese), so easy-ish to cook up Japanese food when I fancy a break from the Greek, Italian, and "Aussie" food.

Mind you, didn't get time to explore other areas, so I can't really make a informed choice (grrr, work using up too much time!).

They are all very different from each other. But first thing, if you mean that you want to emigrate to Australia that isn't very easy. There are strict rules which you need to check on www.immi.gov.au
Immigrants' visas may stipulate that they have to live in certain areas for the first few years.

Even if that is not the case, where you live may depend on where you can find a job. Sydney and Melbourne are the largest cities, so they have more jobs available.

If you have a choice a quick snapshot is that Melbourne is the most European. It has the worst weather too. Sydney is also very cosmopolitan, is very water focussed - the harbour and many city beaches. Perth is much smaller and newer, has a pioneer feel about it. Brisbane is also smaller, is sub-tropical so the weather is more humid, and it's more laid-back. Adelaide is small too, known as the city of churches.

You really need to google to find websites about Australia in general and the cities in particular, to get detailed information.

Can anybody please give me some details about living cost in australia. consider me as single.

Resources boom is still on a roll here in the northwestern parts.  So, if you've experience in the oil&gas industry, you shouldn't have much difficulty getting a job first.   Everything is quite costly nowadays, even petrol has gone up significantly.  Grocery bills easily total up to S200 per trip, may last you a week or less.  Maybe put that at $70 for singles. But again the grocery bills does fluctuate depending on where you are. A meal in an asian restaurant averages from $7-10 per dish.  In western eateries, make that about $25 per pax for mid-range meal.

Up here in Darwin, where it's hot and far away from shipping hubs, stuff costs about 15% more than what I would normally pay for in Perth.  Rentals are expensive too, mine is $420 per week for a 4x2 with pool.  But you can still get reasonable apartments for under $200/week in Perth. Rentals vary also depending on which part of AU you are looking at.  Also, it is big, so if you can, buy a cheap, secondhand car or depend on the public transport where if you miss a bus, the next one might take anything from 30mins to 1 hr to arrive!  Wait! there are trains still.

At least $2000 per month would be a very conservative estimate.  Initial settling down expenses will run well over that when you factor in the bond and letting fees for places to stay, adavnce 2 weeks rental payment, connection fees, getting in household effects, etc.. it does add up.

I have enjoyed living in Dongara, Port Denison, a little seaside town further up north from Perth.  Town is small but friendly.  The place where we stayed was just a hop, skip and jump away from the beach.  Everyday felt like a holiday and it's so safe you can leave your doors unlocked when you go out walking.  Again, grocery is more expensive than you would pay for in Perth since it's a small town away from cities.  Geraldton is 1 hour away from it but life is more complicated there with bikie gangs and what not.

Perth is nice but unsafe.  Lock your doors at night and lock your car.  We had our swing set stolen when we left it on the front lawn when we initially arrived.

Darwin is hot and stiffling where I am now.  Still not used to it and wish we were back in Perth, where my friends are.  Heat is killing and I don't feel like stepping out from the comfort of home even...

I would definitely say Sydney, if you go in the surbubs (coogee, manly, bondi,..) but cairns is also very lively (the sea is not so great but the tropical forest all around the town is splendid).
Brisbane is not as good as sydney or melbourne

Now please be aware that I only have been in AUstralie for 8 month now.... so this is just a very limited experience.

If you live in Melbourne and need to work in the city I would recomend Point Cook as a place to live.

Why... excellent question.

If you are new in the country, I think the best is to look for new communities and/or new estates  (do I make any sense)  So that if everyone is new, you can meet new peoples. Now in point Cook you can get the posh like Sanctuary lakes and the not so posh Wyndham and the in between. All new estates new schools.
(writing this in 2007) so easier to make friends.

We have had a look all around Melbourne and this one makes quite a lot of sense for us.

Are we gonna settle here in Melbourne.... Not sure, it looks like Brisbane is calling us.....

Where to live in down under.... all cities have good things. Perth is provincial, their boom has pushed housing prices to affordability........for how long....   

Pick a city, and just go boots and all.

That's what we did... and Australia is a fabulous place.

Loving it



Francine