Cost of Living Reports
Believing that it is a paradise on the Earth, people all around the world often dream of moving to and settling in Australia.
Whether it is because of the sun, sea and surfing, or due to the high living standards, what you need to know before traveling there is how much money you need to cover the basic expenses.
Australia used to be and still is an attractive destination for people all over the globe, as they will be earning a good salary, but spend less than you can imagine or expect.
RESTAURANTS
If you want to enjoy in Australia, you should think about visiting and dining in any of its restaurants.
The prices are reasonable when compared to monthly wage, but not at all appropriate for the tourists coming from countries with average monthly net salary of $200.
That is why many of them decide to prepare a home-cooked meal made of groceries bought at the local markets.
MARKETS
The food, fruit and vegetable prices at local markets are rather affordable.
The price of bread and eggs might be slightly higher than elsewhere in the world, but that is not unusual for Australia.
It is interesting that you might spend $4 or even more for a cup of coffee there.
TRANSPORTATION
Australia has amazing public transportation, but to be able to use it you will need to pay a relative high transport costs.
Even though it is not on the first place based on the expensiveness and there are places where transportation prices are even higher, a monthly transport ticket can cost up to $189 in some cities in Australia.
UTILITIES (MONTHLY)
SPORTS & LEISURE
Australians are very fond of sports and outdoor activities and they promote healthy lifestyle while enjoying walking, running and cycling.
Prices for monthly fitness fees are rather low and they differ from city to city in Australia, but generally speaking they are fully affordable even to those who earn minimum wages.
CLOTHING & SHOES
RENT PER MONTH
Cost of Living Averages Table for Australia
| Average Restaurant Prices | |
|---|---|
| Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant) | $ 12.80 |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter) | $ 5.69 |
| Water (0.33 Liter) | $ 1.92 | Average Market Prices |
| Milk (1 Liter) | $ 1.03 |
| Loaf Bread (500g) | $ 1.77 |
| Eggs (12) | $ 3.02 | Average Transport Prices |
| One Way Ticket | $ 2.84 |
| Monthly Pass | $ 103.09 |
| Gasoline | $ 1.05 | Average Utilities Prices |
| Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling) | $ 141.76 |
| 1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local | $ 0.14 |
| Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | $ 52.34 | Average Leisure Prices |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | $ 44.12 |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour) | $ 13.81 |
| Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release | $ 12.80 | Average Clothing Prices |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable) | $ 69.75 |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...) | $ 44.20 |
| 1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range) | $ 94.73 | Average Rent Prices |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center | $ 1191.36 |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center | $ 912.32 |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center | $ 1931.89 |
How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Australia?
When you take a look at the statistics, almost in every country rent and food takes the most money.
They are basic necessities that have to be paid, before everything else.
Australia is a country where not much money is spent on clothing, only 2.5%.
They like visiting restaurants and eating out, but still most of meals are prepared at home.
It is interesting that even though the promote healthy lifestyle, insignificant amount of money is spend on sports and leisure.
Australia: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages
Even though Australia belongs to those countries with the highest cost of living in the world, it is so due to the high monthly net salaries that its citizens get.
Compared to some less developed countries, their minimum wage is 10 times higher and thus the prices are greater.
It is worth noting that mortgage interest rates are quite lower than in less developed countries.
All in all, if you have a well-paid job there, it is definitely a perfect place for life.
Cost of Living by City in Australia
*Click the name of the city for more information.
| City | Cost of Living Index |
|---|---|
| Adelaide | 72.92 |
| Brisbane | 70.46 |
| Canberra | 69.88 |
| Darwin | 72.47 |
| Gold Coast | 64.53 |
| Hobart | 69.1 |
| Melbourne | 74.53 |
| Newcastle | 71.42 |
| Perth | 75.09 |
| Sydney | 79.93 |