Do people like living in Australia?
I moved to Australia in 2021 to experience a different kind of lifestyle after living in Japan for 7 years. I moved to Melbourne (you can read the Pros and Cons of living in Melbourne, too) where I’ve lived since. Understanding the pros and cons of living in Australia is crucial for anyone considering relocating to the country.
These are the things that I’ve noticed since living here and I hope they help you make an informed decision about if Australia is right for you. At first I did wonder if it was just me who felt this way, so I asked you all on Threads what bothered you about living in Australia and it looks like I’m not the only one!
What you will find here
Here you’ll find a list of advantages and disadvantages of living in Australia. They are general and affect most Australians, and of course they might not affect you as much depending where you live and your financial situation. Only you know your personal situation, so you can decide if these align with your values and the lifestyle you want to live.
The pros of living in Australia
Nature and the great outdoors
I have travelled all over the world and beaches in Australia are second to none. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest pros of living in Australia. Not only do you have these gorgeous, expansive beaches at your fingertips, but due to the population size of Australia it is easy to escape to a beach or into the wilderness and have it all to yourself. There are so many gorgeous, untouched places to visit in the many, many national parks. It is one of the most perfect countries for a road trip and if the outdoors are your jam, you’ll love it here!
Unique birds and animals
Birds in Australia are something special. Imagine waking up to the sounds of chirps, watching colourful parrots chat on your balcony, and kangaroos bounce about your backyard. When you are living in Australia, that actually happens. It is really something magical.
The cafe culture
Australia has a really unique cafe culture. Living in Australia means embracing the brunch and coffee lifestyle. Think pastel walls, coastal vibes, avocado on toast, and coffee to die for. All over the country, only the best cafes survive in this cut-throat industry.
The weather
If you hate the cold, living in Australia is for you. There are only a few places that snow during winter, so it is easily avoidable. During the heat of summer, you’ll often find places like Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide have cloudy, cooler days each week so I find the heat and cold quite manageable.
The drop bears keep people away
You’ve probably heard that everything in Australia is trying to kill you, right? Big spiders crawling on your face at night, snakes slithering through the windows, and steroid kangaroos ready to beat you up on every corner. Well, it kind of isn’t true. I’ve been here for years and apart from a huntsman spider in a public toilet in the literal outback (the middle of the country which is basically a desert), I’m still alive and breathing. Most Australians live in cities and you’re highly unlikely to see anything more than a cockroach there. But at least the myth keeps the hordes of tourists away so you can have Australia all to yourself!
Work-life balance
Living in Australia is great for work-life balance. Australians will probably hate me for saying this – but they don’t work very hard. It is perfectly normal to turn up to your office job at 9.30am, have a chat with your colleagues, grab a coffee at 10.30am, go out for lunch with friends at 12pm and wander back into the office at 2pm, still expecting to head home at 4pm.
If you’re wondering if any work ever gets done… Well, it kind of doesn’t. Things move very slowly here, so don’t expect an email response within the day when contacting a company and it may take months to complete any process that involves a government body. But that is what is expected here and it is the sacrifice you make to have a very relaxed lifestyle where a swim at the beach in the afternoon on a weekday isn’t out of the picture.
It is so far away from everywhere else
You’ll find that most Australians live in their own little bubble, unaware or uninterested in the horrors happening around the world. Ignorance is bliss, they say, and Australia being so far away from everything makes it easy to kind of pretend it isn’t happening.
The cons of living in Australia
It is so far away from everywhere else
It costs so much to travel overseas from Australia. I have noticed that most people living in Australia do a big trip once every year or two. If you’re a big traveller and want to hop on over to Asia or Europe or even the Americas every now and then be warned you will be in for a day worth of tiring travel
Housing crisis and cost of living
There is a huge housing crisis in Australia and the prices are out of this world for renting and mortgage repayments. You’ll find the quality of homes are pretty poor but come with a million dollar price tag. If you’re thinking of living in Australia you’ll have to save some money for plane tickets, alcohol, cigarettes, and eating out at restaurants as they are all far more expensive than in most countries.
The Lord of the Flies
I’ve told you not to worry about the crocodiles unless you’re in remote areas. But what you do need to worry about are the flies. They’re everywhere. All the time. If it is a sunny day, don’t you dare open your mouth and keep your AirPods securely in your ears. And maybe block your nose, too.
The treatment of First Nations people
We recently had a referendum to allow a Voice to Parliament which would give indigenous representatives the power to advise the government in matters that affected them. The way the public reacted to this was depressing and at times, shocking. The Voice to Parliament was shot down by the public, and racist narratives and casual racism are still very much part of everyday society here.
Fragmented education system
A while ago Australia came up with the Australian curriculum to try and bring all schools together and ensure all Australians get the same education. Some states took on the Australian Curriculum while others integrated and adapted it to their own state curriculum. As an ex-teacher who has taught in two states I can tell you that some kids get a good education and some get a very different education. There are many private, independent, and religious schools here, which get insane amounts of funding from the government while public schools suffer. State-to-state you’ll find that some schools teach a very different history of Australia to others. It is kind of a big mess.
Borderline apocalypse 24/7
Turn on the news and there is always a flood or fire somewhere. The key is to live in the inner cities and you can mostly avoid them. Most of living in Australia is making sure you’re not in the wrong place at the wrong time.
All hail the Murdoch Media
The Murdoch Media empire is bananas and exhausting. The monopoly on the media here means that most TV you see living in Australia is unwatchable, anger-inducing, mind numbing garbage. But who watches TV these days, anyway?
…And the fossil fuel industry
Instead of building a sovereign wealth fund for the people living in Australia, Gina Rinehart and Clive Palmer are gobbling up all the money and resources for themselves. And they just can’t seem to satiate themselves, so they look for more and more parts of Australia to destroy.
The reluctance towards renewables
You can probably guess from the last two cons why this one is happening. It is so expensive to get solar panels and sustainable practices are constantly shot down in this country. Even recycling tetra paks in your normal household rubbish isn’t an option in my suburb.
Cars have the same emission standards as Russia
Cars in Australia are the hand-me-downs that no other country can use or want. Australia still uses 91 unleaded petrol. That means that most cars here are garbage. Electric cars are only just gaining popularity but there still are still not enough charging stations to rely on unless you can charge at home and live in the city. One state even tried to tax EV owners as a deterrent to buying electric vehicles.
Toxic masculinity is everywhere
If you’re planning to date in Australia be prepared for mediocrity. Unlike most cultures where people try hard to succeed, Australian men don’t want to be seen as a ‘try-hard’ so you’ll find most women here complain about the lack of effort from men. You’ll also be shocked to know that 1 in 6 women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or former partner and a woman dies every nine days due to domestic violence in Australia. Men have a lot of societal pressure to be strong, big, and masculine and you’ll see it in the obsession with big cars, sports, bodybuilding, and “mates” culture.
Gambling is everywhere
Australia has a massive sports industry and there isn’t one that Australians won’t bet on. It is culturally ingrained, and you’ll find even young school boys talking about betting amongst their friends. With betting apps and dog/horse racing being widely popular and socially acceptable (Australians even get “dressed up” to go to these events and there are public holidays for some sporting events), you’ll find that Australians are quite the risk takers when it comes to finances.
Cycling is basically non-existent
Australia is very car-dependent (think: USA) and you should cycle at your own risk. If you’re living in Australia you probably will not want to cycle unless there is a clear bicycle path. Which there probably isn’t.
The treatment of animals
Although vegan meals might be found all across the country, Australia is still one of the top countries for animal testing and you’ll often see the motorway littered with kangaroos and wombats that didn’t quite make it. Along with the dying coral reefs and live exports of animals, you just get this feeling that there seems to be a societal ambivalence towards animals and their environment. The government is consistently funding animal agriculture here and the push is evident in the consistent ads tying meat-eating with patriotism.
VERDICT
Is it worth it to live in Australia?
Like Japan, I think that Australia is a very liveable country. It really depends on what your values are and how they align with what lifestyle you want to live. I feel like Australia has a better quality of life for me than anywhere else I’ve lived. I would probably compare Australia to living in Florida or Texas if you replaced guns with cheap healthcare, which isn’t too bad.
Did this article about the pros and cons of living in australia speak to you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you’re on Instagram, you can find me over here: @apicturesquelife so feel free to reach out or use #apicturesquelife and I’d be happy to connect!