Cost of living in Australian cities
With new graduates starting on AUS $60-70k plus Super(9.5% pension on top of your base salary)and physios with Australian experience looking to earn 80k+, the salaries are definitely higher than the UK but what's the cost of living really like in Australia?
From food/coffee to rent and transport we are going to go through what it costs to live in one of the major cities in Australia - our home Melbourne.
Okay lets start our day- Coffee!
Locals do not drink Starbucks/ Costa, it's all about independent boutique coffee shops here - our local and favorite is The Fourth Chapter in Windsor.
A small coffee will cost you AUS $4 and large $4.50.
If you are on a budget you can head to 7/11 which offer take away coffee for $1.
Now to get to work!
Most people living in Melbourne get the tram to work - it's a good service and runs regularly.
The tram costs $9 for a return and is a set fee (the distance traveled does not affect the price). If you are using the tram at the weekend this is capped at $6.50.
If you live close to work you could consider cycling, the climate is great to do this and there are lots of cycle lanes. Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace are great places to buy second-hand bikes etc.
Forgot to bring lunch?
If you don't take lunch to work you it will cost you $5 - $10 to buy a sandwich/salad/sushi and you can expect to pay slightly more if eating in a cafe.
After work- keeping fit!
Physiotherapists are generally good at keeping fit, but what have the Physioabroad team got involved with?
Swimming at an outdoor 50m pool = $6 per swim and in the summer you can sunbathe after!
Gym Membership = $15 per week
Melbourne Social Netball - 12 weeks/ 12 games = $160. They have mixed teams and girls only so guys can get also involved with this!
Tennis - a little more expensive around $25 for group sessions but really popular - especially around The Australian Open!
Bike rides to the beach in summer = FREE!
We would highly recommend joining a social/team sports team as it is a fantastic way to meet others :)
Time to explore - WEEKENDS
Summer for the Physioabroad Team is all about weekend trips and exploring Australia.
You will find when you work/live abroad you want to do so much more with your weekends. The weather here allows you to go camping and experience new places for a relativley low cost. From Melbourne, popular weekend trips include The Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, The Grampians and Wilsons Prom. Wherever you are based in Australia there are so many amazing places to visit!
For those that don't want to buy a car you can use sites like Car Next Door and rent someone else's car for the weekend - there are loads of cars available within walking distance to your home and can be booked last minute. These rentals cost around $25 per day plus $0.33 per km for fuel so depending on how far you drive it's roughly $100 for 2 days with fuel. Campsites can cost anything from $0- $65 and you can use apps like WikiCamps to search for campsites.
If you need to buy camping gear head to Kmart or search Gumtree/ Facebook Marketplace, you've only got to buy it once and can sell it again once you leave.
Camping trips in Australia are all about hikes, wildlife, beaches, and sunsets!
Staying in Melbourne for the weekend - Eating/Drinking out
Melbourne has particularly good choices for places to eat/drink out. You can expect to pay around $20 to eat out, with a glass of wine or beer costing $10. There are lots of happy hours - check our The Happiest Hour app for half-price drinks and food specials!
The boring but important things - Rent/Bills/Food Shop
Australia has a reputation for being expensive but you get SOOOO much more for your money compared to living in London.
For singles aim for $200 - $250 per week in a share house (top row of pictures below = 2 girls sharing a flat, they have their own bedroom, can walk to St Kilda beach in 20 mins and pay $200 each per week).
For couples (or those that want something bigger) - expect to pay $350 per week for a large room and ensuite bathroom in a share house (2nd row of pictures below = 2 couples sharing a townhouse, both bedrooms have their own bathroom and is located within walking distance to Chapel Street which is full of bars/restaurants). If you want to live on your own expect to pay $450 per week.
Rental prices are cheaper in Brisbane, Peth, Gold Coast, Cairns and regional areas whilst Sydney is quite a lot more expensive.
Wifi is $60 per month for one house and bills usually cost $80 per month each.
Aldi is definitely the cheapest place to do your food shop here - it's very similar to the UK so really depends on what you usually buy - we reckon an average weekly food shop costs around $70 without alcohol (alcohol is around $10 for a bottle of wine or $18 for 6 beers).
For your phone, Optus is very popular and offers $49 per month which includes unlimited calls back to the UK.
Okay, so what does this all add up to each month?
Let's say:
Take away coffee from a cafe every day at $4 = $112
Gym membership at $15 per week = $60
5 x tram pass at $9 per day = $180
Shop at $70 per week = $280
Rent at $250 per week = $1000
Bills = $80
WIFI sharing with one other = $30
Phone(Sim Only) = $49
Rough basic monthly cost = $1791
Starting base salary = 60k MSK, 70k Aged Care
After your basic monthly costs this leaves you with lots of money to spend on interstate travel/holidays, going out for meals, joining sports teams, alcohol, weekend trips, extra activities or saving!
From what we have experienced living in Australia definitely offers a great quality of life!