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I had this question asked by some friends and family members over the years.
In my humble opinion the question should not be which city but which suburb.
When I arrived in Australia the prices for a house were dirt cheap compared to western countries, so was and still is the quality.
In a lot of areas we have booming areas were new suburbs pop up almost on a monthly base.
For me some main points worth to consider here these days:
1. Traffic.
Everyone needs a home and some work.
Down here it often means being stuck in traffic causing the drive from and to work be quite long.
Same for going somewhere during holidays or on the weekend.
Public transport is a myth here if you think it is reliable or on time.
2. Schools.
If you have kids or plan on having some later on you will need a school.
Although education is said to be free if you trust the gouvernment, the fact is that finding the right school can be a real pain.
Most good schhol use "zoning", meaning you have live in a certain area to be able to enrol your kid.
In recent years this has caused prices and rent for houses to explode.
If the school is really good you can expect to pay top dollar for rent or a house in this area.
3. Crime.
Not many cities or councils like to admit it but the police in most areas is totally outnumbered.
Despite all new recruitments and new allocations it is often the case that a low level call won't be attended to within 8 hours.
It pays off to check before moving into a new area.
The newly built estate might look great but it does not mean that the older parts of the town are a place you want to be alone in the dark...
Having said that Australia is still a wonderful place to be!
Everyone with the means and will to start over down here should at least try it.
The australian way of life is like an infectious desease and once it gets you you will be hooked for life.
Nothing beats the freedom of going fishing where you like or taking the car right into the middle of nowhere to enjoy natures wonders.
If you plan on staying here you should be aware of some problems you might face:
You need a Visa that allows you to work and stay in the country.
This might sound logical and easy but the truth is that you can't just apply for the Visa and fly down here.
For most people the decision to stay here is made during or after a holiday.
So it would make sense to have references in english, pictures and so on available during these holidays.
This way you check employers and try to find a so called sponsor.
A sponsor is a person or company that is willing to give you a job that can't be filled easy by an australian worker.
This could be qualifications, certain highly valued jobs or simply something in high demand like brick layers, roof tilers or electricians.
In most cases you will need a trade recognition and pay for it upfront with no guarantee that you actually get it.
This should not turn you off though as for most qualifications there is a match available and with a sponsor the process is usally without complications.
Back in the day you could just come here and if you found a job you could stay with little trouble.
This no longer works and I strongly recommend that everyone who does not have a bank account filled to the brim and still needs to work checks the details first.
A lot of people use their savings to start over here only to find out they are unable to change their holiday visa once they arrived....
Why do you think so? Brisbane felt like a big parochial hick town when I went there in Feb 2010. It didn't feel like a true city at all even compared to Melbourne. It was in fact so much smaller than Melb. How much has Brisbane changed since then? Just more buildings in the CBD and more people?
Why do you think so? Brisbane felt like a big parochial hick town when I went there in Feb 2010. It didn't feel like a true city at all even compared to Melbourne. It was in fact so much smaller than Melb. How much has Brisbane changed since then? Just more buildings in the CBD and more people?
It has not changed a bit. It still has one of the countries best universities, it's second most attended (and one of the worlds 50 busiest) art galleries, a whole multitude of cultural and music festivals, opera, ballet, jazz clubs, the countries most awarded convention centre, well over 1,000 cafes, the countries busiest pedestrian mall (which would have been upgraded significantly since 2010) and everything else normally associated with "Hick Town's"
Oh and yes many new buildings and people, currently there are just over 100 construction cranes within 5 km of the CBD, which for most part are building multi story residential apartment buildings.
Last edited by danielsa1775; 01-04-2017 at 05:25 PM..
I think it depends on what you are looking for. If you are single and looking for nightlife Sydney or Melbourne. I would personally go for Sydney because the weather is much nicer there, but Sydney is very crowded and expensive. Melbourne is expensive also and has a more European type of feel. Brisbane would be the best of the 3 for family living in my opinion. While it lacks the night life or cosmopolitan feel of Sydney or Melbourne it is a smaller and more laid back city. but as Danielsa posted Brisbane is looking to catch up in the cultural area. I've been there and found there was plenty to do, but it definitely wasn't as hopping as Sydney or Melbourne.
Comparing it to US cities I would say Sydney would be most like NYC, Melbourne well Melbourne isn't like any US city, so I would say London or Paris maybe, Brisbane is like Houston or a bigger Miami very sprawl like and more modern.
Would Melbourne or Sydney be good to raise a family? For instance, Traffic congestion, getting from one place to the next price tags, cost of living etc.?
Would Melbourne or Sydney be good to raise a family? For instance, Traffic congestion, getting from one place to the next price tags, cost of living etc.?
Both cities are 'challenging' mostly due to outrageous housing prices. Both places are suffering population growth above sustainability. By this I mean putting stress on public transport and schools and hospitals.
Adelaide is very liveable and a great place to raise a family: big but not too big, low crime rates, plenty to do re nature, cosmopolitan...
People tend to forget that Australia is more than just Sydney and Melbourne, apparently even Australians are guilty of this.
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