How Expats Rate Life in Melbourne and Sydney
- Fairly Easy to Get Started
- High Costs Put a Dampener on Things
- Sunny Weather vs. Long Distance
- Good Career Prospects for Expats
- 14 | Melbourne
- 19 | Sydney
- Further Reading
Both Melbourne (14th) and Sydney (19th) make it into the top 20 of the 2024 Expat City Ranking, which includes 53 destinations in total. Their results across the survey topics are fairly similar, and expats in both cities are satisfied with their life abroad. Around three-quarters (77% in Melbourne; 75% in Sydney) find they’re generally happy, compared to 68% of respondents worldwide.
Fairly Easy to Get Started
Respondents in both cities appreciate the Ease of Settling In (Melbourne 13th; Sydney 19th), with around two-thirds finding it easy to get used to the local culture (68% in Melbourne; 67% in Sydney vs. 59% globally). Though locals in Melbourne seem to be a touch friendlier (11th vs. 20th).
Expats also face few struggles when it comes to the Expat Essentials Index, which measures topics such as ease of administration, digital life, accommodation, and language. Sydney (19th) follows close behind Melbourne (14th) in this index.
High Costs Put a Dampener on Things
Personal Finances in general are a sore point, with Melbourne ranking 34th and Sydney 42nd. In fact, close to two-thirds of expats in Sydney (65%) rate the cost of living negatively, and over half (51%) say the same about Melbourne (vs. 39% globally).
“Transportation is expensive. Food is expensive. Hospital bills are expensive.” – Nepali expat in Sydney
Speaking of medical care, both cities receive some of their worst results in the Quality of Life Index: Melbourne ranks 34th and Sydney 37th in the Healthcare Subcategory. At least three in ten respondents negatively rate the affordability of medical care in Melbourne (30%) and Sydney (38%), compared to 22% of expats worldwide. And it’s not just the costs: expats aren’t enthusiastic about the availability (Melbourne 31st; Sydney 39th) and quality (29th; 33rd), either.
Sunny Weather vs. Long Distance
In general, the Quality of Life presents a mixed bag, with Melbourne ranking 15th and Sydney 26th in the index. Next to healthcare, expats aren’t particularly happy when it comes to Travel & Transit (Melbourne 33rd; Sydney 41st). The distance from other countries can be an issue, with both cities placing in the bottom 10 for the opportunity to travel.
“It’s just so far away from home (24-hour flight), my aging parents, and the rest of my family …” – German expat in Sydney
The Environment & Climate Subcategory is a highlight, though, with both cities placing in the top 15.
“I love the nature and all the opportunities to see unique wildlife.” – US American expat in Melbourne
Opinions differ when it comes to Leisure Options: Melbourne ranks 6th, while Sydney receives a much more mediocre result (26th).
Good Career Prospects for Expats
Sydney makes up some of that lost ground in the Working Abroad Index: it ranks 6th, compared to Melbourne’s 19th place. This is down to better results across nearly all factors of the index. In fact, Sydney ranks in the top 5 for two out of four subcategories: it places 3rd for Work Culture & Satisfaction and 5th for Career Prospects.
Expats in Sydney are happier with their personal career opportunities (73% positive ratings vs. 56% in Melbourne and 53% globally) and report a higher overall job satisfaction (72% vs. 60% in Melbourne and globally). Still, Melbourne’s 11th and 13th place for Work Culture & Satisfaction and Career Prospects, respectively, are quite impressive. Jobs in both cities offer fair pay according to expats (Melbourne 4th; Sydney 5th).
“Australia is a hub of opportunities. There is so much to do and it’s possible to make it here if one is committed to their work.” – Kenyan expat in Melbourne
14 | Melbourne
Following 8th place in 2022, Melbourne once again lands among the top 15 cities in 2024, ranking 14th out of 53 destinations. (Melbourne didn’t make it into the ranking in 2023.)
The city receives some of its best results in the Expat Essentials Index (14th), placing 9th for Digital Life and 15th for Admin Topics. Expats in Melbourne are much more likely than the global average to agree that administrative services are easily available online (85% vs. 58% globally) and that the local bureaucracy in general isn’t too difficult to deal with (57% vs. 36%). Getting a visa in the first place can be a hurdle, though (47th).
The majority feels both welcome (20th) and at home in Melbourne (15th), with 79% of expats agreeing that the people are friendly towards foreign residents (vs. 61% globally). Their reasons for moving to Australia are diverse, with one in ten (10%) looking for a better quality of life.
This quality comes at a price, as Melbourne receives its worst results in the Personal Finance Index (34th). Close to two in five expats (38%) share that the high cost of living was one of their biggest concerns before moving to Melbourne (vs. 25% globally).
Luckily, expats at least feel like they’re paid fairly for their work: Melbourne ranks 4th for this factor, as well as for the local job market. But while respondents are satisfied with their work–life balance (72% vs. 60% globally), their general job satisfaction is slightly below average (37th). And close to a quarter (24%) are unhappy with their job security (vs. 22% globally).
19 | Sydney
In 19th place, Sydney sees some recovery from its dip in the previous year (27th out of 49 cities).
In large part, this is due to a much improved result in the Working Abroad Index (from 21st to 6th), and especially its Career Prospects Subcategory (21st to 5th). Two-thirds of respondents (67%) rate the local job market favorably, compared to just 41% worldwide. They also appreciate their working hours (8th) and agree that the local business culture supports flexibility (6th).
Expats love the climate & weather (11th) as well as the natural environment (9th) but aren’t convinced by Sydney’s culture & nightlife offering (46th). There are plenty of sporting opportunities, at least — not a single respondent disagreed with this statement (vs. 11% globally).
Sydney ranks 19th in the Ease of Settling In Index. Close to three-quarters of expats (73%) feel welcome there, 10 percentage points above the global average of 63%. And the city ranks 20th both for the general friendliness of the residents and the ease of making local friends.
Settling in is comparatively easy when it comes to (most of) the basics of life abroad, too. For instance, expats find it’s simple to open a local bank account (76% positive ratings vs. 60% globally) or handle the bureaucracy (53% vs. 36%). However, housing in Sydney isn’t always easy to find (32nd) or afford (42nd).
Finances in general are the one big downside: many respondents find that their disposable household income is not enough to lead a comfortable life, with Sydney ranking 44th for this factor.
