What To Expect If You’re Moving To Sydney, Australia
Last Updated on Apr 18, 2024
Sydney tends to come second to Melbourne when it comes to the opinions of many travelers, but don’t let other people put you off – Sydney is beautiful. There’s a rich arts scene with loads of museums, galleries, theaters, and of course, the Sydney Opera House, along with a host of markets, festivals, bars, beaches, and parks.
While the temperature can drop to around 10 degrees Celsius in winter, the city spends much of the year in full sunshine, which means the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, the harbor is sparkling, and the cafes are buzzing most of the time.
What To Expect If You’re Moving To Sydney Australia
Is Sydney Safe?
Like most cities, Sydney isn’t crime-free, but it’s a pretty safe place. The law states that no one is permitted to walk around with a weapon (guns, knives, mace, ect), so the odds of someone pulling a firearm or something on you are slim to none.
One of the largest causes of violence in Sydney (and the rest of Australia) is alcohol, but the state government imposed a series of restrictions on New South Wales a few years ago, and alcohol-related violence in the streets dropped.
Sydney vs Melbourne
The dilemma of deciding whether to move to Sydney or Melbourne seems to be a big one for travelers. Many I’ve spoken to have preferred Melbourne on the basis that Sydney is too corporate and concrete. It’s a bit like that if you stay around the city center, but Sydney changes entirely once you step outside the CBD.
Newtown, Surrey Hills, Erskineville, Enmore, and parts of Redfern have more cafes and artisan bars than you could shake a stick at. Alternatively, Bondi and Manly have relaxed beach vibes going on basically all the time.
Wandering around Centennial Park is perennially lovely, Circular Quay seems to sparkle all the time, and springtime means the jacaranda trees bloom all over town. Sydney can be truly beautiful to walk around.
The decision on where to move should really be based on how you prefer to live. Sydney is warmer, sunnier, and dryer than Melbourne. Crime rates are also lower, alcohol is cheaper in bars, the beaches are incredible, and the outer suburbs can be quite nice to live in.
On the flip side, Melbourne is said to be the arts capital of Australia, the hidden bars are quirky and unique, and the rent is mildly cheaper – it depends on what you like.
Visas
The jobs you can get in Australia will largely depend on your visa. There have been changes to the skilled worker visa (subclass 457), but if you’re aged 18-30, it’s probably worth looking into a working holiday visa.
This visa is initially granted for one year, with the option of extending for another year if you complete 88-days of fruit-picking, farm, or horticultural work in regional Australia. Find out more on the Department of Immigration website.
Working In Sydney
Many Sydney-siders work full-time to afford the rent, so if you’re going to find work, prepare to join the daily grind. Having said that, there are corporate opportunities in publishing, law, finance, IT, and engineering, along with hospitality, retail, trades, construction, and reception jobs.
If you’re moving to Australia to look for a job as a skilled worker, it’s good to check whether you have the credentials to work in your field in Australia.
If you’re looking for specific information on how to look for jobs, resume writing, cover letters, and what not to do, Sydney Moving Guide is a great resource.
Cost of Living in Sydney
The cost of living in Sydney is quite high, largely due to rental prices. Rent will generally cost you more than AU$300 per week, depending on what you’re after. This is why many young people on working holiday visas, live long-term in hostels in Sydney.
If you want a private studio, you’re looking at $400 per week minimum, and if you’re after a room in a share-house, it might be closer to $250 per week minimum.
Utilities and internet are never included in rental prices, so that’s always an additional $300 per quarter if you’re frugal. Breakfast or lunch at a café is usually more than $15, and 1kg of potatoes is around $4.
Public Transport in Sydney
While there are a lot of buses, trains, and even a light rail in Sydney that will get you from A to B, public transport still has a long way to go. It’s not unheard of for trains to break down due to ‘mechanical failure’ or a broken signal box, and buses are often very late and unreliable because Sydney traffic is a nightmare.
Taxi and Uber services are widely available in the city, but again, the traffic is a problem – I really recommend using the trains or the light rail where possible.
Breakfast Spots in Sydney
If there’s one thing Australia does really well, it’s breakfast – it’s an extravagant affair. Delicacies and flavors are taken from all over the world and united on your plate, and because we’re a bit pretentious about it, what you get greatly depends on what’s in vogue.
In 2015/16 it was dukkha, labneh, cronuts, and supersonic milkshakes with doughnuts stuck to them, but it could change at any time.
One thing you’ll almost always see is ‘Smashed Avo’, which is basically avocado stacked on toast, with varying degrees of fanciness, depending on the café you’re visiting. Breakfast in cities is usually more decadent (check out some reviews if you’re really interested), but you can get good ones in country towns as well.
If you have any questions about living in Sydney, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments below!
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Post written by Charlotte. Charlotte is a writer, editor, coffee enthusiast, and former Sydney-sider currently living in Vancouver. She is the founder of travel site and story-sharing platform The Global Shuffle, and likes to spend her spare time traipsing around new cities in high heels, looking in antique shops.
No doubt Sydney is very beautiful but quite expensive, on the other hand if you are planning to move permanently then Sydney is the place where you can get job easily due to corporate culture and international companies offices
I visited Sydney in February this year – its the first time I have been to Australia. I really enjoyed Sydney and it was actually more green than I expected – I also loved the fact that there seemed to be amazing beaches at each turn!
I am planning a move to Sydney australia
I ma planning a move to Sydney Australia what do I need to make this happen
Sydney just looks so beautiful! I would love to move to Sydney.
Sydney is amazing, but looks like winters are very cold though.
Hi Amanda, The winter days in Sydney can actually be quite nice as it is usually sunny which can bring the temperature up to about 18-20 degrees celcius on a nice day. I prefer winter in Sydney as summer can have relentless hot days of 30 degrees plus – and high humidity. Some days can get into the 40 degrees C. This is when you stay inside in the air-conditioning!! Our beaches are great but our UV rays are very strong here (as Australia is beneath the thin part of the planets ozone layer) – so sun protection is really important when out on a hot day… you don’t even realise how burnt you are until you get home and feel your skin stinging! If you use a sunburn cream and/or correct clothing it’s not a problem! I see a lot of tourists burning like toast on the beaches – and not realising how much damage they are doing to their precious skin!
what things do I need to do I prepare for my move to Sydney new south wales australia
please help me with my move to Sydney asutralia
please help me prepare for my Sydney move
Interesting blog, but it doesn’t seem to be the experience we had when we emigrated! Quite a few things I disagree with: 1) Sydney “Traffic” is not appalling. I used to drive into the city centre to work and virtually always had clear roads. Sydney Traffic is a laughable term compared to any major city. The author should try getting anywhere in London, Paris, New York, Mumbai or just about any other city in the world! 2) Sydney public transport is excellent. After 5 years living there I had 1 train malfunction. Compare this to London where a train broke down at least once a week. 3) Sydney is hardly concrete as the majority of the city is based around the beautiful harbour. 4) The majority of travelers love Melbourne because they have to be counter to the place that is most popular. Melbourne is a poor man’s London, whereas there is no city in the world with a harbour like Sydney. Melbourne is also the home to a lot of the country’s major companies, so the corporate tag is a bit strange. Anyway, move to Sydney. It’s the best decision you’ll ever make!!
How have you found the spiders to be in Sydney? Are there a lot within the city centre/in homes?
Hi,
Im planning to moving in australia, along with my 2 kids (2 years old and other is 1year old)
I am worried for thier care when I am on duty.
Is their maids are easily available or baby seating.
Please reply
Agreed Joe!! Though I would say that the traffic during peak hour heading south west or north west, or around the inner west on Saturday can be pretty bad. I used some of the tips above when I moved to Sydney, so thank you. I recently moved from Bondi to Surry Hills to get a sense of a different neighbourhood. I miss the beach but definitely enjoying the convenience of the better location and close proximity to the city. A tip – removalists in Sydney aren’t that affordable and it pays to shop around. I used a comparison service to book a very generic moving company (sorry can’t remember their name but I found them on http://www.removalistseeker.com.au) – but can’t fault them, they were cheap and got the job done. $260 to move a 2 bedder place, pretty good given some other quotes I got before had been north of $600!!
Great post, excellent tips and guides guys. Really helpful to improvise the removal work, keep posting. Waiting for more of yours and I have enjoyed reading your article about moving service.
I would love to live in Sydney Australia
I’ve a PR to Sydney and I’m pondering should I move. It seems very tempting to move and live in Sydney but at the same time scared about getting a job and settling down. Appreciate, if someone can let me know whether it’s a good move to move to Sydney. Appreciate your response.
Sydney is a nightmare compared to Melbourne. It’s like basic survival is a game sydneysiders thrive on- hugely expensive living, impossibly expensive and low standard accommodation, clicky social groups making it hard to make friends, traffic nightmares and a non-sensical layout. The people are inherently self interested and rude. A day at the beach will be limited to an hour timed by parking meters costing $8-12 an hour. Go to Melbourne and have time to live your life instead of just survive.
@Jack,
I agree. I moved to Sydney for a year. I come from a City where people are very open and engaging and find it more difficult to make friends. While everybody is friendly and asks how I am, it seems (in my opinion) to be rather superficial. All my friends are either immigrants or foreigners staying for a limited period like myself.
Sydney, is a great place to live in, I’ve been in for 15 years now.
I would like to live in Sydney.. realy
Having lived in Melbourne, London and now currently based in Sydney; the city’s infrastructure falls short on many of the necessities required to live hassle free.
1. Transport. Vast yet infrequent and Unreliable any day of the week.
2. Flash FLOODS! – Drier than Melbourne is an inaccurate statement. Sydney is prone to more rain due to the subtropic climate causing MORE precipitation – Frequently. If anything London doesn’t even see this much rain.
3. Let’s not worry about people being pretentious (if one has figured out that humans living I. This society are saving face for the decision to move here may have been a mistake…) I’ve observed the majority of true blue Australian born Sydney-siders are riddled with Anxiety… Or are just down right ruthless. There’s no medium.
4. You will come across many Brits who will make you smile, because they see the grass is greener over here compared to the UK and in return (personal point) they make me feel like I’m somewhat in London giving me happiness to be here.
5. Rent prices for the amenities and facilities you receive is highly questionable. Landlords don’t invest in updating old electric stove tops, bathrooms, no central/gas heating. Climate change is making Sydney colder through out the cold humid winters…
6. Cockroaches live with you. Yes, you heard me. They also fly. Spiders won’t affect you any longer should you choose to make the move.
7. Job opportunities are scarce full stop. Let’s exclude covid-19 as pre pandemic, job creation was still stagnant.
8. I can go on, but please note Sydney does have its pros which is why I am here for the time being. You can read all that glitters about Sydney, but until you actually have made the decision to live here, over time you will notice all of the above and more. Until then, there’s no point asking people to weight up your decision’s because Sydney is the city people tell you about, but they never tell you, “Things no one says about living in Sydney!”
If you’re visiting Australia it planning to live there, Sydney should be the last location to visit.
Australia has so many beautiful locations, however Sydney is not one of them.
Overcrowded, failing infrastructure, unfriendly, pretentious and unnecessarily expensive, Sydney is everything most of Australia is not.
My suggestion.
Fly to Cairns first and explore far north QLD.
It is superior to Sydney in every way.
The north coast of NSW is also great, but avoid Byron Bay, which was ruined 20 years ago.
South east coast of QLD is also beautiful, but again, places like Noosa are over developed and have list their culture. Avoid the Gold Coast too. It’s a pit hole.
Trust me. Do Cairns and you’ll end up back there again. In fact, many people that travel Australia normally end up back in Cairns to live. It’s absolute heaven.
Sydney is the bum hole of Australia.
The people are unfriendly and arrogant, the infrastructure is failing, the weather is terrible and the realestate is way overpriced for both quality and value.
The beaches are nice when not overcrowded. That’s about it.
Do yorself a favour and explore far north QLD. Sydney is rubbish.
Hello !!
Your article is really helpful
I work in navy of my country and I m good in driving small boats. So I m intersted for working in sydney as a small boat operator like famous yellow taxi etc. Is it posible to get visa for this kind of job. I would love to hear your opinion
Thanks in Advance
I’m looking to move to Sydney after I graduated from my bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management in October.