What is the Cost of Living for Doctors in Australia?

When you are considering relocating to any country, one of the factors to think about is always the cost of living.  While a higher cost of living than here in the UK doesn’t have to mean that the relocation is not worth considering, you do need to make sure that you are going to be able to have the lifestyle you want based on the cost of everyday and luxury items.  So, what’s the cost of living really like in Australia?

Where to live as a GP in Australia

The cost of living, particularly in the Australian cities, has actually dropped a little in the last couple of years, and the cities have long been rated as some of the best places to live in the world, and continue to be so.
Sydney and Melbourne remain two of the most popular spots for UK expats to consider with Sydney sitting at number 42 on the world’s most expensive cities to live in, according to the Cost of Living Index by Mercer.  In terms of expat hubs, Sydney is in the top ten places in the world, alongside cities such as Hong Kong and Tokyo.

Other Australian cities remain high on the list of most desirable places to live and come in a little more reasonable. Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide are all fabulous places to live offering a slightly lower cost of living while the coastal towns can offer a lower overall cost as well.

House and Food prices in Australia

For those who are looking to buy a property, this cost of living reflects in the house prices.  The average house price in Sydney is a cool $1,021,968 while Adelaide comes in at a more affordable $490,000.  If you are happy living outside the cities, then the prices drop to around the $300,000 mark in regional areas in South Australia and Victoria.  Rents follow a similar pattern with average rent prices in Sydney being around $650 a week but half that for a similar sized property in Hobart.

The cost of food is another big element to consider. Some foods are a little more expensive than here in the UK. One example would be eggs that would be around £1.89 a dozen in the UK supermarket and would cost the Australian dollar equivalent of £2.60.  Yet other foods such as chicken breasts are almost the same, only around 0.30% more expensive in Australia compared to UK prices.

Non-essential costs in Australia

The cost of going out for a meal, both in somewhere inexpensive such as a takeway and for a quality restaurant is on the whole more expensive in Australia but not by a huge amount and in some cases, can actually be cheaper.  Items such as imported and local beer and soft drinks such as Pepsi tend to be more expensive but drinks like cappuccinos can be lower than in the UK.

Other non-essential costs vary between shops.  The cost of a cinema ticket is very similar in price however an item in a world-wide clothing chain might be around 20% more expensive than here in the UK.

Compare Cost of Living in Australia to the UK

The general cost of living comparing Australia to the UK sees that Australia is around 10% higher for general cost of living.  But this doesn’t reflect the entire picture and your day to day costs will depend on the lifestyle you want to live.

As a GP in Australia you can achieve an income of between $300 – $400k per annum, (£173 – £230K exchange rate ) and sometimes more. We find that the majority of our GPs placed in Australia earn considerably more than they did whilst working in the UK.

‘I have found the working conditions, flexibility, capacity for earning and, above all, lifestyle for my family and I to be far superior to my experience in the UK.’ Dr Charles, Perth

Further Reading:

What tax do GPs pay in Australia

How to prepare for moving as a GP to Australia

See here for our list of Australia GP Jobs

Further Reading
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Australia
https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_countries_result.jsp?country1=United+Kingdom&country2=Australia
https://www.imercer.com/content/mobility/quality-of-living-city-rankings.html#list

Australian Education System

When relocating a family, the education system in Australia is going to be of huge importance in the decision making process. It’s good to know that Australian education system is in of a very high standard and internationally recognised. The schooling in Australia is highly ranked in comparison with other countries round the world. Schooling is compulsory from ages five – six, depending on the state.

School education is 13 years and divided into:

Primary school – Runs for seven or eight years, starting at Kindergarten through to Year 6 or 7.
Secondary school – Runs for three or four years, from Years 7 to 10 or 8 to 10.
Senior secondary school – Runs for two years, Years 11 and 12.

Government run education is free for Australian citizens and those on a Permanent Residency visa. If you are relocating to Australia on a temporary visa such as the 482 Employer Sponsored Visa you may incur additional costs to send your children to State run schools.  Not ever state employ this fee and the cost varies from state to state and this can be per child or per family dependant on where you are relocating. See our post of the costs of school fees in Australia

One consideration when moving children internationally is the academic school year. Unlike the UK which runs from August / September each year, the school year in Australia is from January to December with the larger summer break being over Christmas.

Working as a GP in Australia

Whether you are completing your training soon or are thinking about moving in the next year, you might be thinking about what you can do to prepare yourself for the move. The process for relocating can take anything up to 12 months so it’s good to make sure you have everything you need to save any future delays in paperwork.

There are of course, lots of considerations for moving to Australia as a GP. You will need to think about where you want to live; in central Melbourne, the hills of Adelaide or a remote GP job in the outback? What type of practice would you like to join and where will be best for your family?

We can help you with this and any questions you might have, and once decided we’ll find you your dream job! Very quickly after this, we’ll move on to your GP medical registration paperwork and visas for GP and family.

Further Reading

Considering a move to Australia as a GP – Find out more here

What life is like for a GP living in Queensland, Australia

Further Information

Australia School Directory

Private School Directory

Australian Government