✦ Cost of living
Australia
National taxes, visas and economy — plus every city we track in Australia.
The cost of living in Australia averages 123 on our index (a typical US city = 100) — about 23% more expensive. Among the cities we track, Melbourne is the most affordable and Sydney the priciest. A one-bedroom rent runs roughly $2,000/mo and the top income-tax rate is 45%. The average net salary is about $3,900/mo.
- Currency
- Australian dollar ($ AUD)
- Languages
- English
- Capital
- Canberra
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Power
- I · 230V
▤ Taxes
45%
Income tax
progressive
10%
VAT / sales
30%
Corporate
$3,900
Avg net salary
per month
$72,018
Avg annual wage
per year · OECD (PPP)
$2,600
Minimum wage
per month
83.1 yr
Life expectancy
World Bank 2024
✈ Visas & residency
Points-tested skilled migration; employer-sponsored visas.
✈ ETA/eVisitor for short visits from many countries.
❖ Cities in Australia
⚖ Compare Australia with other countries
▸ Recommended reading & gear
As an Amazon Associate, CostTrek earns from qualifying purchases.