The hard truth from British residents about moving to Australia – realestate.com.au

One British woman’s experience of moving to Australia has highlighted just how good Aussies really have it, despite rising rents and the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Chanel Buckland made the jump to Australia in 2022, where she settled in Melbourne as a special education teacher.

The 28-year-old British resident pays $310 a week for an en-suite room in a share house in Richmond, an expense that is less than half of a rental property in central London for an average of £1,600 (AUD $3,000) a month.

“People worked to survive in London and I love holidays. I couldn’t afford to travel if I wanted to in London,” Chanel said. BBC.

Chanel Buckland’s rent in Australia is half of what she would pay if she rented in London. Image: supplied

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“It’s so easy to live here. My workload is a lot better here, employers don’t want you to burn out.

“I have never called in sick at home. I tried to go to work here with tonsillitis and they sent me home. It is not frowned upon to take time off for appointments.”

Ms Buckland said Australia’s work-life balance, attractive salaries, better weather and almost double the public holidays compared to Britain made the move a no-brainer for many Brits.

And her story is not unique: Australian Bureau of Statistics data for 2024 shows that more than 40,000 British and Irish migrants arrived Down Under that year – the highest 12-month influx in more than a decade.

The Australian population is led by the English according to its native land. Data: ABS

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Ms Buckland said she was happy with the life she had built in Australia and that returning home would be difficult, although separation from family and friends in Britain had been a challenge.

It’s a challenge that another British citizen, Rosie Scott, was unable to take on, despite the positives of living in Australia.

The 34-year-old eventually moved back to Kent, Britain, despite her job as a dental nurse in Australia paying double what she could earn at home.

Her Australian salary covered both her rent in Perth and her mortgage in Kent, while providing the improved work-life balance that Ms Buckland shares.