COST OF LIVING SYDNEY vs LOS ANGELES (Rent, Utilities, & Dining) // Which City is More Expensive? 

Yeah, adding health insurance to the cost of living in Sydney was deceitful.

Not sure if you guys know but public health care is only available to those with Permanent Residency & Citizens.

You're very welcome! Hopefully it gave you a bit of insight.

Wow, that's expensive! My friends were saying that they started driving everywhere instead of taking an Uber. It just wasn't worth it cost wise when you go out to dinner. Really glad you enjoyed the video. I thought it was an interesting insight into the cost of living between both cities! x

Welcome to Sydney. I hope you're enjoying it now. Did you see any similarities as to what I had noticed or anything you discovered?

@@SophiesTravelSecrets I created two separate lists: Top 10 things Australia does better than the US and Top 10 things the US does better than Australia, which I posted as a comment on one of the expat US/AUS RU-vid videos and it generated some discussion. One thing I haven't posted is pleasant surprises I've found in Sydney so far: amazing rainbow lorikeets and friendly sulphur-crested cockatoos; and availability of some reminders of the US like original glazed Krispy Kreme donuts at Woolworth's plus crunchy peanut butter.

You're very welcome! Where are you moving from?

@@SophiesTravelSecrets Nottingham, England 👍 what's the average wage in Australia please

@@benlawrence984 Of course this would be dependent on your industry, skills & location but as of now, they're saying the average wage has climbed to $90k. www.news.com.au/finance/work/at-work/australias-average-fulltime-salary-now-above-90000/news-story/68fbcb28a6f63771cf236e90472a1eaa

Thank you!

Of course, safety is very important in any city you choose to live. I find Sydney a very safe city to live in. Much safer than LA.

You’re welcome Daniel!

Not going to lie, Hollywood is full of fake people but some of my best friends come from LA and we've been friends for 14 years so it really depends who you choose to surround yourself with. There are definitely many nice people in California. My advise if you're thinking about moving, go to visit for a couple weeks, get an airbnb and see if you like the lifestyle.

Thanks so much Paul! Wow! I did not know that! Good pick up!

Actually internationally manufactured liquors are a standard size the world over so that is ridiculous and if it's too expensive ( which it is because it is tqaxed to the hilet) then BUY good quality wine..which is absurdly CHAEP!

Hi Leon, thank you for your comment and watching! I actually did not use conversion rates for the purpose of this video as I was comparing the cost of living as a whole. Basically saying that the price of rent, bills, and overall cost of living were very similar once compared side by side. Of course, this based on my lifestyle and someone else’s living costs would be completely different. It was just a real finding I discovered when I moved. I hope that makes sense? 😉

Hi Tom, thank you for your comment and watching! I actually did not use conversion rates for the purpose of this video as I was comparing the cost of living as a whole. Basically saying that the price of rent, bills, and overall cost of living were very similar once compared side by side in dollar amount (not converted). Of course, this based on my lifestyle and someone else’s living costs would be completely different. It was just a real finding I discovered when I moved: i.e a coffee would be $5 AUD in Sydney and $5 USD in LA. I hope that makes sense? As for the avg salary, this was taken from a website which I have linked in the description box as a source. I hope it all makes sense! 😉

Hi Peter, agreed once you add tax and tips in the U.S., it does add up quickly! I actually did not use conversion rates for the purpose of this video as I was comparing the cost of living as a whole. Basically saying that the price of rent, bills, and overall cost of living were very similar once compared side by side (i.e. what $20 in AUD gets you and what $20 USD gets you). It was just a real finding I discovered when I moved. I hope that makes sense? 😉 I love the fact that Sydney's public transport system is super affordable and reliable. Use it almost everyday!

Totally understand why the Australian govt puts a high tax on liquor. Just always a shock to the wallet. 😉

Coffee is definitely huge here! Price is around $4.50-$6 depending where you go in Sydney.

You can find free all day street parking a bit always from the beach. You might have to walk 10-15 min but it’s exists!

When I am taking about Sydney, I am referring to figures in AUD and when I am talking about Santa Monica, I am referring to figures in USD. Basically a coffee in Sydney was $4 AUD and a coffee in Santa Monica was $4 USD - which made me realize the price is the same figure (regardless of the conversion). I hope that makes sense?

It's actually very common in Sydney that apartments do not come with a parking space. Parking can be quite difficult around Sydney.

@@SophiesTravelSecrets Do you have the figures on this? I have lived in many apartments all around Sydney and haven't found one without allocated parking yet. I'm sure there are some but, I doubt that you could call that, "common".

I am sorry I do not have figures. This is more based within the Eastern Suburbs (Bondi, Elizabeth Bay, Potts Point, etc). Best to have a look on Domain.com to get a better idea.

Hi There, this is a bit of a tricky question to answer as Australia's boarders are currently closed and only citizens and residents are allowed to return. Prior to the pandemic, you could purchase a Working Holiday visa (valid for 12 months) which would allow you to come to country and work for (2) employers for a max of 6 months each. If you wanted to extend your visa, you had the option to pick fruit or have your employer sponsor you through work. This is of course completely relative to your field of work, whether your skill can be sponsored and if the company is in the position to sponsor you. In relation to your question, I am sorry but I am not in the position to answer how much you would need but I would say that would be a very good amount to start with to support yourself until you found full-time work. xx

Sophie's comments are extremely valid. Visas are a challenge during the pandemic. $20k AUD would go very quickly. As anywhere, it would depend on where you decide to live. I moved there with around $10k Australian in 2014 and luckily my partner was financially helping me with bills and rent, as that money was gone quickly. We did not live in bondi or a high expense area either.

@@SophiesTravelSecrets There's a RU-vidr called "Healthy Emmie" who moved to Melbourne to work as a teacher, after training in Boston(?) as a maths teacher. While she's more focussed on promoting a plant-based lifestyle now, her videos on moving to Australia and the cultural and economic differences are pretty entertaining and informative. TL:DR having professional qualifications is a big help and teaching qualifications would be huge.

@@melbclayman Thanks Adam will check her out. xx

@@CarlyWrites how does $10k go quickly? I live in the most expensive city in North America and you could reasonably do cost of living for $2-2.5k/month give or take

I love Sydney & I have traveled quite a bit around Australia. Each city is quite different however Sydney will always be my home. :)

Hi Ray, thank you for your comment and watching! I actually did not use conversion rates for the purpose of this video as I was comparing the cost of living as a whole. Basically saying that the price of rent, bills, and overall cost of living were very similar once compared side by side in dollar amount (not converted). Of course, this based on my lifestyle and someone else’s living costs would be completely different. It was just a real finding I discovered when I moved: i.e a coffee would be $5 AUD in Sydney and $5 USD in LA. I hope that makes sense? 😉

Hi Again! Bondi is definitely an expensive city. The major celebrities actually live in Vaucluse or Watson's Bay for incredible views and the fact the areas are a bit more secluded. You are right, the avg salaries mentioned are annual before tax and that a major portion of one's salary will go towards rent if you live in one of these suburbs. For salary calculations, there are calculators online that can break down a person's take-home salary by month / week / day to help with budgeting. Very handy. Haha, looks like you got a head start on a business model! I too can't wait to start traveling again! Counting down the days. Take care and stay safe!

Tax can be between 20-30% depending on salary

They actually get more money per month when they do that as they charge 52 weeks per year then average it out per month. Sneaky!

Hi Ian, thank you for advising the current average salary according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In the video, I did mention that I used Payscale.com to look up the average salaries between the two cities.

$106000 a year in Sydney???! Do you live in a bubble or maybe in a different city, I call it Bullshit, the average salary in Sydney is $55k, I actually think 76k salary is kind of above the average, I’m pretty sure most of the people I know are not making 65k, now $106k is high income considering that a manager can make in average somewhere between 80k to 100k are you telling me that everybody here is a manager?

Hi Peter, thank you for your comment. An average meal at a pub is still around the $25 mark. Totally agree that Vietnamese can be cheap too.

Hi Ian, this video was made in July 2021 and everything that was quoted was relevant at the time of filming. When I was giving my comparisons, I was focusing on the cost of living as a whole with pricing in AUD & USD (I did not convert any of the figures mentioned. Thus, an exchange rate was not used). I found after living in both Santa Monica and Bondi, the actual cost of living was quite similar (this is based on my lifestyle in both cities and I did mention that others most probably would have different lifestyles). Of course, my video is not a blanket example of the cost of living in Sydney vs Los Angeles overall (these are both very large cities). Nor for everyone's lifestyle, income, housing or interests (that would be too hard as there are so many factors to consider). I did mention that I would be comparing what the cost is like living in similar suburbs: Bondi vs Santa Monica. I completely AGREE there are MANY amazing places to eat in both Sydney and in Los Angeles that are not expensive. However, if you go out to a bar or a cafe around Bondi or Santa Monica, these are the average prices. Thought to mention that I do have many interest other than eating 😂 but sorry to say, I do love my food. Regardless, thank you for watching.

Yep! Rent is nuts now.

Sure am! :)

What can you say about a person who never been

@@anthonyhumphrey2540 Sydney is a beautiful city located on a harbour. While there are many beautiful oceanside beaches to visit, there are also many beautiful harbour beaches & coves to discover. I like to think that Sydney has a nice mix of European & Western influence. The cafe culture is strong here with a lot of outdoor cafes. People are friendly & always down for a friendly beer at the pub. ;)

Interesting!