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Hi all, about a year ago I came on the sub for advice on relocating to Sydney from the US, I was met with some nice support mostly from expats and a ton of negativity from locals, especially this one asshat named u/steakandsydneypie who has since been banned for what I would assume is being a super negative asshole all the time.
I decided after getting a year under my belt I would post a guide based on my personal experiences. Some caveats to consider is that most of the expats I have met coming to Sydney to work tend to be professionals relocating to work for KPMG, Accenture, Google, The Star, and other multinationals so I will be writing this based on that assumption.
If you are backpacker coming on a holiday working visa, or someone fulfilling a bucket list and flying here to give it a go with limited job experience, this guide is probably not for you.
The assumptions would be as follows: • Single person (Couple) • No pets • No children • Salary range you will be making as a professional is $90K+ AUD • Looking for a place next to your work in the CBD, Darling Harbour, Pyrmont, Inner West • Do not plan on owning a car until you settle in (6 Months)
Some adjustments will need to be made if you do not fall into these categories. These are based on my personal experiences and what I have learned that Australians, especially those from Sydney are VERY pedantic and passionate about their city, rent, food etc. and always like to be correct, so some of these facts will be challenged or countered but I hope it opens up dialogue on what may work best for you.
Living
The best thing to do prior to arrival is download Domain.com.au app, this will help you zero in on what is available and where. Same as in the USA make sure you have a copy of your overseas driver license, visa, passport, and 2 references from pervious landlords (overseas is OK)
Other options include realestate.com.au and while I think it looks slicker I found it less productive than Domain.com.au, your results may vary.
Rent is quoted weekly but usually paid monthly. For a 1 bedroom with AC in a new or very nice building with a parking spot, you should expect to pay around $700 AUD per week. I was first put off coming from this sub because the locals are so angry that foreigners (Asians) in general have jacked up their rent prices that they take a very pessimistic and negative view on rent prices and rentals in general, however it is relatively easy to find a very good unit for the above mentioned prices within Pyrmont, CBD and neighboring suburbs.
Un-surprisingly if you find one below this price they usually lack one or more of the above mentioned amenities, usually the AC or Parking Spot.
It is a sellers market and the landlords/real estate agents do not fuck around, you have no leverage here no matter how much you make and you are at the mercy of landlords, with that being said to apply for a property you must view it, this usually happens Wednesday or Saturdays at predetermined times unless you are able to privately contact the landlord or real estate agent to work out a quicker showing.
Showings are open houses with multiple viewers, it is usually expected that if you want an apartment you file an application immediately during the viewing to be put into a queue, if multiple people apply, again you are at the mercy of the landlord to decide who they rent to.
Being single without kids or pets makes you a very competitive renter and should not have any issues, you may need to increase deposit or offer to pay a month in advance to increase your chances of securing a rental if you do not fall into the above categories. Very few rentals allow pets.
Deposit/Security is usually 4 weeks called a Bond plus first months rent. Gas/Electric prices are competitive with east coast USA pricing, about $75/$100 AUD per month with AC running constantly. Again as with rent many Australians take a very negative and pessimistic view over the cost of electricity due to their local politics, however it is quite reasonable, just don’t argue with them about it…
Neighborhoods tend to have more value in the east and drop as you go north and west with Pyrmont being in the relative center, if you can find a place on the light rail which goes West from Central to Dulwich Hill, the further west you go the cheaper the rent gets.
If you are in the CBD or Pyrmont and you have a parking spot but no car, you can easily rent it out for $50 a week, landlords rarely have an issue with this and there are usually more than enough people in the building looking for parking.
Also make sure your unit has NBN which is their national broadband network otherwise you will be stuck with DSL. Ignore the politics related to this as it is another sensitive local topic.
Travel
Goget.com.au carshare, which is the Sydney version of CityCar is a great service, same process as they have pods all over the city and you rent them by the hour plus mileage. There are others but they are the best option due to the availability of their car pods.
There is a bus, lightrail and train system that you will need an Opal card for, these are available and any newsstand or 7-11.
If you are coming from the USA you do not need to do a road test to change your license, you need to go to Service NSW which is the equivalent to the DMV but it is much nicer and more organized/clean. Make sure you have a copy of your license and held it for at least 1 year or they may make you go on a probationary (P) license which limits your driving privileges.
Communication
If you are coming for a long period for work, you are better off signing a contract for an actual plan for Telstra or Optus as they have best coverage.
They are still big on leasing phones on monthly payments however their SIM only packages are competitive if you are bringing your own unlocked phones from overseas.
No preference here, just do your research on what works for you.
Shopping
Most supermarkets are based inside shopping malls, so often you will have to park in a mall parking garage and do all your grocery shopping within. There are few strip malls in Sydney.
Kmart AU = Target Target AU = Non-Super Walmart/Kmart Big W = Non-Super Walmart/Kmart Coles = Giant/Stop n Shop/Publix Woolworths = Wholefoods, Kroegers Aldi = Aldi IGA = Lion, Piggly Wiggly Costco = Costco (US membership works here) Bunnings = Home Depot/Lowes with awesome Sausage Sizzle every weekend Mitre10 = ACE hardware Officeworks = Staples/Office Depot JB Hifi/Bing Lee = Best Buy Howards Storage World = Bed Bath and Beyond (Bath Part) Victoria’s Basement = Bed Bath and Beyond (Kitchen Part) Dan Murphys/Liquorland = Self Explanatory Rebel Sports = Dicks Sporting Goods OPSM = LensCrafters
Finance
Out of the big 4 banks, if you are starting off and want to use any kind of apple pay or android pay you will need to go with ANZ. The digital payment system (EFTPOS) is very well developed in Australia, practically every restaurant, cab, hotels, grocery stores accept apple pay and android pay, if it doesn’t matter to you then than proceed with any bank/credit union.
Westpac, NAB, and Commonwealth all advertise some kind of mobile pay, but it is essentially a mini RFID card you stick to the back of your mobile device.
Superannuation is their term for compulsory 401K/IRA that everyone is forced to pay into out of your salary. It is saved for retirement if you stay here or returned to you if you go back home overseas.
Medical
You will need to buy overseas cover as their national health care does not cover you as an expat. Bupa is the middle of the road, MediBank is more expensive but covers more, and AAMI others etc. vary depending on specific preferences.
As mentioned before, this is based off of my personal experience and YMMV, if anyone has any reasonable corrections I will update this document.
I hope this helps someone as this was all the stuff I wish I had known prior to coming over here last year.
Thanks