CITY OR REGIONAL AUSTRALIA? WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE?

Should you move to the city or regional Australia? It’s a BIG question for people migrating to Australia, and one that we could discuss forever. It’s also highly personal, so please remember that this article is coming from my own experience. It doesn’t mean I’m right (even though I tell my husband I always am).

For me, the answer to this question is actually quite simple. And at the end of this short read, I’ll tell you why.

But before I go into my views on this much-debated question, we have to acknowledge that there are both pro’s and con’s to city life and country living (or regional as we refer to it down under). So, here’s a list that might help you to decide where to call home…

CITY LIFE:

Pro’s

• Lots of job opportunities (different sectors/high number of employers/recruitment agencies)
• Higher salaries (in general)
• Hustle and bustle vibe (if you like that kind of thing)
• Public transport
• Many cities in Australia are also within close proximity to beaches so you can get the best of both worlds (if you are lucky enough to live close to the beach that is)
• Multi-cultural and diverse populations
• Extensive educational opportunities
• Good access to specialist hospitals
• Bars, pubs, clubs for every taste
• City vibe
• Shops galore
• International airports making holidays and international travel easier.

Con’s

• Rat race (you’re still likely to be caught up in that familiar work world that you’ve become so familiar with)
• Traffic (how much of your life do you want to spend in a traffic jam?)
• People everywhere and overcrowding
• Often cities (not all) have busy overcrowded beaches that can take a long time to get to 
• Expensive and often unaffordable housing.

COUNTRY/REGIONAL LIVING:

Pro’s

• Slower and relaxed pace of life (who needs shoes when you can go barefoot on the clean paths and pristine beaches)
• Idyllic beaches (beaches on tap/surf beaches/swimming beaches/lagoons etc.)
• Emphasis on lifestyle rather than work (this is a generalisation, but particularly true for many of the regional areas we have been to)
• Self-employment is quite high in these areas (many of the people we know have taken the plunge to self-employment and have never looked back)
• Spacious housing (houses tend to be less crammed in)
• Community spirit
• Less crime
• Nature on your doorstep
• Lots of outdoor clubs and activities
• Fantastic for kids to have a healthy upbringing
• Total lifestyle transformation (in comparison to the UK).

Con’s

• Places can be harder to get to (although many of the main regions now have well-serviced airports and great highways)
• Lower salaries (although we find that the cost of living tends to be lower due to having such paradise on your doorstep and not needing to pay to find it)
• Small town mentality can occasionally be annoying (although you just have to find your group – like anywhere it can take time, and occasionally a bit of trial and error)
• Shops (clothes shops are not as extensive and often a trip to a bigger town or city is needed)
• Housing can still be expensive as regional areas become more desirable (people looking for a sea change and moving from the cities).

So, City or regional Australia? Here’s my verdict:

Regional living all the way. That’s probably no surprise after reading my notes on the pro’s and con’s. Here’s why I feel this way…

I moved here to change my lifestyle completely. I’d had enough of the relentless life I was living back in the UK. Whilst we earn less money, we have found ourselves feeling richer than ever. We literally feel like millionaires, yet we are far from it. In my view, it’s not money that makes you rich, but the lifestyle you live. Getting your head around this can take time, but after living in a regional area for a while you soon realise that a salary is just a number. It’s how you live that really matters. We seem to need less money than we ever have. I think that’s because we love where we live so much and have created a beautiful home for ourselves.

We have more time together, beautiful scenery every which way we look. The outdoor activities are endless and usually free. I feel like we have really discovered ‘the dream’. I couldn’t have imagined for such a transformation in my life to be possible, and I put that down to the area that we have come to call home; a regional surf town with a laid-back holiday vibe.

There are actually heaps of English people in our little town, although our good friends are a mixture of mainly Aussies and Brits (with the odd kiwi and international thrown in for good measure). Most people are here for the same reasons, to live a better lifestyle and have fun. Their welcoming and positive attitude have been the biggest asset to us as a family.

I walk on the beach before I head to my home office. I watch the whales migrate past our doorstep every year. Yes, I still work and have bills to pay, but the emphasis is on life and not work. I’m just not sure we would have had the same balance if we had moved to a city. I’m not even sure we would have stayed. But remember, that’s just my view and sometimes you have to try more than one place to get it right! 

Where would you like to live? City or regional Australia? I’d love to hear. Tell me in the comments below and make sure you sign up for more tips on moving to Australia…  

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