Pros and cons of moving to Sydney

Sydney is a vibey, world-class city home to numerous iconic landmarks, known for its spectacular natural beauty and cosmopolitan city life. This New South Wales hub offers expats a lively, culturally varied environment with a wide range of things to see, do and experience.

Sydney consistently ranks as one of the top cities for expats, but as is the case everywhere, there are downsides too. Here’s a list of the pros and cons of moving to Sydney as an expat.

Accommodation in Sydney

+ PRO: Wide range of choices

From apartments in the city centre to freestanding houses in the suburbs, there are plenty of accommodation choices for expats in Sydney. For expats who need a bit of space but are on a budget, rowhouses are a happy medium, sharing their side walls with neighbours but affording residents a bit of yard space.

- CON: Accommodation is expensive

Property and rent costs in Sydney are much higher than even in Melbourne, never mind some of the more affordable cities in Australia. Expats should expect accommodation to be the biggest item on their budget.

Lifestyle in Sydney

+ PRO: Things to see and do for everyone

The lifestyle in Sydney is one of its key draws. Shoppers will find boutique clothing shops littered throughout the city, as well as shopping centres like the Queen Victoria Building and markets like Rocks, and foodies will find dining options for every palate and wallet. Outdoorsy types can head to the beach for swimming, surfing, diving or snorkelling or take a walk in the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Cost of living in Sydney

- CON: High cost of living

The most populous city in Australia, Sydney has the country’s highest cost of living. In the 2024 Mercer Cost of Living Survey, Sydney ranked 58th out of 226 cities. This is largely due to the cost of accommodation, although the price tags on a lot of the city’s entertainment options are also a contributing factor. Groceries are quite expensive, but this is not a problem unique to Sydney – the cost of living in Australia in general has risen quite sharply in the last few years.

+ PRO: Equally high standard of living

Despite its steep cost of living, Sydney’s work-life balance, enviable lifestyle and variety of available activities continue to attract expats across the globe.

Education in Sydney

- CON: No free education for temporary residents

Australian public education is usually good quality but is only free for permanent residents. Expats on temporary resident visas will have to pay school fees for their children to enrol in public schools.

+ PRO: Affordable private education options

Faith-based (usually Catholic) schools are quite affordable and sometimes even cheaper for expats than the public school fees. This is not generally true for other independent schools, which have higher fees.

Healthcare in Sydney

+ PRO: High quality of healthcare

Sydney has a mix of public and private healthcare. The public healthcare is great, and many residents don’t take out private insurance, although this means longer wait times.

- CON: Expats may need costly private insurance

Medicare is available to citizens, permanent residents and New Zealanders living in Australia. Other expats will have to pay for healthcare; without Medicare, healthcare costs and insurance are expensive. Some visas require expats to have private insurance as one of their conditions.

Getting around in Sydney

+ PRO: Well-developed public transport

An extensive public transport network makes getting around Sydney fairly straightforward. With a prepaid Opal card, commuters can tap in and out at train, light rail, bus and ferry terminals.