Living in Australia begins with the same short list of tasks for everyone. Your visa, your tax file number, your bank account, your health cover and your rental application arrive in roughly that order, and the rental market is where most new arrivals spend the most effort. Where people diverge is settling in, and a family adds school enrolment and childcare to the list. This guide sets out each step in the order you will meet it, with separate settling-in advice for individuals and for families.

For a full walk-through of what to expect when your company moves you abroad, see the complete guide to international employee relocation.

Living in Australia in 2026: what to expect

Australia offers a high standard of living, a largely informal working culture and a population concentrated in a handful of coastal cities separated by long distances. Most administrative processes run online through government portals, which makes the setup faster than in many destinations, provided your identity documents are ready.

Our expat checklist covers everything to organise before and after the move in a structured, phase-by-phase format.

Work visas and permits for Australia

A work visa is your legal basis to live and work in Australia, and the right route depends on your occupation, your salary and whether an employer sponsors you. Salary thresholds are indexed each July, so confirm the current figure at the point of nomination.

Route	Who it is for and what to know
Skills in Demand, subclass 482, Core Skills stream	The main employer-sponsored route, covering occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List. From July 2026 the income threshold sits just under 80,000 Australian dollars a year excluding superannuation, and the salary must also match the market rate.
Skills in Demand, subclass 482, Specialist Skills stream	For higher-earning specialists, with a threshold of around 146,700 Australian dollars a year from July 2026 and faster processing. Useful for senior technical and leadership hires.
Employer Nomination Scheme, subclass 186	The employer-sponsored permanent residence route, generally available after a period of full-time work in the nominated occupation. The income threshold aligns with the Core Skills figure.
Skilled Independent and Skilled Nominated, subclasses 189 and 190	Points-tested permanent routes that do not require an employer, scoring age, English, qualifications and experience. State nomination adds points under subclass 190.
Intra-company arrangements	Employees moving from an office abroad are usually nominated by the Australian entity under the Skills in Demand streams, with the employer and its immigration lawyer managing the filing.

For a detailed breakdown of each visa category, eligibility requirements and application timelines, see our work permits for Australia guide.

Tax file number, banking and superannuation

 

A tax file number is the first thing to arrange after arrival, because without it your employer withholds tax at the highest rate. You apply online through the Australian Taxation Office once you are in the country. Most banks allow you to open an account before you arrive and activate it with your passport once you land, which is worth doing while you still have time. Superannuation is compulsory retirement saving paid by your employer on top of salary at twelve per cent, into a fund you choose.

Finding somewhere to live in Australia

The rental market moves quickly in the major cities and is decided on the strength of your application rather than on speed alone. Properties are advertised on realestate.com.au and Domain, inspections are held at fixed times, and applications are submitted online immediately afterwards. Agents look for rental history, employment evidence and references, none of which a new arrival has, so prepare a single pack with your passport, visa grant, employment contract, recent payslips or a bank statement and a reference from a previous landlord abroad.

Healthcare and insurance in Australia

Australia runs a public health system, Medicare, alongside a large private sector, and access to Medicare depends on your nationality and visa, since reciprocal health care agreements cover citizens of a set list of countries. Holders of employer-sponsored temporary visas are generally required to maintain adequate private health insurance for the whole of their stay, and this is often provided or reimbursed as part of a relocation package. Private cover also shortens waiting times for elective procedures and covers dental and optical care.

For a broader guide to the full range of insurance products expats need when living abroad, see our guide on insurance for expats.”

Understanding Australian tax basics

The Australian tax year runs from 1 July to 30 June, and tax is withheld from salary through the pay as you go system. Most residents lodge an annual return between July and October, either through the tax office portal or a registered tax agent. Your liability depends on residency for tax purposes, which is assessed on your circumstances rather than on your visa alone. Australian tax residents are taxed on worldwide income, while non-residents are taxed only on Australian income and at different rates. For a plain-language overview of what expats are typically required to pay across jurisdictions, see our guide on expat tax: what it is and what you are likely to pay.

For a detailed guide on how expatriate tax compliance works across jurisdictions, see our expatriate tax compliance guide.

Cost of living in Australia in 2026

Cost of living in Australia is driven overwhelmingly by rent, and the gap between Sydney and the smaller capitals is wide. Mercer, ECA International and AIRINC publish cost of living research used by mobility teams to compare locations, and the ranges below give an indicative picture for 2026.

Cost area	Indicative monthly range in 2026
Rent, one-bedroom in Sydney	Around 2,600 to 3,400 Australian dollars in inner suburbs, the highest market in the country
Rent, one-bedroom in Melbourne or Brisbane	Around 1,900 to 2,600 Australian dollars, with Brisbane rising quickly
Rent, one-bedroom in Adelaide, Perth or Hobart	Around 1,500 to 2,100 Australian dollars, noticeably more affordable
Groceries, single person	Around 600 to 900 Australian dollars, higher in remote areas
Public transport	Around 150 to 250 Australian dollars, with daily and weekly fare caps in most states

Culture and daily life in Australia

Australian working culture is direct, informal and comparatively flat, with first names used at every level of an organisation. Meetings tend to be brief, disagreement is expressed openly, and hours outside the working day are generally respected. Outdoor life shapes the calendar, from beaches and coastal walks to weekend sport, and sun protection is treated as a daily routine given the strength of ultraviolet levels.

Settling in as an individual

Settling in alone comes down to city choice, housing costs and how quickly you build a routine outside work. Sydney and Melbourne offer the deepest professional markets and the widest social scene at the highest cost, while Brisbane combines a growing employment market with a warmer climate and lower rents. Perth and Adelaide suit those prioritising space and affordability, with strong resource, defence and technology sectors. Sharing a house is common well into professional life and is the fastest way to meet people, since it also solves the rental history problem.

For more on the mental health dimension of international assignments and what organisations should be providing during the settling-in period, see our guide on expat mental health during international assignments.

Settling in as a family

Settling in as a family brings schooling and childcare forward in the planning, and both are tied closely to where you choose to live. Public schools are free for permanent residents and citizens and allocated by catchment area, and some states charge fees for children of temporary visa holders, so confirm the position in your state before committing to a suburb. Independent and Catholic schools charge fees and admit on application, with places in sought-after schools filling early.

For a full breakdown of how dependent visa applications work and what rights family members hold in Australia, see our guide on what happens to your dependent’s visa when you relocate for work.

For a broader look at how organisations structure family support within a relocation programme, see our guide on expat relocation: supporting employees and families abroad.

Moving to Australia as a company assignee

Where an employer relocates you to Australia, most of the steps in this guide are coordinated rather than left to you. Companies commonly work with a relocation management company that brings together the immigration lawyer or registered migration agent, the tax adviser, the destination services provider and the household goods provider, so that nomination, home search, school placement and shipping connect in the right order. For more on the visa routes, see our work permits for Australia guide.

For a full breakdown of how international household goods moves work from pre-move survey to customs clearance and delivery, see our guide on moving household goods internationally.

The MOVEPLUS™ platform gives the mobility team a single view of key dates, documents and approvals, and the MOVEPLUS™ dashboard shows the status of each step as it progresses through our relocation service coordination offering  from visa nomination and household goods to destination services and settling-in support for you and your family.

Get in touch to find out how MovePlus can support your Australia relocation.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the first thing to do when I arrive in Australia?

Apply for a tax file number through the Australian Taxation Office as soon as you land, because without one your employer withholds tax at the highest rate. Activate your bank account, register with a local general practice, and start rental inspections early, since applications move quickly.

2. How much do I need to rent a home in Australia?

A bond of four weeks of rent is standard, lodged with a state authority rather than held by the agent, and most agents ask for rent in advance as well.

3. Do I need private health insurance in Australia?

Holders of employer-sponsored temporary visas are generally required to hold adequate private health insurance for the whole of their stay. Reciprocal health care agreements give citizens of some countries access to Medicare for medically necessary treatment, and cover is often reimbursed as part of a relocation package.

4. How does superannuation work for temporary residents?

Superannuation is compulsory retirement saving paid by your employer on top of salary at twelve per cent, into a fund you choose. Temporary residents can generally claim the balance when they leave Australia permanently, subject to tax, so keep your fund details for the whole of your stay.