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Moving Back to Canada

Resources for Expatriate Canadians returning to Canada after living in the U.S. or further abroad


Moving Back to Canada from Australia


Important News:


Need help with your move back to Canada? Please engage my professional support if I may be of be of help.


Returning to Canada from Australia

Welcome to the resource page for Canadians living in Australia!


Here you will find useful resources and tips from other Canadians specific to moving back from Australia, from help with finding a moving company to understanding the differences in cost of living.

The main Moving Back to Canada page has links to a full set of returning to Canada reference materials for you to access, so be sure to check it out as well!

Topics & Resources




Introduction


Returning to Canada from Australia can be big transition for most people because the lifestyle in Australia is quite different from that of Canada.

Before you decide to move back to Canada, it is likely a good idea to really consider why you want to move back. Life in Canada really is very different from life in Australia.

Some of the commonalities between Canada and Australia that returning Canadians can rely on:


Some of the differences between Canada and the Australia:




Resources for returning to Canada from Australia


Moving your belongings


Moving your belongings by sea container to Canada from Australia

From my experience, returning Canadians are split: About 1/2 move with suitcases and a few boxes by air freight, buying everything else new in Canada with the money they save on shipping. The other half move a full household of belongings with a 20' or 40' sea container ("sea can"). The distance between Australia and Canada is so far that the cost trade-off of shipping belongings versus buying new is one almost every returning Canadian grapples with. Of course, if you will have a "corporate move" where your employer pays for the shipping of your belongings you have the luxury of taking your whole household with you, using the best service option available.

What to bring:

Due to shipping costs, low-value items and those that won't be of use in Canada (appliances) are not generally worth shipping. Some things that are worth shipping:

What not to bring:

Caveat: If you are moving with a sea container, bring even low value items! Stuff that container full. The marginal cost of shipping your children's lightweight plastic backyard castle is almost zero when you use a sea container. Leaving lots of empty space is just wasted. Yes, there can be weight and packing costs to consider but light items add almost zero extra cost to your shipment when using a sea container.

Moving Companies


The Moving Back to Canada home page lists top-tier moving companies that serve the world (useful links section). "Top-tier" obviously means top price, to be clear. But if you are moving a household of belongings and want it handled professionally, the price is certainly worth it. Here is a top tier moving company recommended by returning Canadians that is specific to Australia. They have offices in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane:


C. Roughsedge, shared her experience with moving just boxes:

Overseas packers and shippers have just delivered our stuff 4 months in transit. It was door to door Yeppoon to Toronto for $1700 for 33 boxes or 2.7 cu metres. They are out of Brisbane and can be reached on 61-7-3268-6200.

Moving company feedback or recommendations? Please let me know so I can add them here for future returning Canadians to learn from. Thank you!




Moving Pets to Canada


Moving your pet to Canada from Australia

This is one of the more challenging aspects of a move back to Canada from Australia. I have had several clients work with me regarding pet moves from Australia and the process is both expensive and challenging. One person who contacted me even decided to stay in Australia until her beloved feline companion passed on because of the cost and challenge of moving it back with her.

Professional pet movers in Australia do handle moves well. Trying to take a pet on a plane with you is not an easy thing to do as most airlines won't allow this for long-haul non-direct flights, as some of my clients found out when they contacted airlines.

As pets are a very important part of many families, I suggest researching your pet relocation options carefully and doing so at the very beginning of your move back to Canada planning process.




Paperwork


PLEASE, take pains to have the all right paperwork ready when you return to Canada. Australia is simply too far away to be able to hop back and get something you have missed or need another copy of. Even though we live in the era of electronic access to banking, governments, etc. there are still many things that must either be done in-person or by snail mail. A story shared with me:

One of the things that we are finding very difficult is that we didn’t have the right document to get our drivers license which I thought would be a straight exchange. I thought we had to get a letter from our insurance companies, but what is really needed for Ontario is the DRIVERS HISTORY. It must be ordered in person in Australia or ordered by snail mail if abroad and returned by snail mail. The traffic history is not enough. Although I’ve been driving for 30 yrs we had to beg the supervisor to give me a learners license until I can get the drivers history. This is because I renewed my Australian license recently, so they say I can only prove I’ve been driving for a year and a half.

The home page of this web site goes methodically through the key areas of preparation for your move.

As well, the Moving Back to Canada Planner / Checklist gives you a fast planning and preparation tool so that you will have all the key areas covered.




Taxes


As mentioned above, Canada and Australia have a tax treaty that will serve you well, particularly if you have a straightforward personal financial situation. In terms of income tax, Canada has a "tax freedom day" in early June. Australia is earlier, around mid-April. So it might seem that you pay less tax in Australia, but this might be "comparing apples to oranges" as there are many variables to consider rather than just "income tax" in your overall tax picture.

If your situation is complicated I recommend getting professional advice from a tax accountant in Australia or in Canada who specializes in international taxes. This can be due to pensions, real estate, trusts, the transfer of financial assets to Canada, etc.

A story from Rob in Australia which illustrates the care needed in sorting out your finances and making decisions about moving back. Please be sure to understand your pension, tax, and overall financial picture as you consider moving back. His story:

I am 65, retired, live on an age pension and have lived in Australia for 25 years. But after a recent divorce, and now living on a pension, I can't afford to stay in Australia. I can buy a 1 bedroom condo in small town Ontario or BC for $150-$170K [Paul's note: these prices have risen dramatically!] -- in AUS more than $350K! Apt rents in AUS average $1600-2000/month -- $800-1000 in many parts of Canada. I also lose 15% of my CDN pensions to Ottawa as a non-resident but wouldn't living in Canada. But I'd have to be a snowbird to FL or AZ from Nov-April because I don't like CDN winters. Can always move back to AUS if I don't like it after giving it two years.

A story from Shirley in 2023 that further illustrates why it makes sense to get professional tax advice in both Australia and Canada before you move. What is noted here is her personal experience. With professional help her situation could have been prepared for as there is actually a tax treaty in place that does protect you from double taxation. She ran into issues with the CRA after her move back that a CPA with international expertise could have helped her avoid:

"When moving back to Canada be very careful how you take your retirement income, as the whole of the amount received as a pension, even when part of or all of it consist of after-tax dollars paid into the plan can be taxed again by the CRA - the rationale was sorry there is nothing in tax treaty or iTA that allows you to deduct the part of the pension that has been taxed. It is to bad but that is how the law is written (so much for no double taxation), Because of the nature of the way pensions are structured in Australia -i.e. tax on contribution, tax on earnings in the fund and no tax on withdrawlal [sic], means there are no tax credits that can be claimed, and the full amiunt [sic] is taxed. The CRA does not recognize pensions that do not conform to the RRSP model (ie before tax cntributions, no tax on earnings and tax on the full amount on withdrawal). My advice would be to get an advance ruling from the CRA before deciding how to take your retirement income, if in fact you have a choice. I find this to be a travesty. The tax convention needs to be renegotiated to reflect the variety of retireement [sic] schemes around the world so that the retirement incomes of returning Canadians (and immigrants) are not decimated by the rigid inerpretation [sic] of the treaty and the ITA. Recognition need to be given to amounts that,have [sic] been already taxed, even though there are no tax credits, so that there really is no double taxation.""

From my work with clients I found that there are a few significant differences between how taxes work in Australia compared to Canada and most returning Canadians are not aware of them. For example, when your government pension in Australia is calculated the government takes into account your assets. In Canada, this is not the case - only your income is included. This is only one of the differences but it illustrates that doing a straight comparison of taxes between Canada and Australia requires a bit more digging to be sure you are accounting for all the impacts of the differences.

Continuing an earlier example, when you are assessing how much money you will receive for retirement from your Australia pension when you are living in Canada, there could be significant implications for your lifestyle. When tax differences are compounded with cost of living differences, your overall lifestyle picture could change. This may prompt you to reconsider some assumptions you have about what is important to have as part of your lifestyle in the future.




Pensions


Your Australian Pension

Many Canadians living in Australia consider retiring in Canada after many years and decades living and working in Australia. Here are a few thoughts and considerations that might help with regards to pensions:

Definitions


In Canada there are three main types of pension plans:

The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) which is contributed to by yourself and by employers.

Old Age Security (OAS) which is funded by the government.

And private pensions, paid for by employers and payroll deductions.

In Canada you may also save up funds tax free in a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and in a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA). Both are tax sheltered, but the RRSP gives you a deduction in your annual taxes for contributions. The TFSA is contributed to in after-tax dollars. When you turn 71 years old, you must roll an RRSP into an Registered Retirement Income Fund that pays you out over time. You can keep contributing to a TFSA your whole life.

Note: For more details I created a pension terminology comparison chart that you might find helpful. In Australia, the pensions system is very different, including wording such as "superannuation", a term that is not used in Canada. I won't get into details here as you likely know the Australian system better than I ever will, but my suggestion to you is to compare your Australia mix of pensions with that of Canada and learn about the Canadian system. For example, if you had accumulated significant CPP amounts in Canada before you moved to Australia you will be entitled to them when you return. If you lived a long time in Canada as an adult before moving to Australia you may also have accumulated some contribution room for your RRSP and TFSA, which might come in handy for putting some cash away tax-free. However, most people returning to Canada from Australia won't be entitled to OAS because they have been away so long and because OAS may take into account any pensions you receive from Australia.

Pension payments to non-residents of Australia


This is the important question for many Canadians considering returning to Canada from Australia. My understanding is that when you are outside of Australia for 6 weeks or more you begin to lose part of your public pension. Please be careful to research and understand what you will receive from the Australian government once you move to Canada so that you are clear what your financial picture will look like when you are living in Canada again.

Here is an article that may help you understand more about moving outside of Australia and future possible changes:

What happens to your age pensions if you go overseas?

How much retirement income will you need to live well in Canada?


This is the other half of the pensions question: You may know how much you will have coming into your bank account, but what will you need coming in every month to meet your costs in Canada?

This is a very important question, but one I am going be very clear on up-front: Most people worry far too much about not having enough money. There is a fear-based story that run shivers up most retirees' spines when it is shared: "You must have lots of money to retire in Canada or will you be huddled wrapped in blankets in your cold, dark house in the -30 degree temperatures saving every penny on electricity and eating cat food because it is all you can afford after paying for heat."

Seriously. Banks, investment advisors, insurance companies, and a myriad of others continually sell this story to fearful people in Canada. It must be working: The Royal Bank of Canada (Canada's largest bank) made "a record profit of $12.9 billion for fiscal 2019 – the largest amount earned by any Canadian company in a single year to date." (Source: BNN Bloomberg) Much of this enormous profit was made by selling expensive "investment products" to Canadians who live in fear of freezing and starving to death in their retirement years because of the "high costs of living in Canada".

OK, so what is the truth?

The key words to know: Lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle.

If you expect to buy a new SUV every 3 years, fly to Europe every summer and Mexico every winter, want to live in a luxury condominium in an expensive city, help your children buy their first real estate properties, anticipate expensive private medical costs, etc. you will need more money in Canada...a lot of money.

If you plan to live a modest yet abundant lifestyle in Canada, including a decent vehicle, some travel, living in a clean, warm home, and taking care of yourself well then almost every retiree can do this in Canada easily and confidently! You DO NOT need a lot of retirement income to live well in Canada. Period.

Numbers? If you want to really understand what this will look like, do the math: Figure out what will be coming into your bank account and with easy research on the internet and/or with the help of someone in Canada, figure out what your target lifestyle here will cost.

Suggested Resource: Check out the Retire in Canada page on this web site can be of help with your retirement planning and considerations!




Foreign Exchange


Australia has a smaller economy than Canada's. Because of this, their currency (AUD) is subject to movements that are not closely tied to other currencies or to the Canadian dollar (CAD). The CAD, in contrast, is subject to USD fluctuations and impacts because our economy is closely connected to that of the United States. Here is a 4 year graph of the AUD-CAD exchange rates. Fluctuations are common, as you can see:

When is the best time to convert AUD to Canadian dollars?

Source of the data for this graph: OFX - an Australia-based foreign exchange company.

The AUD compared to CAD was up and down in 2023 and early 2024. As of Q2 2024 it is a bit below the 4 year average and rising. Whether this current rate will be the case for the short or medium term is up for debate but it is a reasonable time for exchanging AUD for CAD right now compared earlier peak and trough levels. If you are in the position to wait for the AUD to go even higher than it currently is you could see it go higher in the future per the current trend, but this is only useful if you will be converting a very large amount to CAD and if you are prepared to risk the opposite - a downturn in the value of the AUD in the future.

Some foreign exchange considerations:

Check today's current AUD to CAD exchange rate:

Note: Exchange rates change every minute and the rates quoted here are "Market" rates. Your final exchange rate will vary from it (more or less to you) depending on the rate at the time of your transaction.

OFX Currency Converter


Lifestyle


This is likely the most important consideration of all, particularly if you have lived in the Australia for many years.

It is cold and snows in Canada, but not in AustraliaSome thoughts on lifestyle:

Prices and lifestyle differences are of key concerns to Canadians living in Australia and considering moving back. Here are some insightful stories and perspectives shared by Canadians living in Australia.

Lesley shares her story as to why she is planning on moving back:

I've lived in Sydney for 37 years but am contemplating moving back to BC. My major reasons would be because all my family are in Canada, a more relaxed lifestyle, and because I have still retained very strong friendships in Canada. While the weather in Australia was a major factor in staying so long ( 3 months of winter is enough for me!), Sydney is steadily losing the charm it had 37 years ago.

Firstly there is a lot of over development without proper planning for transport services, schools, hospitals etc. Public transport is overly crowded and not always reliable, and roads are gridlocked.

Secondly the overblown real estate market is making owning your own home or apartment virtually unaffordable, if you want to live close to the CBD a 2 bedroom apartment could be well over $1 million, for a two or three bedroom house you would be looking at $1,500,000 on average. Cheaper housing equals long commutes to work - I know people who spend 4 hours a day commuting to work.

Thirdly the cost of living is very expensive. I'm a few years off retirement and I can't see myself being able to live comfortably in retirement in Sydney. Living in a country town is not particularly appealing either, especially if you are well educated and enjoy any sort of cultural life, and work opportunities are quite limited. The air pollution levels in Sydney can be quite high (burning off for bushfire prevention and exhaust fumes from gridlocked traffic), I've become slightly asthmatic since living in Sydney. I agree with all the other comments about people in Sydney not being particularly friendly - in fact they can be downright rude and aggressive. I find that people in Sydney are outwardly very friendly, but it's quite superficial. It can be a very lonely place, and you can feel quite isolated.

The pros of living in Sydney are the work and career opportunities, the beautiful harbour setting, and there is a great cultural life with art, music and performance. I'm in the process of finding out more, as I have superannuation as well as real estate assets and need to find out more about transferring those to Canada.
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Thank you for sharing your perspectives, Lesley!


A client shares her story of why she is moving back with her family:

I have lived nearly 13 years in Australia (Sydney for 10 and Gold Coast for 2) and we have decided as a family, that the cost of living has finally driven us out of the country.

A few other major reasons that have tipped the scales in favour of Canada:

- the lack of employment out of major centres like Sydney and Melbourne (not even Brisbane has a comparable job market)

- the education, specifically,

  1. the lack of emphasis on learning a second language in the schools.
  2. the culture of driving your children to and from school in peak hour traffic. When I think of the prospect of doing this for another 12 or so more years, it is soul destroying (school buses seem to be non-existent and school catchment areas are large).
  3. the very real obsession with sending your children to 10k++/year private schools and if you choose to believe the standardized tests, there most definitely appears to be an academic advantage including better extra curricular sports.

- the insanely high prices for poor quality houses including the stamp duty paid to the government (this comes under cost of living, but it is such a big one, that it deserves a specific mention on it's own)

- increasing crime levels in outer suburbs of major centres and even not so major centres, likely due to an increase in unemployment and this high cost of living.

I'm painting a bad picture with my cons lists above, however, it is just to emphasize the reasons we have chosen to leave the country while our kids are young. I know Australia will always have a place in my heart, with it's year- round sunshine, the unassuming, informal culture, the slang!
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Thank you for sharing your perspectives!


William compares his experience with Victoria, BC and Brisbane, QLD:


Hello people, I am an international student who have lived in two of the best cities in both Canada and Australia, which are Victoria, BC and Brisbane, QLD. I am still living in Brisbane at this moment but I am also struggling whether or not shall I return to Canada for study. I miss Canada and my friends back in high school.

Main differences are as follows,

1) High wages for entry level jobs, legal minimum wage is $19.49 in Queensland, I am 19, I work as a part time security officer and I make about $20-27/hr. Downside is that I paid $1000 for my Cert II and III in Security Ops Course, plus $600/3 yrs to the government for my security license. My friend told me he works for fairway market in Victoria, he only get's $10/hr or something.

2) Great weather. Queensland calls itself the sunshine state, it truly is. It's always warm and nice weather here. And coldest winter is still like above 10 degrees normally. Victoria is also pretty sweat compare to the rest of Canada. But I guess only BC is good in Canada speaking of weather.

3) Well rounded public transport in AU, I mean I guess it was also pretty good back in Victoria, BC. The fare was like $1.5 per ticket(student) in Victoria and here in Brisbane is normally starting from $3.7 to $10 depending on zones you travel and concession or not.

4) Phone bills, here in Oz is actually cheaper. I pay $40/month for infinite calls and text plus 8GB data; Victoria I was in Koodo prepaid, it was like $10 per data booster 100MB add on? wtf. Overall you will pay more for less data in Canada.

5) The people here in AU, especially in big cities like Sydney and Brisbane are not so nice. When I was back in Canada, people are always polite and nice to me, often say hi to each other, but in Brisbane, people don't really care about each other, even if they live next to you. I do feel pretty cold in a way speaking of relationship between people.

6) In Brisbane, we don't have Walmart, in major shops like Woolworth, things are more expensive for personal uses, like shampoos and other stuffs. Thing they get from China like a flashlight, a s*** one could still costs up to $30.

7) Expensive post-secondary education in Australia. I go to QUT the tuition is like $24500 per year, I heard my friend pays $19000 in UVIC(international).

8) Cheaper rent in Brisbane. I pay $800 for a single condo, 1 bed, 1 bath, 1 kitchen plus parking. Victoria wasn't too bad but I guess if you are in Toronto or Vancouver is definitely gonna be a different story.

9) Gyms are much more expensive in Australia. Anytime Fitness for example which is the one I got $600 raped off due to sickness and late for only 1 day in cooling off period for the cancellation, they charged me $500 for early cancellation and $60 for the fob key:(( and the sales persons are the worst people you could ever think of and they will threat you with legal actions for breaking the contract and late for only 1 day to cancel it within cooling off period. It normally cost $14/wk where in Victoria, it costs like $20/mth and the staff are nice :)

I guess that's about it from my personal experience. I hope it helps. I miss Victoria, and I miss my friends in Canada. I don't really know if I should go back, I mean it's pretty hard to give up everything I am having right now, i.e. well paid part time for a college student, my car, my studies (only done 2 yrs so far but I don't like it, not doing great) and my new friends for sure. I miss the true north strong and free and its people tbh :)) I love Canada in a way that I could not describe. :)
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- William W. Thank you, William, for sharing your experiences and perspectives!


Andrea M shares here thoughts comparing Melbourne and Toronto:

I was born and raised close to Toronto, Canada. I moved over 3 years ago to Melbourne. There are pros and cons to both cities but overall I would recommend Toronto area for raising a family or a couple that likes to travel and enjoy fine things and going out alot.

What is better in Melbourne Australia?

  • the weather (no snow....but weather does change from rain to shine in a few hours)
  • all prices include tax
  • higher minimum wage (but cost of living is much more) approx $19.50/hour where Toronto is about $14.00
  • the coffee
  • mobile phone (several no contract options, $39.90/ month for unlimited talk text and 7 GB of data with amaysim for example)
  • colognes and perfume from chemist warehouse are very cheap here compared to Canada
  • option for private health care (but you must pay for this and it is expensive, plus forced to pay for this or you pay more taxes and a levy surcharge)
  • easy access to a GP (so many available and you can book your appointment online even)
  • have amazing groupon, scoopon, living social deals (3 course meal for 2 people with wine for $60 example and that is how we plan our outings)
  • I think public transit is better then in Toronto (much bigger, but is more expensive at 3.80$ one way)
  • I think Melbourne has less traffic then Toronto but people here complain like crazy on traffic
  • Possibly more sporting opportunities
  • 4 weeks mandatory holiday pay (annual leave) and 2 weeks sick leave - which is awesome!

What is better in Toronto Canada?

  • petrol is much cheaper
  • food is cheaper and more options (example avocado grown in Australia can be $4 each. in Canada imported from Mexico for $1) plus there are so many diet options and things like graham crackers; plus cereal selection in Canada is amazing compared to Oz
  • personal care items much cheaper (deodorant, tampons, shaving cream etc)
  • houses are cheaper
  • rent is cheaper
  • internet is better and faster
  • mortgage rates are cheaper. Melbourne is about 4-5% now where are Toronto less than 3%
  • catholic school is free for primary to secondary where in Australia its $2000/ year/kid for primary and approx $10,000 a year per kid for secondary and secondary starts at grade 6
  • day care is cheaper
  • less racists in Canada, as they are accepting people
  • close to the rest of the world; close to USA ( Australia is an island in middle of NO WHERE; far from the rest of world)
  • clothes and brand names are more expensive (except for perfume?)
  • Movie tickets are $22 a person
  • A game of bowling is $10
  • drive on right hand side of road
  • alcohol is cheaper
  • cigarettes are 10$ a pack in Toronto, and 20-25$ a pack in Australia
  • car registration is so much cheaper (Australia almost $800 a year!!!)
  • Not many (if any) red light or speeding cameras (you get $200 fine for going 5 km over the speed limit in Melbourne) public holidays fines are doubled.
  • only toll route is 407 (Melbourne has so many, bridges, tunnels, roads that have tolls and costs a lot of money each day to use)
  • drug and alcohol testing is mandatory (no need for suspicion) so you can get pulled over at any time and any day
  • parking tickets are much cheaper in Toronto! (Melbourne they really get you at 80-200$ for a parking ticket.
  • Canadians are accepting to all races, creeds, genders, etc (Australians in general are NOT) more multicultural (have all races and creeds, where as Melbourne is European and Asian mostly)
  • the cost to get a visa is muchhhhh cheaper. Australia was $8000 for me to get a partner visa
  • Canadians are more friendly and polite (say hello and sorry)
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- Andrea M. Thank you, Andrea for sharing your experiences and perspectives!


Tammy L. has contributed her perspectives, comparing Ottawa and Sidney, Australia:

I am a Canadian living in Ottawa and am moving back to Sydney. I found that Sydney was substantially more expensive for most goods/services. The wages in Canada are lower than in Aus but afterfactoring cost of living, the % of disposable income is higher. Sure minimum wage is double Canada's, but wages for comparable jobs are not doubled... yet costs are. :( This is definitely the cost of living in warm climate/ harbourside cities!

Ex: 1 bdrm apt rent in city centre:
- Ottawa: $1200-$1800
- Toronto: $1500-$2000
- Sydney: $2000-$6000

Morning coffee + sandwich:
- Ottawa: $5
- Toronto: $5
- Sydney: $10

Average dine out meal:
- Ottawa: $20-$30
- Toronto: $20-$30
- Sydney: $50+

Groceries/ person:
- Ottawa: $60-100
- Toronto: $60-100
- Sydney: $100-200

- Ottawa: $1.30/litre
- Toronto: $1.30/litre
- Sydney: $1.45/ litre

Hopefully this helps someone as I was just there recently a few weeks ago!

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- Tammy L. Thank you, Tammy for sharing your experience!


Another experience from Phil H.:

Hi Paul, Enjoyed your article on Canada/Australia.

I am in the process of returning to Canada (Toronto) after living in Australia for 16 years, in both Sydney and Melbourne. The main reason for leaving is the ridiculous cost of living here in Australia. Cost for just about everything range from double to four times the cost of the same in Canada. I currently live in Melbourne and pay $75/kg for raspberries in the middle of summer!!

There is a massive amount of price gouging here in oz that seems to be acceptable. A weeks worth of groceries for my wife and I cost about $280. I recently damaged the mirror on my 09 Dodge Nitro and to replace it cost $680. So I had my father buy one from Canadian Tire for $35 and mail it to me for $50.

Australia rarely imports fruits and vegetables. So whatever is available, is ALL that is available. I can buy mangoes in Canada during the winter for the same price as here in Melbourne in summer. It is true however that a person will earn much more in Australia than in Canada. The problem is that everything in Australia cost up to 4 times as much. You end up having far less disposable income.

Having grown up in Toronto, I took for granted how good and efficient our infrastructure really is (I know a lot of Canadians don't think this, but its true). Both Melbourne and Sydney have horrendous highway and public transportation systems. My Australian born wife could not believe how modern and efficient the TTC in Toronto really was.

Anyway I hope this sheds some light on the costs of living.
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- Phil H. Thank you, Phil, for sharing your story and insights!


Another story on prices and living in Australia, compared to Canada:

We are moving our family of 4 back to Ottawa from Sydney as the price of commodities and real estate is simply outrageous. We have started planning for our children to attend school and the costs associated coupled with the extremely high house prices and interest rates, made it close to unaffordable for us to stay and we are both medium-high income earners.

Moreover, the increasing violence in some of the suburbs as well as on the transport system have us slightly worried about having our kids exposed to it.

Albeit the harshness of Canadian winters, the cost of living through them is significantly lower than the cost of heating/power in Australia.

So overall, the uncertainty of the economy and the constantly increasing costs have helped us make the decision. That being said, Australia was a great experience for us and we will surely be back for holidays.
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- A Canadian family. Thank you for sharing your story and insights!


Finally, here is a contrasting perspective on prices from Suzanne D. Note: I cannot confirm her findings as they are quite opposite from what the research of others and myself have found in regards to living cost differences. However, it is useful to present here to encourage you to do your own lifestyle-specific cost comparison between Australia and Canada:

I'm an Australian who moved to Canada with family about 16 months ago. I was led to believe that the cost of living here was much cheaper than Australia and accepted a significantly lower salary based on that advice, only to find that it's not really true. I spend the same amount at the grocery store each week, insurance is outrageously expensive here and the tax situation is mind-blowing. The complexity of the tax system, including property taxes, must require an enormous number of government employees - paid for by the tax payer. We have free health care and schooling in Australia too, so I can't see what the reason for the inordinately huge taxes. Utilities here also cost twice as much as we paid in Australia [Paul's note: Apparently the price of electricity is higher in Australia now!]. The lower home loan interest rates in Canada balance out the main differences. So all in all the cost of living in both countries is similar. I worry about retiring here as compulsory company retirement contributions here are 4% compared with 9% in Australia and then you still have to pay extremely high property taxes for ever. How on earth do people survive??
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- Suzanne D. Thank you for sharing your story and perspectives!


A personal experience with friendliness Jenn, a Canadian living in Sydney, Australia:

Hi Paul I was checking out your website, great info! Thanks for sharing.

I live in Australia and have for 10 years now and just reading up on the comments of being prepared that Canadians may be socially cold and less easy-going than Australians. I actually find quite the opposite. Especially in Sydney. Sydney is a very very cold city from a social perspective. People don't talk to their neighbors or say "hi" to each other on the street. When I lived in a high rise for 2 years not one person ever said hi to me in the lift and if I said "hi" they looked at me like I had 10 heads. I am sure in holiday mode most Aussies would be absolutely lovely; however, true day to day interaction is not always like that and likely driven by the high cost of living causing a very stressful existence, long hours spent at work and a lot of snobbery regarding what part of the city you grew up in, what school you went to etc. Not to say Aussies are mean people, but I highly doubt an Australian would consider Canadians as being cold people especially if they come from Sydney. I find Canadians a lot more friendly than most Australians, but maybe just a little more closed minded...
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- Thank you, Jenn, for sharing your insights and perspectives!


Finally, here is a great article from The Toronto Star that highlights some of the differences between Canada and Australia:

Canada vs Australia: The upside of down-under




Your idea? Your thoughts? Your experiences?

Your ideas, considerations, and experiences?


Canadians living in Australia considering moving back to Canada: Please share your ideas, thoughts, and experiences relating to returning to Canada from Australia. An increasing number of Canadians living in Australia are contacting me for help and your input will really help others who are considering the move as well. I will post your thoughts here as help for others. Along with a credit to you will be a big thank you on behalf of the many people you will be helping!

Thank you!

Paul Kurucz

Canada

Latest update to this page: May 2024.





Would you like help with your move?


Paul Kurucz

Would you like help with your move?


Paul Kurucz

Would you like help with your move?


Paul Kurucz

I offer professional support to help you prepare for a smooth and easy return to Canada so you can feel confident and organized!

Your questions about when to move back, taxes, investments and finances, bringing back your household belongings, health care, and more will be answered promptly and professionally, with resources to back up what you need. My 20 years of supporting over 1,300 clients gives me a depth of expertise across all aspects of planning and returning to Canada.

Paul Kurucz - Canada


A happy client:

Hi Paul,

Just to update you - we landed and sailed through customs! So thank you so much for all of your advice...It was a thoroughly pleasant experience.

This is to say thank you for everything. Your advisory has been so incredibly helpful and saved us considerable time and removed room for error.

With best wishes,

Caroline

Paul's professional support





Moving Back to Canada Planner!


Planner / Checklist for your move to CanadaA ready-made and up-to-date planner of questions, considerations, and actions to take as you prepare for your move back to Canada, organized on a timeline approach. Save hours of work and stress of trying to piece everything together. A companion tool to the full content on this web site.

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