Great Outdoors & High Costs for Expats in Australia in 2026

A strong job market and an enviable lifestyle make Australia an easy place to enjoy — as long as you can stomach the cost of living.

➡️You’re welcome to use these 2026 Expat Insider results. Please remember to credit InterNations as the source, and where possible, include a link to www.internations.org.

In this article:

In Brief
Room to Roam & Breathe Easy
Work That Pays & Leaves Time to Live
A Warm Welcome & an Easy Landing
Easy Admin but Elusive Housing
A Good Life at a High Price
The Typical Expat in Australia
Further Reading

In Brief

Australia lands in a solid 11th place out of 31 destinations in the Expat Insider 2026 survey. Working Abroad (8th) is the country’s strongest suit, closely followed by the Ease of Settling In (11th) and Quality of Life (12th). Expat Essentials (15th) land in the middle — helped by easy admin but held back by tough housing. The clear weak spot is the Personal Finance Index (26th).

Overall, about three-quarters of expats (74%) are happy with life in Australia (vs. 70% globally).

Room to Roam & Breathe Easy

Australia’s result in the Quality of Life Index (12th) rests on its great outdoors. The country takes 3rd place in the Environment & Climate Subcategory, with top 5 finishes for air quality (4th) and the urban environment (4th). Nearly all expats (94%) rate the natural environment positively (vs. 84% globally), and around four in five (81%) are happy with the climate and weather (vs. 58%).

Opinion

It is very big and open with much to do and many natural places to visit nearby. (British expat in Brisbane)

Opinion

It’s no surprise, then, that Australia ranks 1st worldwide for recreational sports — about nine in ten respondents (89%) appreciate the opportunities on offer (vs. 76% globally). Plus, expats give the political stability a good review (77% positive vs. 58%).

The picture isn’t flawless, though: Australia places just 23rd for Travel & Transit, dragged down by its remoteness — only 62% are happy with the opportunity to travel, 22 percentage points less than the global average of 84%.

And the Healthcare Subcategory (19th) is another weak spot, with affordability ranking 25th.

Work That Pays & Leaves Time to Live

Working Abroad (8th) is where Australia quietly excels. Expats rate the working hours highly (4th), and the average full-time week runs about 40.1 hours (vs. 42.2 globally).

A flexible business culture earns another 4th place, with around seven in ten (71%) satisfied (vs. 56% globally). Pay and prospects hold up too: expats feel fairly paid (5th) and appreciate the local job market (52% vs. 38%).

Overall job satisfaction (20th) is the one note that lags, suggesting the day-to-day work experience doesn’t always match the favorable conditions.

A Warm Welcome & an Easy Landing

Settling into Australian life comes fairly easily, with the country placing 11th in the Ease of Settling In Index. Expats feel welcome (10th) and appreciate the general friendliness of locals (11th) and their warmth toward foreign residents (12th).

Making close local friends is slightly more difficult, landing in 14th place.

Opinion

Relationships can feel more surface level. (Turkish expat in Melbourne)

Opinion

Easy Admin but Elusive Housing

The Expat Essentials Index (15th) is split sharply between paperwork and property. Admin Topics rank a strong 7th — nowhere else is opening a bank account easier (1st), and dealing with bureaucracy is comparatively painless (5th). According to 81% of respondents, government services are also readily available online (vs. 61% globally).

Getting a visa is the exception, finishing 27th. Housing is the real struggle, though: two-thirds of expats (67%) consider it unaffordable (vs. 49% globally), and only around a third (34%) find it easy to secure a place to live (vs. 44%).

A Good Life at a High Price

The Personal Finance Index (26th) is Australia’s clear weak point. Just over a quarter of expats (28%) rate the general cost of living positively, while more than half (52%) view it negatively (vs. 40% globally). Around two-thirds (66%) feel their disposable income is enough for a comfortable life (vs. 71%), and just over half (53%) are satisfied with their finances overall.

The cost question shapes how expats see the move — high living costs ranked among the top concerns before even relocating, named by 30% of respondents. The distance from home and family was a bigger worry, though (42%).

Even so, Australia wins people over for the long haul: close to two in five (38%) plan to stay forever, well above the 27% global average.