Making a big life change like moving to another city can be a daunting task when you’re attempting to make it all work as smoothly as possible. Every state and territory has different ways of doing things, so as part two of our mini-series on moving to Canberra, we are breaking down the cost of living, transport, housing and jobs within this piece.
Cost of living
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the median weekly income per person, full time in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is $1,983.70 as of May 2022. This figure makes the ACT the highest median income per person in Australia. While this is great for Canberrans, it does mean we have a higher average price on eating out at restaurants and higher average rental prices than the rest of Australia.
Utilities costs
Whether you plan on renting or buying, using basic utilities is a necessity for electricity, heating, water and waste management.
Electricity
According to the Australian Energy Market Commission, the average electricity bill per household in the ACT as at November 2022 is $2,004 per year, making it 22% higher than the national average. One way to get the most out of your energy provider is to shop around for the best price before you commit to one provider. Electricity is charged by a fixed daily supply charge and a usage charge for each kilowatt-hour (kWh) that electricity is consumed. This is charged as cents per kWh and can be paid to the utility provider each quarter. Alternatively, you can elect to be placed on a payment plan where you pay a flat fee weekly, fortnightly or monthly, though if you use less electricity than you pay, you could go into a credit state where it can be difficult to recoup costs. Popular choices for electricity providers in Canberra are ActewAGL, EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy, Red Energy and many more. If you require electricity and a gas connection, most of the big providers offer electricity and gas bills combined as detailed below in the gas section.
Gas
Gas prices, according to St Vincent de Paul Society have increased by 6% since 2021, with the average annual gas sitting at $2,105. Like all utilities, this is completely dependent on how much energy you consume day to day. Not every home will have a gas connection but it is an important thing to note when you’re looking at potential housing options. Gas can power things around the home such as hot water systems, stoves and ovens, heating and many more. Like electricity, gas is charged by a fixed daily supply charge and usage charge. It is charged for each megajoule (MJ) of gas that is used and is charged in cents per MJ. Gas providers that combine gas and electricity are ActewAGL, EnergyAustralia, Origin Energy and Red Energy.
Water and Sewerage
Like electricity, water and sewerage is a necessity. Based on statistics on 2021 from St Vincent de Paul Society, the average household consumes 200 kilolitres per year, which roughly estimates to costing $1,203 per annum. This is set to drop over the next financial year by -2.2%.
Grocery costs
Canberra has many different options in terms of budget, choices and cuisine. One of the benefits of living in Canberra is that overall groceries cost less than the Australian average, although there are some items that are more expensive, such as a dozen eggs, red meat, tomatoes and locally produced cheeses, according to Budget Direct.
You can purchase groceries in Canberra from Woolworths, Coles, Aldi, Costco, Superbarn and smaller independent grocery stores such as IGA, Friendly Grocer and many more.
Dining costs
Dining out in Canberra can be a bit more of a costly exercise than some of the other states and territories. Restaurant prices in Canberra are higher on average by 5.35% than the Australian average, making it more expensive to dine out or even get takeaway.
As a guide on how best to budget for your upcoming move, you can check out Budget Direct that compares the cost of living within Canberra compared to the Australian average on things such as housing, transport, utilities, groceries, dining out, alcohol, leisure and clothing.
Transport
Depending on where you plan on living and working, you may want to consider either buying a car or bringing an existing car with you for getting around Canberra.
Public Transport
While Canberra is one of the most planned out cities, the public transport system is not quite as impressive or seamless as Melbourne and Sydney just yet. However, we do have a reliable public transport network in Canberra, and it has improved over the recent years with the construction of the light rail from Civic to Gungahlin, and the construction of the extension of light rail to other areas, including Woden. If you plan on utilising public transport in Canberra on a regular basis, you can use the bus and light rail systems that are run by Transport Canberra. We suggest you purchase a MyWay card which is similar to an Opal card (NSW) and a Myki card (VIC), where you can purchase rides on the public transport network with the help of your card instead of one time use tickets.
If you want to catch the Canberra Light Rail around town, you can currently use this service between the city and Gungahlin while it stops between Braddon, Dickson and Lyneham. The Canberra Light Rail is scheduled to expand through to Woden and is expected to be completed by 2026. Should you need to use buses instead, the bus network is fairly extensive and each Canberra suburb has access to buses through main streets of the suburbs. There are also several interchanges around town to get you to and from your destinations. You can jump on a bus from the city, Gungahlin, Belconnen, Woden and Tuggeranong. At peak times of the day and week, you can take a Blue Rapid or Red Rapid bus to get to your destination quicker than other bus services. Transport Canberra has a journey planner that can help you plan out your trips around this beautiful city.
Cycling and E-Scooters
If driving or riding public transport isn’t your thing, Canberra is also home to the largest network of cycling paths in Australia. Cycling in Canberra is very popular amongst the locals with stunning views where you may feel like you’re riding out in the country whilst not being far from the Canberra CBD.
For shorter distances around town, you can use e-scooters. Whether you own one or you would like to hire one, e-scooters are widely used in Canberra. However, there are some rules to using e-scooters in Canberra. A rider must wear a helmet and a rider cannot have a passenger. E-scooters are also not allowed on the roads or on-road bike lanes unless there is no footpath and there is a speed limit that they have to follow depending on the path they are on. You can learn more about rules on e-scooters from ACT Policing.
Parking
The ACT Government is responsible for most of the car parks within the territory. Anyone can use the parking bays but you are required to pay a fee and display your parking ticket on the dashboard within your vehicle, or you can download the EasyPark app from the App Store (iPhone) or the Play Store (Android) and you can link your account to your car number plate. Pay and display one day parking fees start from $1 to $19 depending on the length of time and location of where you are parking your vehicle. You can also purchase multi-day parking for either a week or month. Fees for multi-day parking start from $52 to $90 per week and $207 to $357 per month depending on location.
Another paid parking option you might come across in Canberra is by the company called Wilson Parking. You may recognise this from other cities and states. When you use Wilson, you can pay on the day, book online or purchase a monthly subscription through their website.
Housing
Canberra is home to many different types of housing, and all different types are located across each district of Canberra. The types of dwellings in Canberra include:
- Flat
- Apartment
- Unit
- Townhouse
- House
Lifestyle is an important factor in moving to a new city and should be considered when you’re looking for areas to live. Consider what is important to you and what your non-negotiables are in housing before researching. You may want a backyard or close proximity to either work and/or the city centre. Canberrans are known to debate whether it’s important to choose the right side of Lake Burley Griffin (between north and south) but regardless where you choose to live, nothing is particularly far to get to in Canberra. If you have children, some parents consider areas to live in based on their main school of choice. You can ask other Canberrans where they suggest you live, though every area has great options depending on your needs. To research further into suburbs and housing, check out our article on Canberra suburbs ranked by crime rates.
Renting
When you move to a new city like Canberra, you may want to consider renting in a few different areas before committing to choosing an area to settle into. As of the third quarter of 2022, Canberra is currently the highest and most expensive city to live in Australia according to Domain’s September 2022 Rental Report. Currently Canberra’s rental average is sitting at $550 a week for a unit (including apartments, flats, townhouses and units) and $680 a week for a house. Be aware that rent bidding does occur in the Canberra rental market. This is when a landlord or real estate agent asks a prospective renter to pay more than the asking price in order to out bid another prospective renter. This is legal in the ACT provided that the landlord or agent does not act in an dishonest, misleading and deceptive way.
Buying
According to Domain’s September 2022 House Price Report, Canberra was ranked the second most expensive city to buy in Australia with the median purchase price sitting at $1,096,114 for houses and at $572,824 for purchasing units. The ACT Government has a few schemes available for first home buyers, pensioners, people with disabilities and many more.
Purchasing property in Canberra is different to other states and territories. Firstly, no one actually owns residential land in Canberra. It’s actually under a land lease that goes for 99 years. Don’t worry though, there are no weekly fees for this arrangement and you don’t have to worry about being evicted at all. This leasehold doesn’t have a major impact on the purchasing process. Another thing unique to Canberra is that when a property is sent to market, it is mandatory to include an energy efficiency rating of the property. If you’re purchasing an investment property and don’t plan on living in this particular dwelling, land tax is also payable based on the unimproved land value. Once you’re committed to purchasing a property in Canberra, you should engage with a property lawyer, otherwise known as a conveyancer, who will handle the legal side of exchanging contracts, settlement and everything in between. Make sure the conveyancer you hire has the legal rights to act on your behalf within the ACT. From here on in, they can advise you on what to expect throughout the process and discuss added costs you may need to factor in.
Jobs in Canberra
Work in Canberra is plentiful as we have the lowest unemployment rate across the country. The unemployment rate within the ACT is currently as of September 2022 sitting at 3.1% of the population. While Canberra is smaller than most other capital cities in Australia, it means career opportunities in any field are easy to come by in Canberra. Out of 235,800 people that are employed in the ACT, there are roughly 104,000 people employed in the Australian Public Service (APS) including all federal and local government departments.
The public service is hyped up a lot here in Canberra in terms of employment; there are other opportunities outside of the APS available in Canberra. In fact, two out of three jobs in Canberra come from the private sector. The Canberra economy is one of the most resilient in Australia and is home to many emerging industries and employers. Canberra’s key growth industries for careers include:
- Health and sport science: thanks to our very own Australian Institute of Sport, health facilities and on-campus hospital at University of Canberra
- Renewable energy: Canberra’s electricity is powered 100% by renewable energy and plans to have zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045
- Startups: Canberra Business Innovation Network is the heart of the startup and innovation scene within our community
- Cyber Security and Information Technology (ICT): Canberra is home to over 1,000 of these types of companies, some local, national and global
Space science: Canberra takes care of one out of four jobs in the space science scene. This mainly happens within the Mount Stromlo Observatory and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex.
If you’re enjoying this mini-series and want more, read through our other article in the series on lifestyle, community, weather and education, healthcare, motor vehicles, registration and furniture and Canberra acronyms and slang.