Living in Canberra, Australia
Canberra is a mid-sized city in Australian Capital Territory, Australia (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a mild climate, averaging 13°C over the year with about 624 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €3,672 a month to live centrally, and Australia sits in our high tax tier. For citizens from outside Australia and New Zealand, long-term residency in Australia is comparatively open.
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- Est. cost
- €3,672
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- High
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 13°C
- 624 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 58/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~70 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Canberra
- Stronger healthcare than 89% of the cities we compare
- English is widely spoken
Language and culture
Main languages: English. English proficiency: native or near-native. Social openness scores 85 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Healthcare
Australia scores 78 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 89% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Australia.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €3,672 a month to live centrally in Canberra, 35% above the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 20% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Climate
Canberra averages 13°C across the year with about 624 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 22% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Taxes
Australia sits in our high tax tier: high personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at low to medium will not see Canberra in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Australia runs at about 70 Mbps, faster than 25% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open, for people from outside Australia and New Zealand. Long-term residency runs through points-based skilled migration (independent, state-nominated, and regional streams), employer sponsorship, and an invitation-only national innovation/talent visa; the old investor and retirement visas are closed to new applicants.
Citizens of Australia and New Zealand have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
For short visits, 1 of 198 passports can enter visa-free, 196 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival and 1 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Safety and stability
Australia scores 58 out of 100 on safety, safer than 44% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 8.7 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Australia. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Questions couples ask about Canberra
Is Canberra a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Canberra scores well on healthcare, English, political stability and social openness. It is weaker on affordability and internet speed. Expect a mild, moderately wet climate (13°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Canberra and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Canberra?
We estimate about €3,672 a month for a couple living centrally, 35% above the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Canberra?
Australia is in our high tax tier (high personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make low or medium tax a must-have will not see Canberra in their results.
Can foreigners live in Australia long term?
Citizens of Australia and New Zealand have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Long-term residency runs through points-based skilled migration (independent, state-nominated, and regional streams), employer sponsorship, and an invitation-only national innovation/talent visa; the old investor and retirement visas are closed to new applicants.
What is the weather like in Canberra?
Canberra averages 13°C across the year with about 624 mm of rain, which makes it mild and moderately wet. It is warmer than 22% of the cities we track.
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