For those considering coming to Australia, Sydney was just named the 7th most expensive city in world, Melbourne 8th and Brisbane 13th. Close to 30% of your pay will go in tax.
To buy an average house in a good area of Brisbane or Canberra (current bases on offer) will cost $600000+. If you rent a house then it will cost you between $500-700 in the same area. If you go further out from the city and like sitting in traffic for 1-2 hours each way from work then you will pay $400000-$500000 for a house and $450 - 600 to rent.
Public transport is very expensive and to the airports is a very average service (not to bad in Sydney). The AirTran service in Brisbane starts to late and misses the early flights, same in the evening, it stops before the last flights.
Australia s far from the lucky, easy going country it once was. Aussies are taking less holidays and working longer hours to pay the bills.