What Is the Best City in Australia for Immigrants to Live In?

There Is No Single "Best" City — But There Is a Best City for You

Australia has seven state and territory capitals, each with a distinct character, job market, and cost of living. The right answer depends on your occupation, family situation, and what you want from daily life.

Perth — Best for South Africans and Mining Professionals

Perth is consistently the top-rated city among South African immigrants. Reasons:

• The largest South African community in Australia — established networks, South African restaurants, churches, sports clubs

• Climate similar to Cape Town — Mediterranean, warm, dry summers

• Strong job market in mining, engineering, construction, healthcare, and trades

• More affordable than Sydney or Melbourne — a 3-bed house in a good suburb costs AUD $700,000–$1.2M vs AUD $1.5M+ in Sydney

• Excellent beaches, outdoor lifestyle, safety

The downside: Perth is geographically isolated. It's a long way from the east coast — a 4-hour flight to Sydney.

Best for: South Africans, tradespeople, engineers, mining professionals, healthcare workers.

Brisbane — Best for Families and Outdoor Lifestyle

Brisbane is Australia's fastest-growing major city, benefiting from the 2032 Olympics infrastructure investment. Warm weather, lower house prices than Sydney or Melbourne, and excellent lifestyle amenity.

Best for: Families, tradespeople, hospitality professionals, those who want metro amenity at lower cost.

Adelaide — Best for Affordability and Relaxed Lifestyle

Adelaide is consistently ranked highly in global liveability surveys — and for good reason. Excellent food and wine, 20 minutes to beaches and the Adelaide Hills, strong arts scene, and dramatically more affordable housing than Sydney or Melbourne.

Adelaide's skilled migration program is also one of the most accessible — they nominate across a wide range of occupations.

Best for: Budget-conscious professionals, families prioritising liveability, those in defence, agribusiness, or STEM sectors.

Sydney — Best for Finance, Tech, and Career Ambition

If your career is in financial services, investment banking, media, or tech, Sydney offers the largest corporate job market in Australia. However:

• Housing is extremely expensive (median house price: AUD $1.3M+)

• Traffic congestion is significant

• Competition for everything — rentals, childcare, schools — is intense

Best for: Finance professionals, senior corporate roles, media and entertainment.

Melbourne — Best for Culture, Food, and Creative Industries

Melbourne consistently ranks as one of the world's most liveable cities. Its coffee culture, restaurant scene, arts, and sport are genuinely world-class.

• Housing is expensive but less so than Sydney

• Job market is strong across professional services, tech, education, and healthcare

• Weather is Melbourne's main complaint — changeable, rainy winters

Best for: Creative professionals, educators, anyone who values urban culture.

Hobart and Canberra — Underrated Gems

Hobart: Extraordinary natural beauty, low crime, low cost of living, genuine community. Small but growing — particularly popular with couples and retirees.

Canberra: Highest average incomes in Australia, lowest crime, excellent schools, and good government sector employment. Often overlooked but genuinely excellent for families.

The Immigration Strategy Angle

If your primary goal is fastest PR, choose your city based on where state nomination is most accessible for your occupation — not necessarily where you most want to live. After 2–3 years in a regional or easier-to-nominate state, you can move anywhere in Australia freely as a PR holder.

NWI's consultants are based across Australia and can give you ground-level insight into what life is actually like for immigrants in each city.