Brisbane
Australia East Coast · Australia · Oceania
Subtropical ease meets ambitious new-city energy along a lazy bending river.
Brisbane is sunny, relaxed, and increasingly cosmopolitan, a more affordable and easygoing alternative to Sydney and Melbourne. The subtropical climate means warm winters but humid, stormy summers, and it's a bit quieter culturally than its bigger siblings. It's growing fast ahead of the 2032 Olympics, with a friendly outdoor lifestyle and good coffee. Suits people who want Australian sunshine and a laid-back city without the top-tier price tag.
comfortable monthly budget
1-bed rent, good area
Best for
Not for
Welcoming, sporty, and unpretentious, with a young professional and student crowd; friendlier and less cliquey than Sydney. Nightlife is solid in pockets like Fortitude Valley; dating and social life skew casual and outdoorsy.
Where to land
The scorecard
Tax in Australia
Top 45% rate plus 2% Medicare levy; 50% CGT discount on assets held over 12 months.
Representative estimate — not tax advice. · source
Make the move to Brisbane
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Find my placePhoto via Wikimedia Commons · source