Hi ILites, We are a family of 3 (soon to be 4) and planning to move from USA to Canberra, Australia. We'll be working at the Black Mountain research facility. Could you please suggest areas around Black mountains (within 20 minutes of drive) to rent a 3 br house? Also, could you please comment on the rental prices and child care in Canberra? We are still in process of negotiations and would also like to know what a good salary in that area to live comfortably (not lavish). My husband and I are trying to decide and of course high cost of living is one of the consideration. Thanks in advance.
Hi, I have been living in Canberra for the past 4 years.Canberra is one of the most expensive places to live in Australia as in cost of living is very high.If you buy stuff from supermarkets and chain stores they will cost the same all over in australia but if you go to the markets or small stand alone stores you fill find that the prices are high- this is because there is a perceived assumption people in Canberra have higher wages because they are Federal government employees -but this is not the case always. Hubby and I are expecting our first child and I have been looking at childcare costs - they are also quite high in Canberra but some affluent suburbs in Sydney also charge the same amounts.There are also long waiting lists.I would advice you to google and put your name down on the waiting list for as many childcares as possible now.I was advised to do this when I was 3 months pregnant.It will cost around $110 per day you will get 50% rebate if you have PR but rebate is capped at $7500. Canberra is is a relatively small state/territory compared to Melbourne and Sydney and driving from one place to another is not much of a hassle compared to more crowded places such as melb/syd.Canberra is mainly divided into 3 -northern suburbs,city area and southern suburbs.Blackmountain area is near city however it might be a bit more expensive to rent a 3 bedroom aprtment in that area compared to other sreas. You can live in either northern or southern suburbs and travel to city to work ( Will be maximum 30 mins drive.)Please go to Allhomes.com and have a look at the prices.I live in the northern suburbs( Gunghalin-Bonner,Amaroo,Franklin,Casey,Harrison,palmerston) as most of the houses are new here.Southern suburbs -tuggeranong, Woden might be even cheaper. Canberra is a very good place for families.It is safe has mostly government employees and the education level is high.As such even the public schools are good.There is very less pollution here.Public transport is not great but you can drive around Canberra easily. For rent in northern or southern suburbs you will need around 1600 per month.City area higher around 2000.Also some places in city area is a bit not safe, research carefully.This is because there are government community houses in that area and even though everyone is not the same some of the ppl do drugs and illegal activites. If you are sending 2 children for childcare you will need minimum 5000 after tax dollars per month for all household expenses-for this you will need combined income of 100K to 120K per year.If both of you work or if one of you get a higher paid job it shouldnt be a problem. If you are particular that you only want to live close to blackmountain facility try these suburbs -Lyneham,dickson, innercity.Bruce is also quite close eventhoguh it is part of northern suburbs. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Supriya- First, congratulations! New parenthood is very exciting and nerve wrecking . Thank you very much for taking time and writing in detail. It helps a lot. We were in Canberra last month to visit before considering the offer and we found Canberra as a quite charming place. We're really surprised with almost no traffic at peak hours which is quite unusual for us even though we live in a mid-size city in the US. I was told that most people who work at Black Mountain facility live in suburbs and commute so we are okay with 20-30 min drive. You are right about childcare waitlist, that's what everyone told us. CSIRO (where I'll be working) has its own daycare but waitlist is very long and we may not get into it. Thank you for giving an estimate on the annual salary, I was reading other online threads and most expats were saying at least $200k is required for comfortable living in Canberra; glad to hear it is not that high. We are US citizens and will be on Australian visa (we haven't thought about applying for PR; although I assume being Federal Govt. employees it shouldn't be hard to get). I hope you won't mind if I ask more questions as the move come closer. Thanks!
Hi Supriya- Have you found a daycare yet? Could you please let me know the weekly charges for infants and toddler (2.5 yrs) in a certified daycare? We are planning to move in July. thanks in advance!
