Toowoomba, Geelong, Sunshine Coast, Hobart, & Adelaide Amongst Top Destinations Down Under for Brits Escaping Cost of Living Crisis

New Research Reveals Top Locations in Australia for Backpackers and Working Holiday Makers

Cost of living crisis is driving British backpackers to ditch the UK for Australia, new research has
revealed

For the research, Backpacker Job Board – an employment site for backpackers and working holiday
makers in Australia – used Numbeo’s Cost of Living data to review London (UK) data to comparable
data for 15 Australian cities.
 

8 criteria points (including equivalent cost to maintain standard of living, a single person’s estimated
monthly costs without rent, consumer prices without rent, consumer prices including rent, rent
prices, restaurant prices, groceries prices, and local purchasing power) were analysed and compared,
and the 15 Australian cities were then ranked against each other for each.
 

When looking at the cities which featured in the "top 5s" most often, these included Sunshine Coast
(7 times), Geelong (6 times), Toowoomba (6 times), Adelaide (4 times), and Canberra (4 times).
However, based on average ranking position, Toowoomba, Geelong, Sunshine Coast, Hobart, and
Adelaide performed best overall.

Matthew Heyes, founder of Backpacker Job Board, commented:

“Australia has always been a popular destination for young Brits embarking on a gap year, and the
post-Covid recovery is predicting a bumper season this year. With the UK set to experience a long
winter engulfed in the cost-of-living crisis, many young backpackers are heading to Australian
beaches for the antipodean summer. The post-covid recovery is on with over 70,000+ working
holiday visas already granted – Backpacker Job Board is reporting a strong trend of UK citizens

looking for work down under… 1 in 5 backpackers registering for work are from the UK, compared to
1 in 7 pre-Covid.
 

“Budgeting for an Australian working holiday is far from an exact science, but by understanding the
basic cost of living, you’ll be far better prepared for the adventure that lies ahead. As well as the
above cost of living considerations, things like visa, flights, insurance, and minimum wage are also
amongst other costs to be aware of.
 

“Australia’s minimum wage is amongst the most generous in the world – as of 2022 it was set at
$21.38 per hour, or $812.44 for a standard 38-hour week. However, it’s worth noting that during the
visa application process, the Australian government deems a ‘sufficient amount’ of savings to be
$5000, so you’ll need to be able to prove that you have that amount of cash at your disposal if you
are to be approved for the visa. Our budget calculator also helps you consider other living costs, such
as accommodation, food and drink, entertainment, and miscellaneous (such as transport, phone, Wi-
Fi, etc.”.

For more information on the research, visit: 
https://www.backpackerjobboard.com.au/job-news/living-in-the-uk-vs-working-holiday-in-australia/

About Backpacker Job Board

Backpacker Job Board is a job site in Australia for working holiday makers. Backpacker Job Board is Australia's favourite recruitment website for backpackers and working holiday makers. Looking for work while backpacking in Australia? Backpacker Job Board has 1,000's of new jobs in a variety of different areas. Fruit
picking jobs, harvest or farm work and au pair jobs are some of our most popular job categories. We have full-time, part-time and temp roles to suit all travellers. Browse our job vacancy database and apply for jobs online for free. No fees and no membership required!