Our emigration: life in Australia

Фото: Depositphotos

Russian Elena Korzhik 8 has been living in Sydney for years. She told the publication about all the intricacies of life in this large Australian city The Village.

Photo: Instagram msc gorgeous

Move

I moved to Sydney 8 years ago for a job, before this I graduated a year in magistracy. Despite the fact that immigration rules have changed (and even can be said tougher) since then, Sydney is still one of the most attractive cities for education, followed by immigration or with the right to work. Especially among immigrant programmers, system administrators, engineers, accountants and analysts. Interestingly, more than 40% of qualified immigrants work in the specialty, of which 83% find work during the first six months.

In terms of relocation, Sydney attracts with its stability, security, high standard of living, favorable climate and the overall slightly relaxed atmosphere of the coastal city. There are not so many places left in the world, such as Sydney, remote from the world and practically free from conflicts with beautiful beaches and parks with flocks of cockatoo.

Preparing for immigration is necessary in advance, both financially and morally. The level of knowledge of the English language is very important - this is one of the key factors for the subsequent successful integration into the new environment. Also, potential immigrants should try to create a financial safety cushion that would allow the country to live in the first six months.

Accomodation

2 – 3 thousands of Australian dollars (1500 – 2300 American dollars) per month for a separate two-or three-bedroom apartment

Real estate in Sydney is incredibly expensive. A separate house on the outskirts in a not very prosperous area will cost no less than one million Australian dollars (769 thousand American dollars). Apartments here are counted not by rooms, but by bedrooms, and their prices start from 500 thousand dollars for a one-bedroom apartment far from the center (385 thousand American dollars). Therefore, many prefer to rent housing.

I think that the highlight of the local culture is the fashion for joint renting by strangers. We call these neighbors "flat mates". The scope of this phenomenon is large: there are several special sites for search, as well as large regional groups in Facebook. The benefit is clear: a new one-bedroom apartment half an hour from the center costs about 500 dollars (385 US dollars) a week, and tenants' neighbors will pay 350 dollars (269 US dollars) for a similar two-bedroom apartment.

Real estate agencies, as a rule, enter into contracts for the delivery of housing with the owners. Usually, open 15-minute inspections are assigned to view the housing, after which you need to submit an application and documents confirming the solvency and non-problem. Very often there is a competition for good apartments, where priority is given to couples without children and with savings in a bank account wishing to rent a house for a year or more.

Transport

120 – 320 Australian dollars (92 – 246 US dollars) per month

Public transport in Sydney is the train (or ground metro), buses, trams and passenger ferries. The fare depends on the distance and ranges from 3 to 8 dollars (2-6 American dollars) per trip. A couple of years ago, we introduced a single payment card for all types of transport, which can be replenished via the Internet, at subway stations, as well as in some grocery stores and pharmacies. In general, the transport infrastructure in Sydney is well-established only in the direction from the suburbs to the center. There are not always convenient transport connections between neighboring areas, and you may encounter a situation where a journey between two points by car takes half an hour, and by public transport - an hour and a half with several transfers.

Parking in the city center is almost always paid, and few places. Most people get to work on public transport. The cost of parking depends on many factors: distance from the main streets, subway stations, time of day and day of the week. On average, an hour of parking in the center costs 5 – 7 dollars (4-5 US dollars).

Products

400 – 900 Australian dollars (308 – 692 US dollars) per month

In Australia, there are two main supermarkets competing with each other: Coles and Woolworth. Prices and range there are about the same. A few years ago, German supermarkets began to open and gain popularity in the country. Aldi, products which are significantly cheaper.

Specialized stores with local products are very common here - these are meat, fish, and vegetable stores. Products in such stores are often much better and tastier. Australians are proud of it and prefer to buy there.

Shops close early, at six in the evening, large supermarkets operate until 23: 00. On Thursdays, everything is open much longer, so that people can buy before the weekend, on Friday they can start to relax, and the weekend is spent on the beaches, barbecue or with the family.

The price range for products can vary greatly, depending on the brand and quality. On average, a kilogram of salmon costs around 30 Australian dollars (23 American dollars), a kilogram of chicken fillet - 12 dollars (9 American dollars), good quality bread - 5 dollars (4 American dollars), milk - 3-4 dollars (2-3 US dollars), a bottle of wine - in the 20 dollars area (US $ 15).

Medicine

In Australia, medicine for citizens and permanent residents is practically free - they have a state insurance system Medicare. The main disadvantages of free medicine are waiting times for certain services, the inability to choose the specialist you like and the not very comfortable conditions of staying in hospitals. In parallel, there is private paid medicine and, accordingly, private medical insurance. Dentistry and plastic surgery are not covered by state insurance and are paid either by private insurers or patients.

Labor legislation provides for at least ten paid sick days per year. Very often, management sends sick employees to the hospital, so as not to infect others. In this case, one day you can simply rest at home, if longer, then you need to provide a certificate from the general practitioner (GP - general practitioner). Usually, for colds, he advises taking paracetamol for several days and returning to a second dose if it does not get better. Most drugs are sold in pharmacies freely, but for the purchase of antibiotics, hormonal drugs, strong antiallergic drugs, contact lenses and some other categories of potent drugs, you need a prescription from a doctor.

Entertainment

In Sydney, there is a lot of entertainment for every taste, starting with the beaches and ending with concerts and theatrical performances. There are clubs, closed bars, and many cafes and restaurants with all kinds of cuisines of the world. The culture of coffee is very developed, local people appreciate good quality coffee, and Starbucks is considered a bad taste. On Fridays after work, many go to pubs and bars, as they say here, “on drinks”. The main disadvantage of nightlife, entertainment and cultural life in Sydney is that everything closes early. Dinner after 22: 00 you can no longer, and in a nightclub will be fun to a maximum of two or three o'clock in the morning. On average, dinner at a restaurant for two people will cost 60 – 80 dollars (46-62 US dollars).

Movie tickets cost about 20 – 25 dollars (15-19 US dollars), but there are a lot of discounts. For example, students on Mondays can buy tickets for 10 dollars. Very often, ticket discounts are included in bonus packages for employees of various companies. For example, I can buy tickets for 14 – 15 dollars. Concert tickets and good theater performances cost an average of 100 – 300 dollars (77-231 US dollars).

Sydney is a city of surfing. The beaches here are gorgeous, open ocean with raging waves, so skating on the board is an important part of the local culture. Many local surfs, either early in the morning before work, or start work very early, at seven or eight in the morning, in order to work an hour or two after work.

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