Moving from Sydney to Brisbane?

Have you ever considered moving from Sydney to Brisbane? Recently, this trend seems to have really gained some momentum. The people I meet, decide to make the move for predominantly ‘lifestyle based’ reasons, but I also hear the below top six reasons on a regular basis:

For the vast majority of occupations, average salaries are higher in Sydney, but it is not proportionally in line with the cost of housing. Roughly speaking, the average house price in Sydney appears to have broken the $1million barrier, while Brisbane is closer to $600,000. Obviously 40% is a huge difference and it is worth considering how much more do you have to earn in Sydney to make up for the increased cost of housing. Average salaries in Sydney are coming in around $80,000 whereas in Brisbane we are looking at $75,000, which is definitely not 40%!

This is another reason why so many people are making the move to Brisbane. Sitting in traffic or catching a train for an hour or more is one of the biggest frustrations of which I am told. The average commute in Sydney is significantly longer than the commute time in Brisbane.

I have seen a pattern emerging of workers returning to Brisbane to be closer to their families, whether they are wanting to start their own or are looking to relocate to near to relatives. Similarly, below are the top 3 challenges people face when making the move from Sydney to Brisbane:

If you have been working in an industry which is less prevalent in Brisbane, such as financial services when compared to Sydney, then the market can be quite limited. If you are looking to move into a new industry, this can pose a significant challenge, as most people won’t fully understand what you do and how transferable your skills might be.

Brisbane is obviously a smaller market and without the professional network here, it can be tough to crack. You might find it just takes a little longer than you first thought.

If you have a background in large billion dollar corporates in a specialised role, this may present quite a challenge. You may find limited opportunities given the number of head offices in Brisbane versus Sydney. When deciding whether to make the move or not, it’s important to weight up the costs and the lifestyle. In the end, only you know what’s right for your situation and it’s up to you to make that decision. Just don’t be put off by the challenges, it just means you’ve got to plan your job search accordingly.