9 Things Australia does better than the USA
July 10th, 2007
After spending six months in Australia these are some things I noticed that Australia does that I wish the USA did
9. All alcoholic beverages at the bottle shop(liquor store) are labeled with how many standard drinks it contains
8. You do not need to pay 40k a year to go to the best University in Australia
7. Tips are built in to the price
6. Gun control laws are more strict
5. The ubiquitous beer does not taste like piss
4. They operate on a trade surplus
3. Sweet Chilli Sauce
2. It does not cost money to receive calls/texts on a cell phone
1. They round to the nearest 5 cents(no pennies)
Corinne said:
How about the extra long vacations you get once you’re finally part of the workforce?
nebbish said:
And there’s just no comparison between your music scenes
Michael said:
Gods, where do I begin? The culture, the healthcare, the services, the people, the literature, the accessibility of government and on and on….
I wish I were back there. I wish I could find a job to allow me to stay.
Jacob said:
Mmm… I had a delicious dark ale last night.
The best beers over here are brewed by the smaller, independent breweries (and micro-breweries) anyway.
Is there any kind of grass-roots movement in the States to create a decent brew?
It does not cost money to receive calls/texts on a cell phone
I’m sorry, what? You have to pay to receive calls?
Holy crap, that’s the biggest rip-off ever.
Telecommunications are even cheaper in Europe than they are here.
Broadband internet is the one area where Aussies are getting screwed.
They round to the nearest 5 cents(no pennies)
New Zealand just abolished the 5c coin, and their new 10c coin is a small copper-coloured coin, not unlike a penny (which is probably its approximate value anyway).
In case you’re wondering, it’s Jacob from the creative writing class.
Ben Hennessy said:
For every firearm [in Australia], a purchaser must obtain a Permit To Acquire. For each firearm a “Genuine Reason” must be given, relating to pest control, hunting, target shooting, or collecting. The law excludes self-defence as a reason for issuing a licence.
So in other words, a snake is in your house, it’s legal to use your gun to shoot it, but if an armed criminal is trying to attack you, and you use your gun in self-defense, you can be jailed for assault, possibly murder. Dang, I’d hate to be in a natural disaster in Australia.
Yak Boy said:
Everyone owning a gun for self defence is exactly why so many damn people get shot dead in America all the time.
Michael Moore entirely missed the point in Bowling For Columbine (perhaps intentionally). He compared Canada to the US, saying that everyone has guns in Canada but the murder rate is really low. He concluded that the difference was the US media. I’m pretty sure that the real difference is that Canadians have hunting rifles which they only pull out to go hunting, whereas Americans have handguns and sub-machine guns which they specifically own for “protecting themselves” by shooting other people.
When everyone is allowed to own a handgun for any reason, your chances of getting shot are far far higher, and your chances of getting killed by an attacker are massively increased if that attacker has ready access to a gun. In America your hypothetical armed criminal will almost certainly be armed with a handgun or worse, in Australia the chances of someone with a gun breaking into your house are practically zero. I’d rather take the risk of the slim chance of being attacked by a crazy dude with a knife, than live in a society where every crazy dude is walking around with a pistol or an uzi.
One person was shot dead in Melbourne recently, and it was HUGE news because it happens so rarely.
There was a long-running mafia war going on here which saw gangsters shooting gangsters, but usually members of the general public are pretty safe from gun violence in this country.
You’re so lucky you can own a gun for self defence, because ordinary US citizens get shot dead at a massive rate every day.
And I have to say I’ve racked my brain, and I just can’t work out how owning a gun is going to help you survive a flood, earthquake or cyclone. Or are you referring to the coming zombie apocalypse when you talk about a “natural disaster”?
Ajax said:
I’ve been to AU. Cool place definitely.
Agreed with most of the +s you mention. Quality of life is higher down
there. Clean beaches and cities- like America in the 1940s I’d imagine?
Great attitude of people there too. It’s so weird that they have
to push for tourists so hard (I see the ad campaigns always running),
who wouldn’t want to go there?
Sinbo said:
8. You do not need to pay 40k a year to go to the best University in Australia
(but you probably have to pay as much for your private high school education to get into the best schools in Australia, University entrance scores are partially calculated from your schools average. The SAT, though often cricisized is actually much fairer than Australian entry standards.)
5. The ubiquitous beer does not taste like piss (I think Budweiser tastes better than Australian beer)
4. They operate on a trade surplus
(Australia does NOT operate a trade surplus!!! Australia is in a long term trade deficit)
jack said:
re: guns..the law is a bit confusing
we cannt purchase for self defense ..but we can use in self defense
as long as force is reasonable , given the situation..ya cant shoot someone for trespass
but attacked and in fear of ya life.. ya can kill him
WTF said:
I MOVED FROM LAS VEGAS TO AUSTRALIA ABOUT 15 MONTHS AGO ! - AND I’M BORED AS HELL !!!! - I LIVE NOW IN CAIRNS.
THE PEOPLE SMELL LIKE CAMBELL’S SOUP BECAUSE IT’S SO FRIGGIN HUMID !
THE PRICES FOR CARS AND MOTORCYCLES ARE DOUBLE !
FOOD IS 3 TIMES THE PRICE !
A PAIR A SNEAKERS COST $300 SAME PAIR IN THE USA ONLY ABOUT $65
INTERNET IS 10 TIMES SLOWER AND ABOUT $100 DOLLARS A MONTH
TELEPHONE IS LIKE $300 IN THE STATES YOU CAN GET A PLAN THROUGH CABLE FOR ONLY $20 MONTH UNLIMMITED CALLING ANYTIME IN THE USA !
I DON’T THINK I NEED TO GO ON —- DO I ?
AUSTRALIA IS A RIP OFF BECAUSE YOU PAY 3 TIMES WHAT YOU’D PAY IN THE STATES AND MOST TIMES IT IS LOWER QUALITY !
CAIRNS ALSO IS HUMID AS HELL 6 MONTHS OF THE YEAR AND RAINS ALMOST EVERYDAY IN THE WET SEASON WHICH LASTS 3 MONTHS !
IF YOU WANT TO BE BROKE - BORED AND SMELL LIKE BO….. BOOK A FLIGHT TO CAIRNS !
OH DID I MENTION A NEW HOUSE AND LAND IS ABOUT ON AVERAGE $650.000.00 SAME HOUSE IN VEGAS ONLY $275.00
PEACE.
Rick said:
I notice the firearm paranoid people ALWAYS throw in their two cents worth when comparing Australia to the USA. Its a very contentious subject, with studies on both sides of the divide presenting very good arguments for and against widespread firearm ownership. I am really not sure who is right. You have countries the likes of USA with high firearms ownership and high firearms crime, and countries like New Zealand with high firearms ownership and low firearms crime. I’m of the opinion that the urge to kill a fellow citizen has nothing to do with the availability of firearms. In my opinion the reasons are socioeconomic and cultural. The gap between rich and poor is devastatingly huge, and the education and future prospects of the “have nots” are little to none. A country like the USA, due to its wide socioeconomic margins I would say has a place for firearms, as long as there are people willing to kill to get what they want, then the law abiding citizens deserve the right to defend themselves from this. A country like Australia however in its current state cannot really justify widespread access to weapons……..yet.
Jen said:
Australia is beautiful and cleaner…but really, the cost of living is here is absolutely ridiculous. I’ve been living in Australia for three years (Sydney and Gold Coast) and it’s just outrageous what they charge for everyday items as well as luxury items. I’d rather forgo the “kindness” of Aussies for a cheaper way of life in the US right now.
jon said:
The US may be cheaper in terms of food, clothing, electronics etc, but “standard of living” is better in Australia.
in the 2007 UN report into best countries to live in, Australia is listed 3rd. The US is listed 12th.
the average house price is not $650,000 as someone mentioned above, but more like $450,000 in brisbane, $500,000 in sydney and melbourne.
the mining boom in Western Australia is driving a strong economy which in turn is increasing employment and driving up wages.
whilst Australia certainly is more expensive, the wages are ‘generally’ on par, at least in the cities.
Australia is not perfect by any means, but with a better healthcare system, a better safety net for the low income earners, a better education system, lower unemployment and a higher life expectancy rate, Australia is a better place to live now, than the US.
Aussi in the USA said:
I’m an Aussi who’s been living in Denver for 2 years. I’m mid 40’s. I have always loved the USA. I get sick of all these Australians
saying how much better Australia is. That is completely relative. I love Australia and miss many aspects of living there, but I also
enjoy the USA.
I agree 100% with WTF’s comments.
Plus side of the USA
1. The people in the USA are far more hospitable than Australians could ever hope to be.
2. The prices of food and most consumables are far cheaper in the USA
3. The internet service in the USA is far superior and far cheaper than in Australia
4. House prices in most US cities are FAR cheaper than in all Australian cities
5. Rental properties in the USA are AMAZING, they include fridges, washers/dryers, microwaves are spotless and
very reasonably priced.
6. The freeway and road systems in America are FAR superior to Australia
7. It doesn’t cost $650 a year in the US to register a car
8. Eating out in America is cheap - for mid range food (ie Chili’s, Texas Roadhouse etc )
Down side of USA
1. There is more violence here - however, it is largely confined to certain areas - you could be unlucky, but stay out of
JoJo said:
I am an American living in Australia, originally I am from Los Angeles, California and live in Sydney. About the cost of living, the US Dollar has finally turned around a bit against the Aussie, so the cost of living here is really not that bad, I am actually paying a lot less rent than I did in Los Angeles and live in a pretty good area near the water. Electronic items and cars are somewhat more expensive, eating out can vary a bit, fast food is about the same when converting into American Dollars, high end restaurants are more expensive. Australia as a whole offers a better quality of life than most of the USA, I am biased because I like waterfront locales and was living in a big rough American city with a very high crime rate. The biggest catch about Oz is a more relaxed way of life, you get 5 weeks of vacation a year versus only 2 if you are lucky in the US. In Sydney I have met all sorts of interesting people from all over the planet. With regards to safety, its a lot safer to live in Australia than most big cities in the USA. To fellow who lives in Denver, true its all relative. Sydney is like Australia’s NYC/LA, its a huge international city, for a big city I find it very livable. I have met huge numbers of other Americans who can vouch for the high quality of life that this country offers, even know a New York girl who absolutely loves it here, she wanted to go back to NYC her first year here but the place just grew on her.
As far as denouncing Australia as expensive, its actually the second cheapest country to reside in after Canada. I pay about half the rent in Sydney that I did for a similar property in Los Angeles. I also think health care is much better here than in the States. Its amazing how much the public insurance covers here compared to what I had with private insurance in the US. Maybe the quality of life in Australia is not much better when you compare it to smaller US cities like Denver, but if you were from Sydney and wanted to move to a place like New York or Los Angeles, I would call you crazy.
Carlos Silva said:
There are three Australias: 1) Sydney and Melbourne CBD and inner city/ 15 kms from CBD/ world class, 2) other capital cities, and 3) everywhere else. Point 1 is comparable to the best the US or Canada have to offer in terms of cosmopolitan lifestyle and cost of living (think San Francisco, very limited parts of LA, Chicago, NYC, Toronto, and Vancouver). Outside of these areas things fall off rapidly and can easily end up looking like the worst of the US South. At least the US has a huge and varied middle ground which Australia lacks.
I am a Yank, but my 10 year old daughter is a dual citizen. We live in Australia because it has — in our opinion — a better public education system and is just a more level-headed place for a child to grow up in. It costs WAY more than anywhere in the US to live (if you are buying) in a respectable part of Point 1 locations. Factor in the 48.5% tax if you are a highish earner, prohibitively high property costs (a bit less than SFO level), EU fuel prices, nearly double the price for consumer goods of any sort with less variety and poorer quality, and it costs tons of time and money to get out the the country on holiday to anywhere but New Zealand. Additionally, the compensation for white collar work over here is less than it is the in the US but great for other occupations. In general, compensation is comparable to that of Canada vs the US for the same sort of role as are the taxes.
Give me safe clean excellent beaches, excellent public transportation my wife can come home late at night on without being raped and decapitated, and a first world medical system that I can just walk into when I need it just by showing my Medicare card, and I will take the sub-standard material consumption profile and shite telecommunications arrangements. Hell, I will even overlook the fact that I cannot be as well armed as I’d like to be.
Carlos
BS said:
I am an asian and lived in Australia for 15 years. I moved to USA. Australia is boring, a lot of people are racist, cost of living is very high. Low quality on every things you buy or use. if you live in Sydney inner suburbs, its very dirty and like in USA not really very safe. because of Mid eastern people all over who still thinks they are in their own stinking country like Lebanese.
If you are rich high paying, train rider, North Sydney worker, then you dont really see what is life in Sydney. I lived in the worst area of this country when I first came and I know how unsafe this place is, just like the USA. At least USA you can buy your gun to protect yourself.
This people who live in Australia, saying that place is good place to live might be very rich and also living in those isolated areas.
one more thing, no parking everywhere, traffic, roads are smaller and most of all drivers tail gates you all the time because there is no lane to pass a slow vehicle driving at the right speed. watch out for those FINGERS everywhere. thats why guns are strict in this country. imagine if they all have one.
Moving_Australia said:
Hello Everyone:
I came across these posting, and it is interesting to read everyones opinion. I am in plans to move out of USA, currently live in Chicago ….chilly winters sucks…so want to live some nice weather place where life is smooth, with excellent education system, and nice place to raise kids…keeping in view I am planning to move to Australia in future.
Based on above comments…in summary…I think..Australia offers…as compared to USA.
1. Good life considering both family and work
2. Nice place to raise kids
3. Might be cost of living is bit higher than major city in USA, however we can justify for te quality of life you get in Australia.
4. Taxes is almost 35-45% depending upon the salary bracket with no state tax, where in USA it overall turns to be more than 50% considering Fed , State, SSN, Medicare. Botton line taxes are bit less than USA.
5. Job opportunities in Australia is at par with the USA, however considering the current economical situation there are hardly any jobs in USA.
I see “Aussi in USA” commented that..The freeway and road systems in America are FAR superior to Australia, I guess I would be interested in what way…??? which cities are comapred…I guess any insights would be helpful to make decesion.
In my view, all I am looking for a quality of life without having much worry every day …I don’t aspire to be a big shot in company..however I am looking for less tension at work and easy life as compared to USA. USA offers more tension at work.
Thanks
AJ said:
I am an Australian who has been living in the states (Virginia and Texas) for 6 years and is seriously looking at moving back to Australia.
Some of my points would be:
Cost of living in Australia is a little higher than the US if you look at equivalencies (Sydney/Melbourne to large US cities, regional cities to regional cities etc) for everyday and consumer goods but is WAY cheaper in Australia for medical and higher education. Gas/Petrol costs more in Australia but most Australian cities have a pretty reasonable public transport systems while very few US cities do so its possible to spend less on transportation without much inconvenience. Property costs more on average but also appreciates in value at a higher sustained rate. In fact, individual debt in Australia is lower than in the US without any real reduction in home ownership rates etc so overall home affordability in Australia may be better than for people with equivalent careers and location than in most of the US.
The Australian superannuation system is far superior to the US employer sponsored 401k system in that in Australia its a minimum 9% from your employer (assuming you are regular FT employee) while in the US there is no guarantee of anything and if there is something it’s far more likely to be around 4% and then only if you put in an equivalent amount of money.
If you factor in health insurance costs (since most employers don’t 100% fund US health insurance any more) for an average worker and the Australian income tax rates then most parts of the US end up having a higher tax burden. US sales tax is usually less than GST and applies to fewer things so consumption based tax is higher in Australia but at least you have control over that. At the top end of the scale US tax is lower than Australia but that is only a small amount of people.
There are public safety nets in Australia for medical coverage and unemployment payments which ideally you never need but are way superior to the US system in even the good states. Also, 46 million uninsured Americans = a huge potential public health hazard for disease spread etc.
In the US you rely on your employer not only for your income but in many ways for your health. Employers aren’t in that position in Australia which removes a burden from them and gives the employee more independence. There are also no ‘at will’ states in Australia like the US so you at least have to get some notice if you are loosing your job for whatever reason.
To the person who said that Australian high schools cost a lot more than an SAT based system I think you’d be surprised at the very low graduation rates in many US state high schools compared to the Australian system and therefore the low college attendance rates from certain areas - obviously Australia has geographic variations but nothing like the US.
To the person who said the cost of car registration in Australia is far higher I’d say this is partially true. In Texas car registration is cheap, in Virginia where cars are covered by personal property tax in most counties its far more expensive. In Australia the rate of uninsured drivers is very low, in parts of the US it’s the majority of drivers which can be a hidden cost on insurance premiums and especially insurance claims.
Tax inclusive pricing - the price on display is what you pay no mental maths to work out the taxes etc No GST on staple foods etc while many US states do charge sales tax on staple foods.
No tipping in Australia - this is a double edged sword - wait staff have more income security but less motivation to really offer good service (not that I often get good service in the US anyway) and of course the cost of the meal is more than you mentally think it is (but probably still cheaper for mid range chain restaurants) because of the tip. There is probably also an unseen benefit in having better paid people with medical coverage prepare your food in Australia than in the US. You probably pay the same in Australia as in the US for a meal - it’s just smaller - of course with obesity rates in both countries that may not be a bad thing.
There are no prescription drug ads on Australian TV
4 weeks leave a year + public holidays that are actually public holidays (none of this ridiculous “employer recognized” holiday stuff like the US) + better sick leave entitlements on average are a big plus and means you can more easily take big trips - even if you spend longer on a plane.
Internet service in Australia does suck compared to the US but there is a big push on from broadband carriers here to switch to metered billing so no more unlimited plans for $29 / month. Time warner announced their unlimited cable broadband home plan will be $150/month so cost wise not much difference going forward. Australia may still take a while to catch up with speed etc.
Phone service really isn’t much different. Yes in the US you can get nationwide anytime long distance on your home phone for $29/month (except the bill will be for closer to $50 when they add in taxes and charges) and your iphone doesn’t get unlimited data but as others have said - you never pay for inbound calls so unless you are a really heavy user it should work out about the same.
There are a lot more channels on US pay TV than Australian but largely they are the same shows.
Less consumer choice - a smaller market often means fewer brands but does that really mean worse products - 48 brands of toilet paper vs 10 doesn’t really make a difference to me.
True separation of Church and State - I have never heard of a serious debate over evolution in schools in Australia - it comes up all the time here as does creationism etc.
ovsikal said:
Hey)
I lived in NY for 7 years… Well..) I am moving to Sydney!!!
susan said:
u get paid a lot more so just complaining about how much everything cost
Cat said:
Hi everyone
I am 35, I have lived in Australia for over 20 years, I had lived in US for 3 years and rest in Asia. We are planning moving to California next year under Business Visa. We had many friends and relatives moved there because of better opportunities - I think it is far to say, if you want to set up a Business, and wants to do more than just an employee for life, then US will be a much better place, it is a land of opportunities, esp. for skilled people & motivated people.
Australia is beautiful, I grew up in Sydney, very pretty place. I lived in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth before - I think Sydney, while expensive, does offer more than other cities.
But Australia lacks opportunities, it has very small market, and for some, they can not even find jobs if you are in biomedical (limited), semiconductors (non-existent) or even many IT industries - because Australia is very much, still a commodities based economy. We are an online marketing specialist (multicultural & multilingual), and after 3 years in business, we had very littled Australian clients (less than 10%).
I think it’s incomparable to the lifestyle as they are totally different places, but the reasons we are moving there are:
1. More opportunities and more cities to choose from
2. Closer to everyone (globally), the travel cost is much cheaper in US just because it is closer and more competition
3. Childern will have more choice (in terms of universities) and their universities are generally quite good compared to Australia (top tier vs top tier)
4. I am surprised, that Americans (in cities anyway) are much more globally oriented than Australians
5. No tall-poppy syndrome - Americans look up to successful people as role model, this is one thing I dislike about Australia, they criticize on successful people (like stars, celebrities, even just ordinary business people)
6. Some areas of costs of living are cheaper - groceries, electronics, books, phone bills..education is on par with cities
7. In some places, you can go ski and beach on the same day
8. I play baseball, so that’s of course a plus for me - in fact, there are many successful Aussie Baseball players in US (MLB), but they don’t even get mentioned in Australia! I feel sad about that.
9. In many US schools, you get to learn Spanish as a mandatory course, I think that’s a real bonus as English, Chinese, Spainish are the top 3 languages in the world - nothing wrong to pick up a 2nd languge or 3rd.
10. Yes, rent can be actually cheaper in US (again, depending on cities - u should compare to rent vs your income), as it includes furnitures.
I get very divided opinions when I made my announcement - really, almost 50/50. Just last month, 3 of my friends relocated to US to take positions they could not even think of in Australia - one as a hedge fund manager in NY, one as a semicondutor engineer in US, and one to set up digital agency there.
US actually encourages skilled people to move there (you must have Bachelor Degree), they even offered more quota just for Australians under E3 visa.
I would love to hear from Aussies who are living in South California now to share your experience.
sania said:
I moved recently to Australia from US. I have been here for 3 months and want to move to US again. The place really sucks…
Lot more expensive than US…
For food - where I paid like $1 in US , here I have to pay like 3 to 4 $ for the same.
For clothes - where I paid like only 5$-15$ in US here I have to pay around 50$ and that too for less quality.
For Internet - very slow and paying in AUS 50$ for 30GB limit where in US paid only 25$ for unlimited.
For phone - Not even free to me and my husband in AUS…took a plan which has free calls but wil charge 1$ per call after that free call which exhausts immediately in AUS…in US unlimited free calls to same carrier and free on weekends….
I received more hospitiality from US people….Aussies are more serious and more racists…
In US whichever state I go I can take rental car and can roam easily and rental cars are cheaper and can get with more deals….I havent seen such activities here as road are small and cannot enjoy driving(rental cars are more expensive) Even GPS is more expensive and not accurate…
There are more lowpaid jobs in AUS and government benefits are for low income earners only….As a high income earner in AUS, I need to pay 50% as tax and childcare is about 1500$ per month with no allowance ..so I cannot enjoy my earnings here…..
For a good car I paid 10000$ in AUS where I can get for only about 4000$ in US for the same…..
One more thing is the work is very slow in AUS and ofcourse they are relaxed but wastes a lot of time as they are lazy…
helena said:
i live in australia and the internet is not expensive live with my mother who doesn’t even have a husband a family only me and im 15 if my mum who doesn’t have a full time job no support in money and lives on rent if she can pay $20 unlimited internet than you dumb ass americans either to stupid to earn money or just got ripped of big time by some guy, australians don’t like americans mainly because most of us are japenese vietnamese and slavs from europe and we don’t like you for good reasons the only people that you can get along with in australia is them slow convicts that say mate and we do learn languages in our schools we learn chinese french and japanese i already no 3 languages and your talking some shit about how americans are global dude we have way more nationalities than you i mean no one in the world likes you guys that why theirs so manny vietnamese japenes bosnian croation bla blabh blah people come hear you guys really need to shut the fuck up and get that stick out of your ass and your noses out of the sky and stop complaining