# Initial Setup Cost Budget for Sydney - Please help!!



## Muruganandam (Feb 4, 2013)

Hi,

We are a family of three(me, my wife and 1 year daughter) going to arrive sydney by coming 21st march 2013 with 457VISA for 2 years from india. 

Moreover our sponsor will provide one month accomodation along with flight tickets. 

Right now we are in the process of preapration and setup cost budgeting. 

Could sombody please suggest us that how much amount we need to bring from here before coming to sydney for our initial setup?

Thanks 
Muruganandam


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

Hi muruganandam,

Me,hubby n kid planning to migrate to aus (not sure of which city,though) in about 4 to 6 months...
We are in the process of collecting as much info on cities n suburbs,job search avenues,etc...
Kindly share any budget related common info..btw hubby is into mechanical/production industry n we r from south india...hw abt u?


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## Muruganandam (Feb 4, 2013)

Hi Saradha

I’m good! thanks. How abt u? I know only about Sydney because i have been there for few times on my short term business visits. 
As far as i know Sydney is quiet expensive city and requires both partners need to work otherwise we need to keep our family little away from CBD.. I am planning to be there near Parramatta, where we can find few Indian groceries/people and also we can go to murugan temple.....

In budget point of view.. I am expecting around 3000AUD to 3500AUD for our monthly expenditure.. but I will confirm after I reached there. .


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

Hello friend,

That would be great if u could post ur review on the place while u r there..btw,wats ur occupation n are u taking ur family along right away?..
Theres nothing like having a temple nearby..i believe that would wipe a good deal of home sickness 
Do pass on any info that u come across about mech or production industry....good luck with ur move..stay in touch...

Regards,
Saradha


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## zakavath_sydney (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi Muruganandam & saradha,
We ( me & my wife) are actually waiting for the visa grant to happen... by the way we want move to sydney only... please let me know the cost of living figures & the current IT market , reasonable areas for accomodation services etc. Thanks in advance!


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

Initial set up cost pls include the rental bond of 4weeks , Internet set up cost , electricity n gas well that cost comes with the bill depends on when it's generated 

I stay in Sydney from chennai well for 2 ppl it cost somewr around 3500$


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## saradha (Feb 22, 2011)

Hi zakavath...ll post u with info as n wen i come across...all the best for ur grant!
Hi nanshri...which place in syd are u staying...how near is it to cbd...can u post some breakup of major expenses monthly...rent,utilities,provisions...btw wat was ur visa type...how did u acquire a rental property...
any latest info that u provide would help planners like us to take informed decisions.


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## zakavath_sydney (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks Nanshri for the feedback. 

By the way, what about the accomodation services ? how does it going to work as I am coming with my wife. she is also working in development side. where to look for staying in sydney for at least in a lesser / reasonable price

could you throw some light on this also please ?


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## zakavath_sydney (Dec 28, 2012)

Thanks saradha for the reply. Infact, Nanshri will help us addressing all our queries.


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

I stay 40 min away from city ... To b very frank just now paramatta Indian shops r good number across Sydney .... I don't stay in paramatta to give idea about rentals der but on an average it's 300-350$ for decent 1 bedroom two will b 390$ with one bathroom

If ur looking for with dishwasher and laundry add 20-30$ more

Grocery for 2 range between 70-90$ a week

Rentals r paid weekly or biweekly and electricity is 3 months ones. Range as 120 $ for 3 months depends on if u hve heater n ac another 10$ extra


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

With regards to transport trains weekly is good after u get job .... Make sure u get near station helps lot as most shops r around 

Getting rental house I stayed in service apartment so could show proof they as bank statement , previous owner details refree proof of address 

First think get Medicare when u land if pr helps lot n then do driving test for address proof

If working will ask employment proof for rental


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

The more ur close to cbd the more expensive ...u hve fast trains so u can plan n stay ... With phone check out lebara very good 40$ monthly 3gb and local across Aus free call helps when ur networking for jobs initaly n that 3 fb is good enuf to connect laptop n it carry forwards n Indian calling dam cheap


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

Apart from paramatta look at burwood ,stratfield ,wentworthville ,Westmead, west ryde, koghra ,epping , Hornsby - far but direct trains to city fast ones , hurstville , all places hve Indian shops  hope I have answere all


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

One more thing if ur getting stuff from india too may things look at Singapore airlines cargo service for 100kg charged somewr around 10k worth it f ur planning to sell things n move n try n avail the single way ticket 40kg allowance


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## Muruganandam (Feb 4, 2013)

thanks Nanshri for the details.. i am planning to take approx. 5000AUD for our initial setup.. 

For the first 4 weeks, company provides accomodation for us.so we can find a house with in this period.. 

I think the rent advance would be around maximum 2000AUD and 1000AUD for our 1 month grocerries and others. The remaining amount we can use for initial basics items purchase. 

I hope i can able to manage with this 5000UAD..what do you think? 

Do you have any idea about used furniture shopes around sydney? 

Thansk in adavance.


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

Seems fine since u have job in hand check out ikea for resonable rate as well as rental center ...second hand goods would b gumtree.com.au

Electronics would b seconds world ( not second hand shop) , binglee , good guys


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## zakavath_sydney (Dec 28, 2012)

Hi Nanshri,
It's really a good info. Just bothered to ask you about the rental once again.

You've mentioned that $300 to $350 for single bedroom > you mean, does it have kitchen, hall as well for a couple or hall & kitchen will going to be shared again by some one else?

Please advice.


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

It's a single unit hall kitchen bathroom n bedroom .... I would suggest check out realestate. com.au or domain.com.au to get more idea coz they list pics n give inspection time ... One more point most agents ask for 4 weeks rent bond plus 1st 2weeks rent in advance after that u can decide if u want biweekly or weekly payment


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## Muruganandam (Feb 4, 2013)

Is somebody have an idea about how to ship the kitchen items(Mixer, Grinder..) from India(Chennai) to Sydney. 

We are having 90 kg(40 kg(me)+40 kg(wife) +10 kg(for our kid) luggage allowance during our flight travel but with this allowance we can only bring our clothes related items. 

So i am thinking to ship our kitchen items by parcel service. Is any one have an idea?

Thanks
Muruganandam


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## nowhere (Aug 13, 2012)

Muruganandam said:


> Is somebody have an idea about how to ship the kitchen items(Mixer, Grinder..) from India(Chennai) to Sydney.
> 
> We are having 90 kg(40 kg(me)+40 kg(wife) +10 kg(for our kid) luggage allowance during our flight travel but with this allowance we can only bring our clothes related items.
> 
> ...


hi muruganandam, when r u planning to fly? i'm from chennai and planning around april 2nd week.

regarding ur query: some people have suggested to go by indian post for extra luggage, seems fairly cheap than any other service. another option is singapore airlines cargo service, they charge around 10k for 100kg.


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

Muruganandam said:


> Is somebody have an idea about how to ship the kitchen items(Mixer, Grinder..) from India(Chennai) to Sydney.
> 
> We are having 90 kg(40 kg(me)+40 kg(wife) +10 kg(for our kid) luggage allowance during our flight travel but with this allowance we can only bring our clothes related items.
> 
> ...


Hi

Which airlines are you flying ?? Coz I know Singapore n Malaysia has cargo service wr they will send u after u reach Sydney like I used this service after 3 months of landing once I settled down with a job and house ...since India post in mylapore said 15 days to ship here it just took 3 days with packaging of stuffs ... Just that I had to register n sign things before leaving that I will b getting unaccompanied baggage later ....

Hope it helps ... Call up the airlines office in chennai n ask for the cargo authorized ppl name it's safe


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

nowhere said:


> hi muruganandam, when r u planning to fly? i'm from chennai and planning around april 2nd week.
> 
> regarding ur query: some people have suggested to go by indian post for extra luggage, seems fairly cheap than any other service. another option is singapore airlines cargo service, they charge around 10k for 100kg.


Yup true fairly easier process just had to some formalities in the airport while collecting it ... Just took 3 days to reach 100kg n no damage


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## nowhere (Aug 13, 2012)

Nanshri said:


> Hi
> 
> Which airlines are you flying ?? Coz I know Singapore n Malaysia has cargo service wr they will send u after u reach Sydney like I used this service after 3 months of landing once I settled down with a job and house ...since India post in mylapore said 15 days to ship here it just took 3 days with packaging of stuffs ... Just that I had to register n sign things before leaving that I will b getting unaccompanied baggage later ....
> 
> Hope it helps ... Call up the airlines office in chennai n ask for the cargo authorized ppl name it's safe


little confused , i guess im not clever enough to understand ur post  

did you use india post or airline cargo service? 
it took 3 days of packaging in india?
were your stuffs housed with cargo service for 3 months?


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

nowhere said:


> little confused , i guess im not clever enough to understand ur post
> 
> did you use india post or airline cargo service?
> it took 3 days of packaging in india?
> were your stuffs housed with cargo service for 3 months?


I used singaporeairlines cargo not India post. It took 3 days to Transport from chennai to Sydney not for packing 

3months later family sent the stuff it's just u need to declare u have unaccompanied baggage coming later


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## Garima_2013 (Mar 28, 2013)

*Need Help -Cost of Living in Sydney*

Hi Everyone,

We (My husband, One year old child and I ) are planning to move to Sydney.But, we've heard that it is expensive. So we want to know cost of living so that we can decide on this.

For those who are already in Sydney,can share the basic cost of living figures?

Rent - ( we 'll be 3 person including 1 year old child)
Food -
Electricity - 
Gas - 
Water - 
Taxi-
Bus Pass-
Medical insurance-
Phone charges-
Internet-
India calling card-

Please add any other factor if you think , it is substantial.

Thanks,
Garima


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## superm (Jul 1, 2012)

Garima_2013 said:


> Hi Everyone,
> 
> We (My husband, One year old child and I ) are planning to move to Sydney.But, we've heard that it is expensive. So we want to know cost of living so that we can decide on this.
> 
> ...


Hey Garima - while anybody replies in specific to Sydney - you can check the same for Melb here in this thread:
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...868-experiences-recent-migrant-australia.html

Sydney would be a bit above Melb I believe! But might give you an initial idea!


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## Garima_2013 (Mar 28, 2013)

*Need Help- Cost Of Living in Sydney*



superm said:


> Hey Garima - while anybody replies in specific to Sydney - you can check the same for Melb here in this thread:
> http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...868-experiences-recent-migrant-australia.html
> 
> Sydney would be a bit above Melb I believe! But might give you an initial idea!



Thanks Superm!.

Ya, I had looked at those details but I wanted for Sydney specifically, from someone who can give accurate details as We will be traveling with a kid so double checking on fiances.


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## superm (Jul 1, 2012)

There's a post from Cartisol somewhere in between - stated some expenses in Sydney - he mentioned the same as per his experience last year.


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Garima_2013, 

we've been in Sydney for three weeks but it's hard for me to give exact numbers. It depends so much on the standard of living you are used to, how far you are willing to commute every day to work, if you need a car, how long you need to stay in temporary accommodation, if you rent furnished or unfurnished, if you want a house, a small apartment or a shared accommodation etc. 

It is very expensive, you are right about that. Rent will probably take a huge chunk out of your finances (we are paying close to 600AUD/week for a small furnished apartment with 2 bathrooms). You can rent cheaper than that, depends on what you need and the location. Look at http://www.domain.com.au and Real Estate, Property, Land and Homes for Sale, lease and rent - realestate.com.au to get a feeling for the rental market (which is very competitive). You will also need personal and employer references in Australia to get a nice flat. If you know people in Australia it would be a good time to contact them. 

However, once you have a job and start earning Australian dollars, it's not half bad . The exchange rates are currently not very favorable, which contributes to the feeling of "expensiveness". I stopped converting to Euros a while ago because it cannot be helped anyway and will only drive me crazy. 

@Groceries: Coles is fairly cheap. 

Maybe these threads can help you too: 
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...ial-setup-cost-budget-sydney-please-help.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...living-australia/137534-migrating-sydney.html

All the best, 
Monika


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

If your planning to work you need to include child care cost too


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

N ya more than India calling cards chk out lyca or lebara mobile sim it works much cheaper as local calling and mesg also free and India calling is 8cents for a call... One of them I have .... Internet set up cost and bond for rent to be considered as its huge amount 

Transport is good ferry , train , bus .... 

Electricity and gas together would be approx 120$ for 3 months 

For rentals best website to look would be realestate.com.au or domain


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

Nanshri said:


> Apart from paramatta look at burwood ,stratfield ,wentworthville ,Westmead, west ryde, koghra ,epping , Hornsby - far but direct trains to city fast ones , hurstville , all places hve Indian shops  hope I have answere all


Hi Nanshri,

Me and my wife are moving to Sydney on the 29th April. Looking for accomodation for somewhere around 350 per week. My office is located in Goerge street near the Wynyard station. 2 Bed rooms would be needed as my inlaws will be coming over after some time. Where would be the best locations? Suburbs with easy access to direct trains to city would be fine.

Thanks

Sameera


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

Nanshri said:


> N ya more than India calling cards chk out lyca or lebara mobile sim it works much cheaper as local calling and mesg also free and India calling is 8cents for a call... One of them I have .... Internet set up cost and bond for rent to be considered as its huge amount
> 
> Transport is good ferry , train , bus ....
> 
> ...


Hi Nanshri,

Have been going through your posts and I m moving to Sydney on the 29th April. What would be required as proof to take a house/unit on rent? I will be starting work from 1st May and I am keeping 30th APril to do the formalities like; opening a bank account ( it hink the passport will suffice to qualify for 100 points if I do it immediately), register for medicare and obtain TFN. Is there anything more to be done?

Thanks

Sameera


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

sameera207 said:


> Hi Nanshri,
> 
> Me and my wife are moving to Sydney on the 29th April. Looking for accomodation for somewhere around 350 per week. My office is located in Goerge street near the Wynyard station. 2 Bed rooms would be needed as my inlaws will be coming over after some time. Where would be the best locations? Suburbs with easy access to direct trains to city would be fine.
> 
> ...


Hi

Wynyard is well connected from all sides as its a proper city

if your looking for 2 bedroom in northern suburbs then you can look at westryde , meadowbank - from these places wynyard is 30min by train

eastern sububbs - koghrah , hurstville - 20min by train

western suburbs- parramatta, westmead, wentworthville - 35-40min by train 

here you might get smwr between 350-370$ 2 bedroom 

I hope it helps


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

sameera207 said:


> Hi Nanshri,
> 
> Have been going through your posts and I m moving to Sydney on the 29th April. What would be required as proof to take a house/unit on rent? I will be starting work from 1st May and I am keeping 30th APril to do the formalities like; opening a bank account ( it hink the passport will suffice to qualify for 100 points if I do it immediately), register for medicare and obtain TFN. Is there anything more to be done?
> 
> ...



you can open commonwealth account or ANZ account when overseas so that you will have your debit card ready when you go to activate the account. for indians its done by thomas cook ... 

Proof for rent generally they ask for 100 points like medicare , license, electricity or gas bill, telephone , passport copy , work documents to show your pay, we stayed in service apartment when we landed so it was easy for us to give tat apartment owner referal so it came to 100 points .... smthing like tat can be done also.... TFN ya takes 5days 

make sure you have enough copies of your passport and visa stamp..... and if you have international driving license you can use it for 3months only ... make sure the name matches with your passport 

I hope it helps ....


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

Nanshri said:


> you can open commonwealth account or ANZ account when overseas so that you will have your debit card ready when you go to activate the account. for indians its done by thomas cook ...
> 
> Proof for rent generally they ask for 100 points like medicare , license, electricity or gas bill, telephone , passport copy , work documents to show your pay, we stayed in service apartment when we landed so it was easy for us to give tat apartment owner referal so it came to 100 points .... smthing like tat can be done also.... TFN ya takes 5days
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot for the info. TFN can only be taken once we land there right? I heard they take 28 days to send it via post? Do you mean that we have to stay 5 days after landing to apply for it?

How are the charges of serviced apartments? For How long did u stay in one?


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

Nanshri said:


> Hi
> 
> Wynyard is well connected from all sides as its a proper city
> 
> ...


thanks a lot. Some say its dangerous to live in the west. Is that true?


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

sameera207 said:


> thanks a lot. Some say its dangerous to live in the west. Is that true?


Hi

Yea every city has locations like that but the places i have mentioned no issues .... as long as your careful by not going out midnight all alone its fine  

Hope it helps .....


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## Nanshri (Apr 17, 2012)

sameera207 said:


> Thanks a lot for the info. TFN can only be taken once we land there right? I heard they take 28 days to send it via post? Do you mean that we have to stay 5 days after landing to apply for it?
> 
> How are the charges of serviced apartments? For How long did u stay in one?


yea TFN takes 28days ... no you can apply as soon you land ......

service apartment depends ... but since its got everything you need not bother opening all the box well it can be around 700$ a week ... most of the service apartment you cn find in parramatta or city ..... you need atleast 3 weeks if you dont have anyone here but you have a job in hand


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## Hariharan (Dec 19, 2011)

Dear Muruganandham,
Could you pls PM your contact details,would like to speak with you.
Thnks.


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

Hi all,

I landed in Sydney on 29th april and was in a company paid hotel for a week and then with a friend in Glenwood another week. I managed to get a furnished studio apartment in the western highway in Parramatta without much hassle. We pay $ 320 a week for the studio, its abt 10 mins walk to Parramatta station.

My experience had been quite good so far. I landed on the 29th and applied TFN the same night online. Went and opened a bank account in Commonwealth Bank on the 30th. Took a postpaid vodafone $60 plan that gives $700 worth calls n fred intl txt free. Registered at Centerlink n Medicare. Took an appointment for the drivers license test.

Started work from the 1st of May. Took a salary confirmation letter from the employer as proof of.income since I m paid once a month. Started looking for apartments on the 11th. We decided to go with a furnished studio initially to eliminate initial costs.

We got a fully furnished (bed n mattress, TV, fridge, oven, microwave,heater,dinning table, couch, built in robes, iron board) and communal laundry in Parramatta. Small but lovely place in an apartment complex.

We had to pay 4 weeks bond and 2 weeks rent in advance. All they asked for was salary confirmation letter and passport.

Bought everything required for the house for abt $800. 
Mattress covers, quilts, pillows n cases, bed sheets 3 sets, toaster, iron, kettle, water purifier jug, 36 piece kitchen starter set, mats, serviettes, dinner set, glasses, mugs, cushions, ornaments, iron board cover, mattress cover, toilet seat, shoe rack, etc.

Mainly shopped at kmart and ikea. My friends helped me prepare the list,purchase items n set up thr place which now looks like a fairy land ready for my wife's arrival.

I got my bank card in post in 5 days, TFN in a week and medicare card in a week.


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

Hi all,

I landed in Sydney on 29th april and was in a company paid hotel for a week and then with a friend in Glenwood another week. I managed to get a furnished studio apartment in the western highway in Parramatta without much hassle. We pay $ 320 a week for the studio, its abt 10 mins walk to Parramatta station. My quarterly train pass would cost me $400.

My experience has been quite good so far. I landed on the 29th and applied TFN the same night online. Went and opened a bank account in Commonwealth Bank on the 30th. Took a postpaid vodafone $60 plan that gives $700 worth calls n fred intl txt free. Registered at Centerlink n Medicare. Took an appointment for the drivers license test.

Started work from the 1st of May. Took a salary confirmation letter from the employer as proof of.income since I m paid once a month. Started looking for apartments on the 11th. We decided to go with a furnished studio initially to eliminate initial costs. We got the 1st one we applied for.

Its a fully furnished studio (bed n mattress, TV, fridge, oven, microwave,heater,dinning table, couch, built in robes, iron board) and communal laundry in Parramatta. Small but lovely place in an apartment complex.

We had to pay 4 weeks bond and 2 weeks rent in advance. All they asked for was salary confirmation letter and passport.

Bought everything required for the house for abt $800. 
Mattress covers, quilts, pillows n cases, bed sheets 3 sets, toaster, iron, kettle, water purifier jug, 36 piece kitchen starter set, mats, serviettes, dinner set, glasses, mugs, cushions, ornaments, iron board cover, mattress cover, toilet seat, shoe rack, etc.

Mainly shopped at kmart and ikea. My friends helped me prepare the list,purchase items n set up the place which now looks like a fairy land ready for my wife's arrival.

I got my bank card in post in 5 days, TFN in a week and medicare card in two weeks.


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## VVV (Nov 5, 2012)

HI Sameera...Great to hear that you are settling in well...I am hoping to come to Syd in Aug too...Please continue to share your experiences...Good Luck with everything!


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## anis159 (Jun 2, 2013)

We are a family of Four(me, my wife, 1 year daughter and a six year boy) planning to arrive sydney by September 2013 with 190 PR VISA. 

Right now we are in the process of preparation and budgeting setup cost. 

Could Anyone please tell that how much will I get from Centerlink?


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

VVV said:


> HI Sameera...Great to hear that you are settling in well...I am hoping to come to Syd in Aug too...Please continue to share your experiences...Good Luck with everything!


Hey VVV,

Sorry I was silent for a long time. Had a lot of things to do in terms of settling down prior to my wife's arrival. So finally, she arrived on the 28th of June

About Sydney, I would say its a lovely city but the cost of living is high compared to Melbourne. The rent is so high as we are paying $320 a week for a furnished studio thats about 45 mins in the train to CBD whereas my friend in Melbourne pays about 340 for the 4 bed room two storey house. Find a place closer to the station and its ok to travel for some time. And if you are single try to look for a shared accomodation closer to the city which would cost you about 400 a week but this way you save time and money spent on the train pass. But still all depends on where you get to work. 

Its very important that you go for a house/unit that has gas cooking and gas heating as otherwise the electrocity bill can be really high. Ours is electric and we recieve a bill about 250 a quarter which is extremely high for a studio.

Let me know when you are moving, probably we could meet up for coffee or someting.


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## sameera207 (Sep 13, 2012)

anis159 said:


> We are a family of Four(me, my wife, 1 year daughter and a six year boy) planning to arrive sydney by September 2013 with 190 PR VISA.
> 
> Right now we are in the process of preparation and budgeting setup cost.
> 
> Could Anyone please tell that how much will I get from Centerlink?


Hi,

I arrived in Sydeny in May. Sydney is a very expensive place to live, especially when it comes to accomodation. I recon you take a studio apartment on rent initially with all furniture. You can find good ones around parramatta/balcktown,harris park,granville. We pay 320 per week for ours. Be careful to get one with gas cooking and gas heating as otherwise your electricity bill could get very high.

Generally the electricity would come up to about 50 a month and water about 10-20 and gas about 40.

Best shopping places are Coles for food, try and get a woolworths loyalty card and that rewards you points for discounts on vehicle gas.

All the best.


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## sajeesh salim (Feb 26, 2013)

How is job marker over there? Especially for IT job? Could it possible to get any job to start our life there?


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## prateek.chakraverty (Jun 24, 2013)

sameera207 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I arrived in Sydeny in May. Sydney is a very expensive place to live, especially when it comes to accomodation. I recon you take a studio apartment on rent initially with all furniture. You can find good ones around parramatta/balcktown,harris park,granville. We pay 320 per week for ours. Be careful to get one with gas cooking and gas heating as otherwise your electricity bill could get very high.
> 
> ...


Hi Sameer,

had a couple of questions about migration.
I have a 190 PR visa
How did you manage to get a job while not being present in Australia. Give me some details about job sites and an example of a CV that caters to the Australian market.
Would it be a good idea to move there and then start looking for a job.
Is November/December a good time to move, keeping in mind that it is almost the holiday season?
If I do not get a job for a month or 2 would the govt help me to sustain with a Social Security Payment of some kind?

Prateek


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Prateek, 

as a newly arrived migrant you have a *two-year wait for social security payments* except if you have kids (childcare rebate etc.) or face truly dire circumstances (e.g. victims of domestic violence, humanitarian entrants, etc.). More information: http://www.expatforum.com/expats/platypus-den/200297-money-unemployed-skilled-migrants.html

There are lots of "how to find a job" and "when is the best time to move" and "first steps after arriving" threads on the forum. Use the search function . Example threads:

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...st-things-do-when-you-arrive-parts-1-4-a.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...ralia/81510-im-here-my-experience-so-far.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...ralia/137947-visa-granted-journey-begins.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...iving-australia/70151-preparation-so-far.html
http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...australia/130263-finding-hard-get-job-oz.html

Cheers, 
Monika


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## JoannaAch (Oct 11, 2011)

sameera207 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I arrived in Sydeny in May. Sydney is a very expensive place to live, especially when it comes to accomodation. I recon you take a studio apartment on rent initially with all furniture. You can find good ones around parramatta/balcktown,harris park,granville. We pay 320 per week for ours. Be careful to get one with gas cooking and gas heating as otherwise your electricity bill could get very high.
> 
> ...


Hi, can you tell me how do you like Parramatta? I will be working in Westmead, which is pretty close and was thinking of finding an apartment over there, but I read some bad opinions about that suburb. 
Cheers,
Jo


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Jo, 

we live in the inner city but went to Parramatta for an event at the Riverside Theatre last week. The suburb is both larger and cuter than I expected; the city centre is very modern ("second CBD") and has some great cafes/shops/restaurants. I also have some colleagues at work who live in Parramatta and love it. Not sure how safe it is, there are definitely some hotspots like in most cities (near the train station, parks etc.). 

Downside: We were stupid enough to take the car from inner city at 5pm on a weekday afternoon. Instead of half an hour (as advertised by the navigation system) it took over an hour to get there. Commuting by train/ferry to the CBD also takes about 3/4 of an hour. But since you are working in Westmead, that shouldn't affect you . 

Try getting a temporary accommodation, get to know where the "nicer" areas of the suburb are and then apply for a place to stay. I can highly recommend streetadvisor.com - helped us a lot to get an initial "feel" for the suburbs and you can search by street or suburb. The Hills District north of Parramatta is supposedly a very nice alternative. 

Edited to add: If you are concerned about crime rates, you can use the BOCSAR crime map published by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. According to that it's more likely to get assaulted in inner Sydney than Parramatta. 

Cheers, 
Monika


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## JoannaAch (Oct 11, 2011)

espresso said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> we live in the inner city but went to Parramatta for an event at the Riverside Theatre last week. The suburb is both larger and cuter than I expected; the city centre is very modern ("second CBD") and has some great cafes/shops/restaurants. I also have some colleagues at work who live in Parramatta and love it. Not sure how safe it is, there are definitely some hotspots like in most cities (near the train station, parks etc.).
> 
> ...


Thanks! 
I heard that a lot of immigrants moved there and that the crime rates are pretty high... Obviously I don't mind immigrants, but I am worried about the crimes. I guess I can't expect it to be as safe as small towns in Germany...
It would be nice to have some shops and restaurants within a walking distance, but I would not like to stay in CBD as it will be over-crowded for me

Thanks for the websites, they are very helpful. Initially I will be living in Eastwood (a family member has a spare room for us), but only until March-April. I hope within this 2 months we will be able to find some nice place...


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Jo, 

I lived in Stuttgart as a student for a while and also felt uncomfortable in certain areas at night. There was a bus stop near the local Aldi, where some homeless guys were always pestering people for small change to buy more beer. It made me feel very uncomfortable but not "unsafe". 

When I talk to people about Parramatta I often hear similar stories ("youths" or "druggies" loitering near shopping centers and being generally unpleasant etc.), but 1) those usually cluster in certain areas and 2) everybody has a different comfort zone. Sometimes a few hundred meters can make all the difference in how "safe" you feel and how nice/quite the area is. But if you feel uncomfortable or perceive a threat (real/likely or not) you won't be happy living there, so it's best to look elsewhere. I'm sure your family member also has some advice . 

Cheers, 
Monika


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## Guest (Sep 19, 2013)

JoannaAch said:


> Hi, can you tell me how do you like Parramatta? I will be working in Westmead, which is pretty close and was thinking of finding an apartment over there, but I read some bad opinions about that suburb.
> Cheers,
> Jo


 Personally I love Westmead. My in-laws have lived there 10+ years, they are in their 70's, he Australian, she Sri Lankan and they have never had any bother with crime. There can be stuff going on in Parramatta near the bus/train station and the shopping centre but thats a good distance from westmead and usually attributed to the drunks etc who hang out there to drink/beg. 

Personally I find westmead full of 1, immigrants most of whom will be working in the hospitals right there and 2, elderly folk due to the high number of supported accommodation and the hospital for them there, again providing work for the immigrants  

Parramatta park is just great. I have walked through there all times of day and night and never had a bit of bother except dodging joggers, bikes and prams lol. 

The streets off Hawksbury Rd on the opposite side to the hospitals are lovely.


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## JoannaAch (Oct 11, 2011)

espresso said:


> Hi Jo,
> 
> I lived in Stuttgart as a student for a while and also felt uncomfortable in certain areas at night. There was a bus stop near the local Aldi, where some homeless guys were always pestering people for small change to buy more beer. It made me feel very uncomfortable but not "unsafe".
> 
> ...


Hey,
I guess you are right and it just depends where you go in the evening/nights. I don't really mind the "unpleasant" crowd, what I am worried are burglars, car thieves etc. that attack you at your own house. 
I haven't even asked my uncle yet, I have been just looking at suburbs around my future work place and in Parramatta they rent is cheaper than in for example Westmead and I found a few nice places I could see myself living


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## JoannaAch (Oct 11, 2011)

_shel said:


> Personally I love Westmead. My in-laws have lived there 10+ years, they are in their 70's, he Australian, she Sri Lankan and they have never had any bother with crime. There can be stuff going on in Parramatta near the bus/train station and the shopping centre but thats a good distance from westmead and usually attributed to the drunks etc who hang out there to drink/beg.
> 
> Personally I find westmead full of 1, immigrants most of whom will be working in the hospitals right there and 2, elderly folk due to the high number of supported accommodation and the hospital for them there, again providing work for the immigrants
> 
> ...


I heard that Westmead is great and I will also be working at the institute next to this hospital but the rentals are pretty expensive there:/ Much higher than in Parramatta...


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## surya2089 (Jan 24, 2017)

hello to all seems last post is in 2013 and till now all get settle.
i am also planning to come but no visa and no job offer. i am working in Qatar (gulf) currently but planning to shift,one of agency here told me he can do all this registration & licence ( i am from medical field x-ray tech) and he can arrange visa and even house for stay.

but after reading few pages came to know Sydeny is expensive.

so pls suggest me which city is good to stay in terms of accomodation and education wise. and all other grocery items al wells.


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