The advantages and drawbacks of living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world

Last week, I went for a brunch with a friend and walked around a beautiful neighborhood in Sydney – Balmain.

Balmain is a suburb located approximately 2km from Sydney’s Central Business District, in the “Inner West” region. It used to be an industrial hub for shipbuilding and naval-related activities back in the day.

As the industries waned around 40 years ago, Balmain has changed its profile, gentrified, and became one of Sydney’s most desirable areas.

The peninsula has stunning harbor views and prime waterfront lines, which made real estate prices skyrocket – I checked at domain.com.au, and the median price for a 2-bedroom place in this postcode is $1.685M (a 4-bedroom goes for the bagatelle of $3.22M!).

The main street – Darling Street – is charming and full of boutique shops, renowned restaurants, and unique café shops. The road is also known for its bohemian lifestyle, with plenty of great pubs (explore a little bit google maps below).

While walking over there, we stopped at a coffee shop called “Our farm kitchen” to have brunch. After a quick menu review, I decided to pick up the fresh Spanish Omelet option. There was no regret from my side – The dish was delicious and worth every dollar cent. I finished it in less than 10 minutes!

After appreciating my delicious brunch and enjoying the café’s cozy environment, we decided to explore the peninsula. While discovering the hidden spots of Balmain, we were discussing how lucky we are to live in such a gorgeous city.

My history with Australia and Sydney

The first contact

Moving to Australia

After the Olympics, I never really thought about Sydney or Australia anymore. I certainly was amazed by the images and shots from the Olympics but moving here was never a plan or a goal.

In 2015, after a long and stressful year at work, I started to explore options of living and working abroad. At the time, two countries appeared as strong candidates: Canada and Australia.

Both have structured immigration programs and plenty of opportunities for young professionals like me. My choice for Australia was natural and easy. Even though I only heard good things about Canada, I wouldn’t say I like the idea of living in a country where the winter takes place for +8 months per year, unfortunately.

Hence, as you can imagine, no dramas in picking up Australia as my new country and home. The second challenge was picking the city – my initial options were Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Melbourne

Melbourne was my preferred option as a fan of nightlife and cultural hub spots. After moving to Australia, I’ve been there many times and I can assure you: it is such a fabulous city, with extraordinary and down to earth people.

The atmosphere over there is somehow different from its northern “Syster”. I feel it is easier to connect with the city and you feel welcomed by Victorians (Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria). It has an urban and multicultural vibe, which gives a very international touch to it.

The downside of Melbourne is the weather – it is true when people say that you can face the four seasons in one day. It can be cloudy and grey, which, again, for someone who loves the outdoors is not ideal. Apart from the wheater, I still have some doubts about whether I should have moved there.

Brisbane

Brissy, or Brisvegas, as the people kindly refer to Brisbane, is another great city in Australia. The weather over there is not a problem – it usually is hot and comfortable. However, it can be pretty humid sometimes, which is not ideal for me.

The capital of the State of Queensland has approximately 2.2M and has recently been chosen to host the 2032 Olympic Games – an excellent opportunity to increase its international exposure.

I have friends over there and visited the city many times. The river that takes the Brisbane’s name divides the city into 2 halves and creates multiple opportunities for waterfront places – the Felons brewery is one of my preferred spots over there.

For me, the downside of Brisbane is that it doesn’t offer as many opportunities as Sydney and Melbourne. I have had the chance to live there for one month for work and noted the economic activity is far behind its sisters.

Sydney

I haven’t travelled as much as I wish I had, having visited around 20 different countries to date. Therefore, it might be a little premature to say what I am going to say now: Sydney is by far the most beautiful city I have ever been/lived in.

It is incredible how it combines the laid back and urban vibe uniquely. You can find great park options and beautiful beaches, such as Centennial Park and Watson’s Bay beach, driving less than 30 minutes from the Centre Business District (CBD).

The heart of Sydney’s CBD is home to Australia’s most famous postal cards – The Opera House and The Harbor Bridge.

Depending on where you live, you can arrive at work by Ferry. What a way to start your day, right?

The weather for me is perfect. It can be pretty hot during a couple of weeks in summer, and can get cold during June and July, but, overall, no extremes and really comfortable conditions.

The city is extremely safe and has a very dynamic economy. There is always something new with plenty of business opportunities.

Why I chose Sydney?

I usually joke that I haven’t picked up Sydney, but rather it has fished me. Before arriving in Australia, I applied for jobs across these cities and even Perth. 

After tons of job applications were sent, I noted that the response in Sydney was much higher than the other cities, to the point that I managed to line up two job interviews before arriving here in 2017. Surprisingly, 48 hours after landing here, I had my first job offer as an engineer and took it.

After four years in the capital of New South Wales, I can say that I created a love-hate relationship with it, which in the last 18 months has become more love and less hate. 

In my opinion, Sydney is a tricky city. 

After discussing with a lot of expats that also live here, some complaints were very similar: It can be exciting and boring at the same time; It can offer you an incredible variety of opportunities but can also take the last blood drop from you; It is easy to get to know people but hard to connect with them. 

I tried to summarise some major pros and cons of living in this city. I need to highlight that they are based on my experience and background, which means that you can have a completely different opinion about it.

The Pros of Living in Sydney (my opinion)

The city itself is just fantastic. If you are a fan of sports and an outdoor lifestyle, there will be no regrets if you decide to move here. I am fan of running, cycling and swimming (see my post about triathlon) and there are many alternatives to enjoy the city – countless beaches and pools, great parks, cycling lanes, and hiking paths). Everything is well organised and structured.

On top of that, you have fantastic weather all year round. It is known that natural sunlight relieves stress and improve people’s mood. 

The sense of safety and stability. Sydney is highly safe and secure. You can freely walk around the city whatever time you want unafraid. I have been living here for almost five years and do not remember any major violent incidents.

Obviously, sometimes bad things happen. But they are isolated events, and the Police act fast in containing any issues. This also brings another interesting observation from my side. Overall, the Government has high levels of credibility, and people strictly follow the rules, laws, and recommendations. No wonder why New South Wales is the state with higher COVID-19 vaccination rates in Australia, having approximately 95% of its population fully vaccinated.

Economy and opportunities. I have never seen a city with so many opportunities. I tell my friends that you can achieve whatever you want here, if you really focus on it. There are multiple job options and countless business opportunities. The economy is extremely open and there is a big demand for good people. So if you want to start a new business venture or find the job of your dreams, here is the place to be.

The Cons of Living in Sydney (my opinion)

Cost of living. Sydney is the fourteenth most expensive city in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The Real Estate market is hectic, and if you plan to live in the Eastern Suburbs, be ready to open your wallet. The Pandemic has helped to calm down the prices since immigration intakes were frozen, but rent is still (very) expensive.

I would say that a single person in the middle 30s would have an average life spending around $5,000 per month.

Sounds reasonable or expensive for you? This figure will not scare you if you live in New York or Singapore. On the other hand, if you read this from Berlim or Bogota, your perceptions might be the same as mine. A FIRE plan is might be difficult to implement over here!

Social Life. This is controversial, and I acknowledge that it highly depends on your personality. My experience to date with Sydneysiders is that they have their “bubble” and are not too open to making new friends.

The majority of my social circle here are expats and people with a similar background willing to connect. I feel that some locals struggle even to connect between themselves. It is not common to see a Sydneysider with a big group of friends. 

For me, this is a significant downside. I am not extremely extroverted, but I miss connecting with people sometimes. In the first years, I thought it was my problem, but after discussing it with different people from multiple backgrounds, I realised that this is a local pattern (Melbournians are much more open!).  

The 1 million dollar question – Am I staying in Sydney forever?

Short answer: Probably not. As much as I love this city, I feel that there is a lot to see out there, and after almost five years over here, I feel that the time to move is coming soon.

On the other hand, If you asked me If I would have moved here again, my straight answer is yes. The city has a lot to offer and plenty of opportunities to have a great lifestyle.

Today, Sydney is home and my safe harbor. It is the place that I will come back if everything goes wrong and where I feel safe and welcomed. My respect and love for this city has grown exponentially in the last 24 months. I embraced its “cons”. My development and maturity made me understand that each place place will have unique advantages and drawbacks. Hence, make the most of them while you are there.

Have you ever thought about moving here? What is your opinion about Sydney? Let’s connect.

Speak (Write) Soon!