Living In Perth, Australia
Australia remains one of the most popular destinations for UK expats, with over one million Brits currently residing down-under.
Some of the most popular expat destinations within Australia include Melbourne and Sydney. However, Perth remains a favourable option on the opposite side of Australia, away from the Golden Coast in what may be a more relaxed and quieter way of living.
Perth is Australia’s fourth-largest city and is the capital of Western Australia, with a population of 1.97 million people. It’s easy to forget about Perth with it being so isolated from the rest of Australia, but it has become increasingly popular with British expats over the years.
The city itself is located on the banks of Swan River, originally named by a Dutch explorer in 1697 due to their famous black swans of the area. To find the sandy beaches, you’ll need to travel 10km west of the city. Here, you’ll find the Indian Ocean that offers spectacular beach views.
The cost of living in Perth used to be considerably more expensive than the rest of the island due to extra transport of goods from the East side of the island, but in recent years costs have eased significantly.
Weather in Perth
With summers in Perth consisting of 10 hours of sunshine a day, minimal rain and temperatures of 35 degrees, it can be argued that Perth has the best summers in the whole of Australia.
February is the hottest month of the year, whilst July is the coldest with average low temperatures of around 7 degrees Celsius.
The winters are mostly mild, though Perth can occasionally experience strong winds and heavy storms, with an average rainfall of 397.3 mm during the winter months. Some areas of Perth can also be at risk of flooding, with the city close to Australia’s most active earthquake zone.
The Districts in Perth
Perth can be broken down into five separate districts:
- Inner Perth
- North Perth
- East Perth
- South Perth
- West Perth
Some popular suburbs around Perth include:
Northbridge
A culturally vibrant suburb within inner Perth, Northbridge is famous for its array of cuisines, bustling nightlife and designer stores. The suburb is renowned for being home to The Art Gallery of Western Australia, containing over 1,000 pieces of national art.
Dalkeith
Dalkeith is a particularly affluent suburb in Perth, with median property prices around AUD 2,350,000. Within proximity to the city of Perth, as well as the Swan River, Dalkeith allows residents to enjoy the vibrancy of city life whilst living in a leafy, quiet neighbourhood, making it particularly popular for families.
Osborne Park
Osborne Park is one of the more inexpensive places to live in Perth, with average rental prices of AUD 265, with excellent access to shops and cafes.
No matter which Perth District you live in, you are always close to the beach and never too far away from the city, so UK expats can still enjoy both a city and a beach lifestyle.
Property in Perth
Property in Australia can be quite costly – realestate.com reports that the average property prices in Perth are currently AUD 770,000 for houses and AUD 385,000 for units, with average rent costing around AUD 500. However, expats tend to get more space for their money compared to the UK, as well as a higher quality of life.
That being said, property prices in Perth have seen a decline this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, reaching almost 2006 prices. With minimal reported COVID-19 cases, Western Australia could be an ideal location to emigrate in 2021 to get good value for money.
Things to do around Perth
Whilst Perth is more isolated than other large Australian cities, there are many beauty spots and activities to keep expats entertained.
Perth is renowned for its variety of restaurants, so if you’re considering living in Perth, then it’s worth researching some popular eateries to indulge in some high-quality food and wine.
Margaret River (pictured above) is within reasonable proximity to Perth and is a preferred holiday destination for many Australians, boasting beautiful scenery, vineyards, great surfing waves and fine dining.
Adelaide is also very close to Perth, hosting the Adelaide Arts Festival every two years, attracting tourists from all over the world.
With each suburb having such a unique vibe, there is undoubtedly something for everyone when it comes to emigrating to Perth.
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