Sydney or Adelaide?

[CrozierFamily]

Hi

 

I have been offered a job on a 457 in Sydney, but have just had a call about another potential job in Adelaide.

 

To be honest I have not really considered Adelaide before and would be interested in peoples opinions on whether they would choose Adelaide over Sydney and vice versa?

 

The job in Adelaide would actually pay me a fair bit more than the one in Sydney, but the job is with a much smaller company so inherently more risky. I like the idea of living someplace that is not quite as big as Sydney, but I dont know if Adelaide has much going on about it.

 

Would be interested in any perspecitve!

 

Thanks,

 

Andrew

[Johnny Kash]

Hi

 

I have been offered a job on a 457 in Sydney, but have just had a call about another potential job in Adelaide.

 

To be honest I have not really considered Adelaide before and would be interested in peoples opinions on whether they would choose Adelaide over Sydney and vice versa?

 

The job in Adelaide would actually pay me a fair bit more than the one in Sydney, but the job is with a much smaller company so inherently more risky. I like the idea of living someplace that is not quite as big as Sydney, but I dont know if Adelaide has much going on about it.

 

Would be interested in any perspecitve!

 

Thanks,

 

Andrew

 

Hi Andrew,

 

We live in Adelaide so can try to give you a bit of a heads up:

 

If you want nightlife, big city buzz and hustle forget Adelaide. population of a million but more like a big town in some ways. theres a fair bit going on right now with the fringe and Clipsal but for the rest of the year, fairly quiet.

 

On the flip side: way cheaper, great for families, you have the Barossa wine region up North, Hills to the East and great coast down South. You can also live right on the beach somewhere like Henley or Glenelg for reasonable cost while still being able to get into the City.

 

We fly into Melbourne and Sydney when we can for a quick fix of city life or big events but are pretty happy here. If I was a single 20 something it would be a different story. Hope this helps, good luck with the move

[Chortlepuss]

I don't live in either places, have visited both and have to confess that I think that Adelaide is one of the most underrated places in Australia. The reason I'm not there is lack of work in IT

I would have thought that a higher salary in Adelaide over Sydney was a no-brainer. Sure you don't get big city attractions, but there's a great festival, affordable cost of living, near to lovely countryside, not far from Melbourne, and great beaches. Mediterranean climate (more extreme hot/hold), you get to spend time with family instead of long commutes to work (unless in Sydney you're earning megabucks)What's not to like?

[Bromney]

I can only give you a Sydney perspective.

 

Positives - Big city, big job market (for Australia), beaches within reach, quite suburbs and commute to city possible, fair few parks dotted around, lots of nice cafes/restaurants

Negatives - Very expensive, city can be a crowded place, may have to live quite far from the city depending upon your budget

 

You could always try one and then move to the other city at a later stage, it depends on your visa of course.

 

Best of luck.

[Rugby Lad]

I'd say from your previous posts about where to live in Sydney - Sutherland Shire, Cambelltown, Penrith etc. - to go for Adelaide. Counter-intuitive in a way because I'm not Adelaide's biggest fan but here are my reasons.

 

Once you're in outer-suburbia you're in outer-suburbia, the city you're supposedly in matters less and less. The biggest difference would probably be in Sydney you might become an avid NRL fan and in Adelaide an avid AFL fan. These outer suburbs with their large malls, acres of housing, big roads (very car dependant living), identikit, slightly crap pubs are more similar to each other than to any of the inner-city areas from which they take their names.

 

If you're going to be paid more in Adelaide with the lower cost of housing you could afford to live in a much nicer area, with a way shorter commute and have money (and time) left over to enjoy South Australia.

 

Also in South Australia you won't be charged to send your kids to school on a 457 as you would in New South Wales so that's an instant saving of $4500 pa per primary school kid and $7000 pa per secondary school kid.

 

Look at the Eastern Suburbs (particularly Norwood, Unley, Burnside, Magill), the nicer areas of the west (Brighton, West Beach, around Glenelg - Glenelg itself probably out of your price range) and plenty of nice areas in the inner north and the south.

 

SA is a beautiful place - the Barossa Valley, Kangaroo Island, the Copper Coast, Victor Harbor and the Fleurieu Peninsular are all within a short drive of Adelaide; you have the Flinders Ranges and the Great Ocean Road (into Victoria) for longer trips - and I'd seriously give it consideration.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Rugby Lad

[fleabo]

In 1872, the folk in Adelaide got so desperate they built a telegraph line to Darwin...in Sydney they went to the beach. :wink:

 

Anyway, I think you could have a happy life in either. Its a tough deliberation though. My gut feeling is go with the money and to Adelaide (if you get the position), as much as I love Sydney.

[northshorepom]

More money in Adelaide means you'll have a much higher standard of living

 

I agree with RL on the outer suburb thing as well. I like Sydney, but if I had to live to a strict budget I think I would feel very differently. I know people come here and live on not much and for some of them it works out great, but I also know it's not for me. Rents here are heinous for nice areas in easy reach of what you might actually want from the city in the first place

 

The schooling cost thing is a big issue too. It catches out a lot of people in NSW, and it hurts

[CrozierFamily]

Hi

 

Thank you so much to everyone for their comments, it is a bit of a head scratcher for me, but a good one let's be honest.

 

My main problem at the moment is that I have been offered a contract and 457 sponsorship that will convert to PR with employer support already for a business in Sydney, and I am not sure how long I can hold them off while I go through the process on the Adelaide role.

 

I did check out Adelaide online last night and it does look lovely and to be fair the housing I could afford is night and day between the two.

 

We are not really city people per se anyway, we are from a small town in Northern Ireland and have been living in sleepy Wilts for the last 6 years, so we are not moving to Sydney for the bright lights.

 

Adelaide definitely sounds like a good option if I can pull it off!

 

It is strange how jobs come around like buses!

[northshorepom]

My main problem at the moment is that I have been offered a contract and 457 sponsorship that will convert to PR with employer support already for a business in Sydney,

 

Not being funny, but a 457 is a 457. "Promises" to support a PR application in 2 years are worth as much as the paper they are written on, ie nothing

 

In 2 years if you're still working for said employer, if they like you and if you like them, and if market conditions are such that they still feel it's worth the investment to sponsor you for PR, then they might do that. That's a lot of "if"s

 

I've seen more than a few caught out by this. I'm not slagging 457s per se - I'm here on one - but don't get distracted from what they are. They are work permits, that's all. No guarantee of permanent residency, no pathway to anything, just a temporary visa that lets you live and work here for a bit. For people like me who only came her for a handful of years, they're fine - they're designed for us. If your aim is to emigrate permanently or semi-permanently, things are different. It can still work out of course and often does, but don't go believing vague promises from companies who might feel very differently in 2 years time - there's no commitment

[CrozierFamily]

Not being funny, but a 457 is a 457. "Promises" to support a PR application in 2 years are worth as much as the paper they are written on, ie nothing

 

In 2 years if you're still working for said employer, if they like you and if you like them, and if market conditions are such that they still feel it's worth the investment to sponsor you for PR, then they might do that. That's a lot of "if"s

 

I've seen more than a few caught out by this. I'm not slagging 457s per se - I'm here on one - but don't get distracted from what they are. They are work permits, that's all. No guarantee of permanent residency, no pathway to anything, just a temporary visa that lets you live and work here for a bit. For people like me who only came her for a handful of years, they're fine - they're designed for us. If your aim is to emigrate permanently or semi-permanently, things are different. It can still work out of course and often does, but don't go believing vague promises from companies who might feel very differently in 2 years time - there's no commitment

 

 

Hi. I appreciate all of that but I have had them write it into my contract that in time they will support my application for PR if I bear the cost for doing so. I know that is not water tight, but this is not a tin pot organisation we are talking about here, so I have to trust they are going to be honest with me. They also believe they can get me PR earlier than the normal 2 yrs due to seniority of the role I am going into, so I am confident the PR will materialise.

[patsmb]

I don't live in either places, have visited both and have to confess that I think that Adelaide is one of the most underrated places in Australia. The reason I'm not there is lack of work in IT

I would have thought that a higher salary in Adelaide over Sydney was a no-brainer. Sure you don't get big city attractions, but there's a great festival, affordable cost of living, near to lovely countryside, not far from Melbourne, and great beaches. Mediterranean climate (more extreme hot/hold), you get to spend time with family instead of long commutes to work (unless in Sydney you're earning megabucks)What's not to like?

Sorry but if you have to commute in Adelaide it can take an hour to get into the city if thats where the job is based depending on where you live of course There is no freeway system like there is in other states and huge traffic congestion at time Weather well SA is the hottest driest state according to statistics and when its HOT is hot

[Kazzarazza]

Sorry but if you have to commute in Adelaide it can take an hour to get into the city if thats where the job is based depending on where you live of course There is no freeway system like there is in other states and huge traffic congestion at time Weather well SA is the hottest driest state according to statistics and when its HOT is hot

 

Where from - half way to Melbourne, lol. I live right on the beach and it takes me 12 to 15 minutes to get into the city, every day of the week. With the new freeway (yes, we do have them) I can get from the beach to my brothers place in the Barossa Valley in an hour!

 

Climate, absolutely perfect. Only 4 or 5 days a year where it's really hot (over 40). Unlike the east coast who get torrential rains, floods, bushfires, cyclones etc. Spring and Autumn are perfect (liken it to good English summers) and winter is very mild. Never freezes or snows.

 

As someone said earlier, Adelaide is definately Australia's best kept secret. Might not be voted the best place to holiday, but it continually is voted the best place to live. We've been here over 20 years now and love it.

[Rupert]

Hi. I appreciate all of that but I have had them write it into my contract that in time they will support my application for PR if I bear the cost for doing so. I know that is not water tight, but this is not a tin pot organisation we are talking about here, so I have to trust they are going to be honest with me. They also believe they can get me PR earlier than the normal 2 yrs due to seniority of the role I am going into, so I am confident the PR will materialise.

 

Well get them to do it straight away then, there is no "two year" waiting period, it is perfectly possible for an employer to sponsor for PR on day one and then it could be a game changer. I agree that such statements about future sponsorship might come to nothing, even if it is in your contract, the immigration rules might change, the companies situation might change.

 

To the original question, I would go for Adealaide. I would do this because it is just sooo expensive in Sydney and you will get much more for your $ in Adelaide. I do really enjoy Sydney, it has great beaches and iconic landmarks that I am still not bored with and good access to everywhere else. But we have been here for nearly 3 years on very high incomes but still no sign of us being able to buy a house in an area that we want to live in. We have friends in Adelaide, we enjoy visiting, it seemms like a really nice place to live.

[MARYROSE02]

It's difficult for me to be objective as I've been in Sydney on and off for most of the time I've been in OZ and I've grown to love it - 'institutionalised' you might say! It's a pity you could not come out and spend a month in each city!?

 

If you are from a big city in England, i.e. London, then you MIGHT prefer Sydney to Adelaide. Again, not very objective but a mate of mine who lives in Sydney did tell me that he did not like Perth because he found it 'small' after living in London.

 

Personally, I think there is no 'right' or 'wrong' choice for you, just two 'right' choices!