scumptious Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 (edited) Hey all, I was hoping to get some advice on this forum about UK and Oz, and thought what better place to go than Pomsinoz I am trying to weigh up the pros and cons of Sydney vs London I'm from London and moved to Sydney 2 years ago for a change of lifestyle and pace, the weather, beaches and out door lifestyle all were very appealing, so i decided to make the move... Well my circumstances have changed now and my role have come to a close, so my 457 visa is now at critical point where I'd need to find something asap to keep it active.... Roles haven't been coming through so time pressures are accelerating this process of a possible London... So the question i am faced with is should I head back to London or try and stay in Sydney? I miss all London has to offer culturally and of course the Brits! but commuting and weather not missed at all!!!!!! I've also found Sydney not to be the most friendly place especially when single, I also prefer the brits sense of humour Is there anyone on here, that has been in living Sydney as a singleton and moved back to London? How have you found the comparison and experience so far? Also cost of livings and work / life balance? lots to consider! To add to this i am in my mid 30's so no spring chicken! (lol) but i feel that it's easier to meet people in London than here in Sydney, also another contributing factor!!! I am worrying about the stress of London life and sometimes I think that the standard of living is better in Sydney (and possibly in my field better comparable salary), but coming from London, Sydney's feel not half as exciting and much less variety on offer I love the diversity of London - but not the stress. Any thoughts would be gratefully appreciated about how London is now!!! Edited May 6, 2013 by scumptious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hi there! Welcome to pio. What is it you work as if you dont mind me asking? We have a few london members so they might be able to answer your employment question. Obviously you'll know london is expensive plus you've been living in sydney which i hear is very expensive too! If your 457 runs out is there no way of gaining a PR visa IF you wanted to stay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scumptious Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hey, thanks for your reply! I work in advertising, so comparable salary in Sydney is better on balance I think, even though Sydney is expensive, I think that I have more disposable income here than in London on the same job... I think! A friend of mine is getting sponsored by their company from a 457 for PR so know its possible, but haven't looked into it myself... Are you based in the UK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 To be honest I dont think one or the other is better than the other...for everyone. It comes down to which one suits you the most. I have been to both and London gives me a buzz nowhere else can. I havent lived in either so cant comment on that aspect. It just comes down to which one makes you feel happiest overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hey, thanks for your reply! I work in advertising, so comparable salary in Sydney is better on balance I think, even though Sydney is expensive, I think that I have more disposable income here than in London on the same job... I think! A friend of mine is getting sponsored by their company from a 457 for PR so know its possible, but haven't looked into it myself... Are you based in the UK? No problem! Maybe your best doing something like a spreadsheet of costs for each country and seeing which one your better off in. although its not just about money, more about where you want to be. Hopefully some londoners will be along to answer your question, munchbaby66 is one and i think simmo and kungfustu are aswell. Might be a good idea to enquire if your interested, no harm in asking! Yeah im in sunny scotland! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I have never lived in Sydney but have visited several times. I would say London is easier to connect with folk and far more to do. You would need to weigh up your lifestyle preferrences as in some respects each would cancel out the oither to a degree. I'd go with London though if had the earning potential as do enjoy living in a tier one, truely international city. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bromney Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I come from London and now live in Sydney. Both have their merits and it really does depend on your personal desires. For a single person looking to meet maybe London is better as one or two friends its hard to meet ppl in Sydney. Having said that i met a guy last week that meets girls very easily (in Sydney) so really depends on you and not the city. Both great cities, just remember how lucky you are to be in a position to be able to make the choice. Good luck in the decision! I'm happy in Sydney as a married guy but maybe London is easier to meet ppl especially when you can connect with the humour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scumptious Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 I come from London and now live in Sydney. Both have their merits and it really does depend on your personal desires. For a single person looking to meet maybe London is better as one or two friends its hard to meet ppl in Sydney. Having said that i met a guy last week that meets girls very easily (in Sydney) so really depends on you and not the city. Both great cities, just remember how lucky you are to be in a position to be able to make the choice. Good luck in the decision! I'm happy in Sydney as a married guy but maybe London is easier to meet ppl especially when you can connect with the humour. Hey thanks for your reply! Yes I do think that guy to girl ratio is somewhat different, as do my girlfriends.. I guess yes sense of humour is important, and I know that there's no shortage of that amongst the brits Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 They both seem like really good places for young people to live in, im sure if you come back to london you'll meet loads of new friends Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bromney Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hey thanks for your reply! Yes I do think that guy to girl ratio is somewhat different, as do my girlfriends.. I guess yes sense of humour is important, and I know that there's no shortage of that amongst the brits Equally there's no shortage of humour amongst the Aussies, it all depends on who you meet and your personal experiences. Have you tried dating sites? Or googling meet ups to expand your opportunities to meet 'the one'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scumptious Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 Equally there's no shortage of humour amongst the Aussies, it all depends on who you meet and your personal experiences. Have you tried dating sites? Or googling meet ups to expand your opportunities to meet 'the one'? Hey yes I know totally agree, and have tried both especially meet ups and i have made some fantastic friends through there, i think that its just a combination of things pros and cons... I guess ultimately it's whats most fulfilling across the board on balance thanks for your input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rose Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hey all, I was hoping to get some advice on this forum about UK and Oz, and thought what better place to go than Pomsinoz I am trying to weigh up the pros and cons of Sydney vs London I'm from London and moved to Sydney 2 years ago for a change of lifestyle and pace, the weather, beaches and out door lifestyle all were very appealing, so i decided to make the move... Well my circumstances have changed now and my role have come to a close, so my 457 visa is now at critical point where I'd need to find something asap to keep it active.... Roles haven't been coming through so time pressures are accelerating this process of a possible London... So the question i am faced with is should I head back to London or try and stay in Sydney? I miss all London has to offer culturally and of course the Brits! but commuting and weather not missed at all!!!!!! I've also found Sydney not to be the most friendly place especially when single, I also prefer the brits sense of humour Is there anyone on here, that has been in living Sydney as a singleton and moved back to London? How have you found the comparison and experience so far? Also cost of livings and work / life balance? lots to consider! To add to this i am in my mid 30's so no spring chicken! (lol) but i feel that it's easier to meet people in London than here in Sydney, also another contributing factor!!! I am worrying about the stress of London life and sometimes I think that the standard of living is better in Sydney (and possibly in my field better comparable salary), but coming from London, Sydney's feel not half as exciting and much less variety on offer I love the diversity of London - but not the stress. Any thoughts would be gratefully appreciated about how London is now!!! Sydney is like a small town compared to London. I like Sydney a lot but they're not nearly in the same league. The only other world city that compares with London is NYC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Well I'd opt for London any day of the week but I was a bit surprised to hear my Aussie raised son say that after London anything else would be pale in comparison. He's lived in London longer than I did and now has a house there. I thought he might opt for a return to Aus at one stage but I don't think anything could be further from his mind at the moment. He's more your age! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Yes I agree with above that you just cannot compare the two, they are in a different league. But I am someone that has lived in both, 15 years in London and nearly 3 in Sydney. I have loved living in both, but I do struggle to say which is better because they are just so different. But what I like about each: I love the buzz of London, I love that it is at the cutting edge of dining, theatre, entertainment. I love the history, the elegance and the character. I also love Sydney, I love that it is a city but that I am a stone throw from the beach and nature as well. That I don't have to go quite as far (kms) to escape the city feeling, you can go from CBD to beach suburb in 40 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perthbum Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 No comparison, Sydney is tiny compared to London in every way...Sydney v Newquay might be better. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou8670 Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 Everyone's different and it depends on what makes you tick. I lived in London and hated every minute of it. Too busy, too noisy and too dirty. But everyone's different and what suits one person doesn't suit another. I always enjoy visiting London and can just about cope with it in small doses. Lou Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scumptious Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 Hi all, thanks for all of your thoughts so far, it's helping to clarify a few things and definitely good points about both London & Sydney!! humm will put this on the back burner for a few days though i think for variety and excitement London's the place to be.... I should just have to hang out in the parks more instead of the beach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Geordee Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 I think there's positives and negatives about both and maybe you have to go with your gut feeling? Be aware though that if you settle down with an Aussie guy and then want to return, you might find yourself living your life with feet in both countries. Though for some people this may not necessarily be a bad thing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woofyhugger Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 I've lived in Sydney, and it's London hands down for me, but each to their own, we all want different things in life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtochase Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 I don't think anyone can answer this question for you, except you. But I will add my two cents as I've been in a similar situation for the last few months. I came over here for a job opportunity on a working holiday visa, with the prospect of being sponsored on a 457 after 6 months. Well after 6 months in that role I'd had enough and decided I'd look for something else, otherwise go home. Seemed like an easy enough decision at the time, I wasn't in love with Sydney enough to be afraid of leaving. 4 months later and no job and I was falling in love with Sydney more and more each day and the thought of going home seemed awful. I finally made a pros and cons list and started to realise some of the things I love about Sydney are pretty superficial - the biggest being the potential to earn more money. No doubt the lifestyle is great, being able to go to the beach every weekend. The pace is slower, I find I don't 'talk shop' as much at the weekends, the focus is more on life than on work. In London most of my best friends were from work, we worked really hard and played hard too but at the end of the day it was a rat race. Very competitive and it was all about the next achievement and the next material thing, but I strangely missed that. In the meantimethough my friendship group here was growing stronger and stronger and every weekend I'd have amazing times and start thinking I could never leave again. In the end I gave myself a deadline to make a decision and buy a plane ticket and just continued as though I was staying. Just 5 days before my self imposed deadline I was offered a job here with sponsorship. I start tomorrow, a month before I should have been leaving the country and I couldn't be happier. I'm pretty sure now that my feelings of wanting to go back were part of a coping mechanism in case I had no choice to go back. As much as I do miss the fast pace of London, my lifestyle here is much healthier. As for meeting people, I find it so much easier here! In London I was with work friends a lot of the time or in a girl group neither of which are conducive to meeting men. Whereas here I hang out a lot more in mixed groups and we do a lot more activities rather than just drinking all the time. Plus the group is ever expanding and changing as new people arrive. I made a new friend last week from showing people around my flat. I find people are arriving all the time and happy to say 'hey I didn't get the room, but fancy going for a beer'. That kind of thing never happened in London and if it did I would probably think that person was a weirdo. Sad but true. I'm much more open minded to meeting people here and I've found other people are too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennyrose Shields Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 Move to London and commute. Surrey is a wonderful place to live and only 45 min commute . Sydney CBD and London CBD are both over priced and not ideal to settle unless you always want to rent and can be very lonely. hope where ever you live be happy . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickyNook Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 1 minute ago, Jennyrose Shields said: Move to London and commute. Surrey is a wonderful place to live and only 45 min commute . Sydney CBD and London CBD are both over priced and not ideal to settle unless you always want to rent and can be very lonely. hope where ever you live be happy . The original post is nearly seven years old. Why bother resurrecting it? The OP probably decided where to live long ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennyrose Shields Posted February 11, 2020 Share Posted February 11, 2020 True not sure why it popped upon my link . Thanks for letting me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johno_sam Posted January 8, 2021 Share Posted January 8, 2021 I am in a very similar position, not sure whether to go for PR in two years or head back to London. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatCat Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Mmmm To be honest, London and Sydney are so different on many levels, I am not sure you can really compare the two enough to come up with a satisfactory answer. They both certainly have similar problems - overcrowding, traffic snarls, cost of parking and expensive houses. I would say London has more of a social scene (theater, pubs, clubs), and Sydney has more of an outdoor lifestyle (beaches, sailing, picnics, walks) If you enjoy a beer whilst watching new bands, then London would be better choice. If you enjoy outdoor pursuits, then Sydney would be a better choice. I love the history and rituals of London (i.e.) the oldest pub is over 500 years old, and the ritual of having strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. But I much prefer living near the beach and working in the city - hence Sydney would be my choice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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