What if you were born in Australia?

If you had grown up in Australia instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Sydney could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge at dusk. Photo: Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Australia

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in AUD and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Australia: AUD 6,830Rs 1,300,000
Rent (city centre): AUD 1,970
Transport (public transport): AUD 348
Food: AUD 987
Saved: AUD 1,020

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Australia: AUD 15,700Rs 2,980,000
Rent (suburbs): AUD 4,000
Transport (public transport): AUD 801
Food: AUD 2,670
Saved: AUD 2,350

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Australia: AUD 25,400Rs 4,830,000
Rent (city centre): AUD 6,230
Transport (car): AUD 2,380
Food: AUD 3,110
Saved: AUD 7,120

Try it with my own income

A day in Sydney

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Sydney, a city of mild winters around 14°C and warm summers around 23°C.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
You speak English.
Lunch
Lunch might be pavlova and meat pies are national favourites, along with Vegemite on toast.
Evening
You get home with AUD 2,350 saved each month. Walking home late feels completely normal here.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast and the mountains.

Australia compared with Pakistan

	Australia	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	4.1× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	83 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	6 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	4.1%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	19°C	26°C
Languages	English	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	AUD	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Australia, living in Australia and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Australia?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around AUD 15,700 a month at the same level in Australia (about Rs 2,980,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Australia more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 4.1 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Australia?

Mainly English. English is an official language.

Can I actually move to Australia?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Australia page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.