How much salary is needed to live comfortably in Australia?

A comfortable salary in Australia covers around $3,125 per person per month at the country average, or roughly AUD 58,000 to 65,000 a year before tax, based on CostLiving’s moderate lifestyle benchmark. The country-level figure undersells what most Americans mean by “living in Australia”: almost everyone moves to a capital city, where costs run higher. Sydney sits at $3,925, Melbourne at $3,425, Brisbane at $3,200, and Perth at $3,225 per person per month. For comfortable city living, target a pre-tax salary of AUD 80,000 to 110,000 in Sydney, AUD 70,000 to 95,000 in Melbourne or Perth, and AUD 60,000 to 85,000 in Brisbane. Australia’s progressive income tax tops out at 45 percent above AUD 190,000. For the full breakdown, see our Australia cost of living page.