Pros and Cons of Moving from City to Regional

retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 12:59
Last edited 04/03/2025 - 14:35

We live in an old house sandwiched between two busy roads in Melbourne.

Been here for years, and the non-stop traffic noise has worn us down with increased stress and anxiety levels, interrupted sleep, being in a constant state of fight or flight just waiting for the next engine sound to penetrate and reverberate into our home every 10 seconds.

Considering a move to a less congested regional city / town, but all our family and friends (plus work) is here, so have been hesitating moving because of that.

Would love some feedback from those who have made such a life change.

  • Was it worth it?
  • Best thing about it?
  • Worst thing about it?
  • What would you change?
  • etc…

Would prefer leaving Melbourne altogether rather than moving to a quieter street in Melbourne, since the traffic congestion in this city is unbearable most days.

EDIT with extra info: We don't currently have kids (we do have a couple of large dogs), but are looking at starting a family in the next couple of years (potentially needing IVF).

Home & Garden

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 04/03/2025 - 13:04
    +4

    Pros, cheaper housing, good scenery. Cons, everything else.

    • freefall101 on 04/03/2025 - 13:23
      +4

      have you seen the prices of houses these days? Outer suburbs of Melbourne are cheaper than a lot of the trendier regional areas.

    • Russell Dupsumtucka on 04/03/2025 - 13:51
      +3

      Cons, everythingwhere else.

      It is Melbourne after all…..

  • MS Paint on 04/03/2025 - 13:16
    +10

    Cons, everything else.

    As a regional resident I can tell you've never lived regional.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 13:17

      Have you also lived in a big city? Can you provide some insight from your experience?

    • AustriaBargain on 04/03/2025 - 13:25

      I have.

      • MS Paint on 04/03/2025 - 14:10
        +1

        Living regional is definitely not for everyone. For some it's near perfect.

        • AustriaBargain on 04/03/2025 - 14:32

          I'd rather live in a megacity like Tokyo or NYC or London. You really feel like you got some space to yourself when you're surrounded by millions of people who don't care about you.

          • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 15:30

            @AustriaBargain: What about the noise, congestion and pollution?

            • AustriaBargain on 04/03/2025 - 15:40

              @retailsaver: Ah the serenity.

            • LFO on 05/03/2025 - 19:02

              @retailsaver:

              noise, congestion and pollution

              Something very specific and of a few years ago:

              Location: Singleton, NSW

              Noise: never-ending caravan of workers, locals, driving to and from the mines. 24/7

              Congestion: never-ending caravan of workers, locals, driving to and from the mines. 24/7

              Pollution: Very fine coal dust covering your washing left to air and dry on that glorious bright sun … or so the locals say it was …

  • freefall101 on 04/03/2025 - 13:21
    +10

    I used to live near a busy onramp (particularly bikes/sportscars taking off from the lights and going up to 100 was a nightmare to listen to), it drove me near mad. Moved to a quieter street and it made all the difference. I wouldn't write off moving to somewhere quieter first because it was a life changer for me. I didn't have a car for nearly a decade, it was pretty peaceful (I kinda hate having a car now, I still just use public transport for the most part).

    It's very much a personal thing. I worked with someone who moved from Melbourne to Castlemaine, kept their job and mostly worked remotely. Drove them completely bonkers and they moved back. Another guy I work with moved to a regional beach town (pre-covid, his house has definitely appreciated!) and wouldn't change it for the world despite many trips to and from Melbourne.

    You've got to figure out the family and work stuff first, but there's also different levels of regional. Do you want a regional town and all the issues they have (often high crime rates but still have amenities), or do you want complete seclusion with a block in the middle of nowhere and you're now planning your life around "trips into town"?

    • jv on 04/03/2025 - 13:33
      +1

      I still just use public transport for the most part

      Public transport is too expensive now. Myki is up to $11. That would get me around 100km in my car. About 120km if you drive a Tesla.

      • freefall101 on 04/03/2025 - 13:40
        +1

        Depends, I work in the city. Taking a toll road into work costs me $20. Taking a road without tolls takes about 84 years to get to work.

        I also drive an EV, it's outside charging off the sunshine, $11 would get me to the moon and back.

        • jv on 04/03/2025 - 13:49

          Takes me < 15 mins to drive into the city.

          Tram takes ~ 45 mins.

          • freefall101 on 04/03/2025 - 14:09
            +2

            @jv: I would say you shouldn't take public transport then, if you have zero tolls (or parking) and have a 15 minute route into the city to get to work.

      • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 10:02
        -1

        Charging overnight @ 8c/kWh on an EV plan, it costs around $1/100km at 130Wh/km. Thus $11 would net you 1100km in a Tesla.

        • jv on 05/03/2025 - 10:36
          -1

          @ 8c/kWh on an EV plan

          Well then I should quote the price I pay for fuel using my corporate fuel card, which is $0 per litre…

          • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 11:37

            @jv: Given that the wider public don't have access to corporate fuel cards, that's not really an apples to apples comparison, is it? Also, whilst it might not cost you anything, someone has to pay for that fuel and it doesn't change the equation - there's a cost borne somewhere.

            I was being generous by not using the free power period between 11am-2pm to charge my car but as usual, you like shifting the goal posts and obfuscating to score petty points.

            • jv on 05/03/2025 - 11:44
              -1

              @gyrex:

              Given that the wider public don't have access to corporate fuel cards

              Nor EV plans

              • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 13:00
                +1

                @jv: Everyone has access to an EV plan if they buy an EV and one needs an EV in order to use the equation you proposed. Your inability to use logic is impressive.

                • jv on 05/03/2025 - 13:01
                  -2

                  @gyrex:

                  Everyone has access to an EV plan

                  Everyone has access to corporate fuel cards

                  • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 13:01
                    +1

                    @jv: Congratulations on the most dense retort I've seen you make. That's impressive considering that 99% of your posts are asinine.

                    • jv on 05/03/2025 - 13:04

                      @gyrex:

                      Congratulations on the most dense retort I've seen you make.

                      I'm just using your logic, so you can relate to it.

                      • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 13:05

                        @jv: There's zero logic employed in any of your posts.

                        • jv on 05/03/2025 - 13:06

                          @gyrex: That is just your opinion, so it has no value.

                          • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 13:17

                            @jv: No, it's empirical.

                            I'll spell it out since you lack the ability to engage rudimentary logic.

                            You made a claim about a Tesla only getting 120km of range for $11 in comparison with an ICE vehicle getting 100km of range for the same $11.

                            This claim assumes that someone that owns a Tesla, which for the uninitiated, is in fact an EV. This person therefore has access to an EV plan - these plans are available to everyone with the only stipulation that they own an EV. Most EV plans have a heavily discounted rate for off-peak overnight charging which I used to correct your calculation. I was generous to use this instead of the free charging period of 11am-2pm whereby the cost would thus be free.

                            You then made a claim that you have a corporate fuel card and you're personally not charged for fuel. This is a outlier of a situation which would only be available to a small fraction of a percent of people and thus not everyone has access to this arrangement. Regardless of if someone has access to a corporate fuel card, the expense of fuel doesn't evaporate - someone is paying for this so your attempt to wave it away is still illogical.

                            • jv on 05/03/2025 - 13:28
                              -2

                              @gyrex:

                              I'll spell it out

                              $50 to charge a Tesla from a Tesla supercharger.

                              $57 to fill up a Toyota Yaris cross.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 15:33

      Do you still hear some background traffic noise / rumble now, or is your street pretty much dead silent at all times?

      • freefall101 on 04/03/2025 - 16:41
        +2

        I don't hear any background traffic, and I'm only 8-9 houses in from a fairly main (two lane each way) road. I'm at the point where I'm an old man grumbling about the kid up the road who got his bike P's and loves to rev it. But then my parents, who are on a 5 acre block, had a development put in right near them, and there's someone there who works on their old holden on a weekend and does the same.

        I can tell it's quiet, because I notice my tinnitus here. It was awful when I first moved, the change from constant traffic meant I noticed constant tinnitus instead. That seems to have calmed down a fair bit too though.

        It might be worth just going to a couple of open houses where you think you might want to live. Get a place block or so off the main road and just see what it sounds like on a saturday afternoon.

  • ihbh on 04/03/2025 - 13:30
    +4

    sandwiched between two busy roads

    There is also pollution which can have a significant affect on your health. This would be my priority in moving.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 15:35

      True, most days we can smell the vehicle exhausts when walking along on our street.

  • boomramada on 04/03/2025 - 13:31

    Pros and Cons of moving to country depend on your lifestyle,family and age group not mine :)

  • pharkurnell on 04/03/2025 - 13:37

    Mate of mine (single late 50's) moved from Sydney to Goulburn 3 yrs ago bought a good size unit for <300k from inheritance outright… He has also lived in Melbourne and Newcastle areas

    Got job transfer down there, can walk from home to shops and back easily… Walks to gym etc.

    Weather is mixed - The occasional minus temp in winter (he loves cold) to 40+ in summer.

    Traffic is non existent… Some things cost more, some less.

    Getting tradies to do work is much easier and more reliable x1000 as word gets around much quicker of bad ones.

    Has has taken to country life like a fish to water. He little interest in going to cities anymore. If he wants to XPT is cheap to Sydney or Melbourne.

    It isn't for everyone but I can see plenty of advantages over the shithole that cities have become now.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 15:36

      Any idea what he thought of Melbourne vs Newcastle?

      • pharkurnell on 05/03/2025 - 10:13

        He was happy in both locations spending a few years in each.. he never moved somewhere and regretted it.

        He also moved to Laurieton near Port Macquarie to look after his sick dad for couple of years. Thats what sorta set him off on having had enough of cities.

        One thing with larger rural cities is drugs seem to be an issue in many of them.

  • Bolt Upright on 04/03/2025 - 13:42
    +2

    I moved to a country town in regional WA six years ago to escape the noise, lack of consideration and general busyness in Perth.
    The house was very cheap and I was able to pay cash and spent a lot of time on renovations. The 2 1/2 hr drive to Perth for occasional work (I'm now retired) is onerous, even the main highways are in dangerously poor condition, the defacto privatisation of rail for grain shipment means most freight is via heavy trucks adding to the danger and damage to roads.
    The nearest small supermarket and hardware is 45 mins away, necessitating a vehicle and online shopping for stuff that isn't stocked. Postage takes a lot longer to arrive.
    I live in a small tight-knit family-based community and the general tenor is culturally and mentally conservative, fine if you are gregarious and willing to overlook idiocy, short sightedness, cognitive dissonance, a lack of cultural activities (but for drinking, pub food and gossip), racism and poor local planning.
    The town is on a truck route, exhaust brakes can be heard six km away. When it is quiet it is very quiet - easy to hear the occasional noisy aircon or barking dog on the other side of town at two am.
    There is no crime to speak of.
    I love the quiet, the scenery and absence of pressure. I miss films, galleries, swimming in the ocean and simpatico conversation.

    • geekcohen on 04/03/2025 - 14:00
      +2

      There is no crime to speak of.

      This might be the case for where you moved too, but I know in my area it isn't the case. In surround streets, we have heard of cars being stolen and in some country farms people have been seen scoping out places to come back later and steal machinery etc.

      I just say this to set the right expectation that just because you move to a regional/country area, you should not expect zero crime.

  • geekcohen on 04/03/2025 - 13:52
    +3

    This is just on my experience and my location, it may vary from location to location and where you choose to move too. I am in Warragul, VIC

    Was it worth it?

    Yes

    Best thing about it?

    Less traffic. Quiet. Fresher air. More space/land available.

    Worst thing about it?

    Limited major services. It isn't a 5 min drive to Officeworks or Big W anymore. It is a 1.5 hour around trip.

    Depending on the area, Internet options can be limited. But with Starlink available, this isn't a huge issue anymore.

    What would you change?

    No. Love it and moved pre-covid, one of the best thing we did. We want to move further out of town with a bit more land, but we are still happy with where we are.

    Other considerations - Expect extra travel, but most of the time it is freeway depending where you choose to go. Work options might require extra travel (car or rail). I am about 1.5 hours from the city (on a good day) and I don't mind the drive.

    Where we moved to was closer to Family. We were in the city away from family and the move was better. My wife could get work anyway (Primary Education) and I was able to WFH a few days a week and the office was in Hawthorn (drove once a week). I since have a new role/job and the entire business is remote which is great.

    Happy to answer any other questions on our experience.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 15:40

      Thanks for sharing this.

      Do you live in a relatively built up area of Warragul (given you said you want more land)?

      Also are snakes / spiders a much more serious threat now?

      • geekcohen on 04/03/2025 - 15:51
        +1

        We are in an estate and a bit of a built up area. We are on the border of Warragul and Nilma, paddocks on the other side of the road. We have 1300sqm block with rear access and we want a couple of arces with a bit more room and space.

        Had no issues with snakes in the 5 years we have been here. Spiders, yes have been an issue, we get the house sprayed each year and notice a huge difference.

  • Lord Ra on 04/03/2025 - 14:07

    Less traffic. I am often the first at traffic lights. They're nicer to drive around with. Less shite drivers cos they're mostly all in the city.

    More hoons, more cameras, less police. Nicer roads, imo.

    Quiet as less vehicles. Fresher air. More space/land available.

    NO TOLLS. Omg, let me go again, NO TOLLS.

    FREE PARKING on most roads, except a couple of touristy beaches. Let me go again, FREE PARKING on most roads. ANd you can bike to work and not die. Close to beaches too.

    If I could work 100% remote and come in now and then, I'd go rural/remote if I could. Newcastle/Gosford is as much as I can do.

    • ForkSnorter on 04/03/2025 - 15:08
      +2

      Quiet as less vehicles.

      Fewer vehicles.

      • Lord Ra on 04/03/2025 - 16:35

        I forgot the comma, my bad!

        "Quiet, as (there are) less vehicles." *

        Was walking, helmet in one hand, phone in other. :)

        • ForkSnorter on 04/03/2025 - 16:37
          +2

          "Quiet, as (there are) less vehicles." *

          Quiet, as (there are) fewer vehicles.

          • Lord Ra on 04/03/2025 - 16:38

            @ForkSnorter: Yep, I see! Thanks! :)

          • Lord Ra on 04/03/2025 - 16:39
            +1

            @ForkSnorter: Could you explain that though, please?

            • miwahni on 04/03/2025 - 22:11
              +1

              @Lord Ra: Fewer is used when something can be quantified - ie use Fewer for the reduced number of cars on the road because they are individual items that can be counted separately. Less is used with nouns that describe an amalgamated quantity (not sure how to explain that any better!) eg sand. If you're counting grains of sand, then you're talking about fewer grains (individual items) but if the beach is washed away due to erosion you're talking about less sand on the beach.
              So there might be less traffic due to fewer cars. Hope that makes sense.

              • Lord Ra on 06/03/2025 - 09:28

                @miwahni: But surely, counting cars is like counting grains of sand? At a glance, you can't tell how many there are?

  • ForkSnorter on 04/03/2025 - 15:08

    We live in an old house sandwiched between two busy roads in Melbourne.
    Been here for years, and the non-stop traffic noise has worn us down with increased stress and anxiety levels, interrupted sleep, being in a constant state of fight or flight just waiting for the next engine sound to penetrate and reverberate into our home every 10 seconds.

    This is not a city vs regional issue. This is a bad choice of street issue.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 15:28

      That is true, but we find it difficult to go to half the streets in Melbourne without some sort of background traffic noise (plus the congestion and less healthy air compared with being in a regional town).

      • ForkSnorter on 04/03/2025 - 15:51

        What will you do about work? Personally I would always choose regional or semi-regional, but it does depend where. I'm kind of semi-regional where I am now. It's a good middle-ground. No traffic jams at all, while still having hundreds of cafes and restaurants, as well as Bunnings nearby. Actually I think I could go more regional than this, but again it depends where.

        • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 17:22

          Mind sharing the suburb / area name?

          And yes, work needs to be solved too.

          • ForkSnorter on 05/03/2025 - 09:53

            @retailsaver: I currently live in South-East QLD. But I'm not really 100% happy where I live and the house is too small, so I'm planning to move to Redcliffe peninsula after I finish renovating the house, because I have some friends there and just love the easy access to the beaches and the amazing views from places like Woody Point Jetty, Scarborough Beach, and Redcliffe Jetty. It's extremely quiet, no traffic, yet just 35-40 mins drive to Brisbane CBD, and it has heaps of quality cafes/restaurants with water views, bike paths/footpaths along the beach around the entire peninsula, activities like fishing, kayaking, boating, windsurfing, whale watching, quite a lot of public pools including 1 free one with ocean views, plus if you live in the right area, you can pretty much walk everywhere (to cafes, restaurants, beaches, parks, supermarkets and famous Sunday food/craft markets on the water). House prices are cheaper than Brisbane too.

            If you're not happy with the congestion in big cities, you could consider living kind of in a middle-ground area where you still have access to the big city, but you have lower population density while still having heaps of infrastructure and easier access to nature and beaches. You don't have to go out to woop woop.

  • 2jzzzz on 04/03/2025 - 15:50
    +1

    I've lived in Melbourne (South Melbourne, Yarraville and Altona) and now live in FNQ.

    Melbourne is great to holiday to and see an event and have a city escape. But if I go back, I want to get out ASAP and go Great Ocean Road, Yarra Valley or Mornington Peninsula. The city is good for 2 nights, but living regionally is better in so many ways as long as you have a decent secure job and a decent place to live.

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 17:24

      We've been thinking about Mornington Peninsula, however isn't it quite built up as well?

      • geekcohen on 04/03/2025 - 17:35
        +1

        Yes. I wouldn't say it is "Regional".

      • pharkurnell on 05/03/2025 - 10:17
        +1

        There is nothign rural about Mornington Peninsula, and is (profanity) insanely expensive.

  • mskeggs on 04/03/2025 - 18:25
    +5

    I live in the blue mountains 100km from Sydney.
    We can go to a show in the city, or for a dinner and come home after, sometimes we stay over.
    We moved here from the city when we started a family and found the costs of housing plus childcare and the hassle of traffic etc. meant we were spending a lot, and no longer going out 3 or 4 nights a week.

    I commuted to the city a lot for 17 years, working a day or two a week at home. Now I work full time from home. It was tiring, but it meant my partner could stay home with the kids when they were young, then go back to uni full time later.
    Our family was mainly in Sydney when we left. Since then, almost all of them have moved away (well, some have died).
    Our friends were mainly in Sydney too, and some still are. Others have left.
    The friends we socialise with most are local to us. We met them via kids/school, work, volunteering.
    Our house is very nice, on a green block, walking distance to the train, Woolies, school, the national park, gym, pub, restaurants, doctor etc.
    If i need to go to hospital or Bunnings it is a 5min drive.
    There is next to no traffic. I can hear the freight trains sometimes in the dead of night in the distance.
    House prices are not cheap, but much more manageable than a brick veneer on a small block 20km from the CBD.

    In our case, because we can get a train to the city in 2hours, or drive in 90mins, we don’t feel we are missing out on too much - we visit people or have an outing there about once a month, and literally every other element of life is greatly improved.

    The only hesitation is as our kids are getting older, there isn’t a lot of high paid work, and some of them are attracted to living in the city. But you can’t really plan where you live around what your kids might want to do one day, and our eldest is enjoying her city job and flat near the beach, but we get to see here every couple of weeks. Probably as often as if we all still lived in Sydney.
    And it is hard to do the reverse move. I would struggle to enjoy the traffic, poor housing and difficulty of living in Sydney unless I was much richer to live close to town in a much costlier place.

    • itoyjobed on 04/03/2025 - 20:23

      Really well put mate. Been to Blue mountains multiple times, its an amazing place.

  • CheapskateQueen on 04/03/2025 - 20:58
    +3

    haven't moved regional so can't comment on that

    however, my first unit was on a main road in Sydney. i rented it for years before moving in at the start of covid.

    It drove me insane, like actually mental. it's sickening, i don't know how people can tolerate it (let alone those tar say they don't mind it). All day every day. At 4am,i had the 18 wheelers driving through.

    I was a complete nervous wreck, anxiety through the roof. All of which you seem to understand.

    I put in the biggest thickest double glazing system in one bedroom, and then ended up basically living in that one room (sleep and wfh).

    I was going to do the whole apartment, including the balcony. But i can't live in a box with no windows open at anypoint.

    So i sold and gtfo of there. Best decision i ever made. Sure, it kills me when i just missed the peak boom in property prices but I'm sitting in my new place with my windows own, fresh air and a quiet street. It's a life changer. My friend complains the sounds of the birds are too noisy haha

    when people visited for the first time id say "do you hear that?" and they'd say "yes, there's nothing". There is a different calmness to life that you're missing out on life. (don't get me wrong, there's still cars in peak hours, and plane noise etc etc)

    So 1000% support the idea of getting out if you can. There is a better life waiting for you.

    As for whether regional is the answer, (or selling for some cheaper, not preferred location still within modest distance to where you are now), i can't answer that. It's a big move and really hard to be away from the family.

    My friend, Sydney, bought a house in the blue mountains area. She wanted the garden and the house. But she felt really isolated from her family and friends, hated driving everywhere, the commute took its toll, so they sold and bought a unit back in the inner west. Very happy with their decision to come back

    • retailsaver on 04/03/2025 - 23:24

      Thanks for sharing this.

      Makes me feel sick in my stomach hearing about your noise issues and how it made you feel (yes my experience is similar, including spending majority of your time in the only room which gave you some escape from the noise).

      I'm glad you got out and are getting better, hopefully will happen for us one day too.

  • miwahni on 04/03/2025 - 22:21
    +1

    I grew up in Sydney and gradually moved farther and farther away. I've lived in towns as small as 700 people, and regional cities. Now I'm in the outskirts of Brisbane.

    There are some drawbacks to country living. Your work opportunities are bit more limited (although not quite so much now with internet and WFH). Your shopping choices are more restricted, even if you take a trip to the nearest regional centre. Major sporting events and shows rarely come to any but the biggest regional centre so you can spend time travelling, or miss out. Kids tend to move away for uni or for employment as there's not as much for them in the regions. Groceries and fuel can be more expensive while wages can be lower.

    The pluses though make up for it. The quiet nights, the fresh air, the real feeling of community that exists in the smaller places. Sounds corny but they're all things I miss. And the stars… you need to get out of the city to appreciate just how vast the sky is. I miss that.

    • MS Paint on 04/03/2025 - 22:56
      +2

      And the stars

      This. We have no light pollution at all. When visitors come up on a moonless night the glow and clarity of the Milky Way absolutely blows their mind.

      I've just gone outside now as the moon has disappeared. After my eyes adjusted this is the closest image I could find to show what I was seeing. Crickets, frogs and bellowing Angus cows (that my neighbour had delivered today) filled the air. I wouldn't have it any other way.

      • retailsaver on 05/03/2025 - 09:16

        That looks amazing.

  • Wiadro on 04/03/2025 - 22:44

    Is western Sydney regional enough

  • loadofrubbish on 05/03/2025 - 08:05
    +1

    One of the biggest drawbacks of moving to a regional area is access to healthcare facilities. Living in Sydney, I’ve come to appreciate the world-class medical treatment available at Westmead Children’s Hospital. While I’ve considered relocating to a regional area, the quality and availability of healthcare alone make staying in Sydney the best choice for me.

  • Jeannie77 on 05/03/2025 - 08:24
    +2

    I moved and love it here, friendly people, cheaper houses but they are all older houses that generally need a reno. Peace and quiet, bigger garden. We have Coles and Woolies as well as the usual fast food shops. Sometimes have to go to bigger towns for some things, but places like K mart do deliver, so can order most things on the internet. Loads of people have dogs. Less jobs. The main down side here is all medical. Have to go on a waiting list to even get a GP. The town has a hospital, but don't let that fool you, there are no permanent Doctors there. Twice a day a Gp visits the hospital, and at weekends they fly a doctor in from Sydney but if you are not there at the right times you just have to do a tele conference thing with a Doctor. Often have to be sent to a hospital in a bigger town, but usually no ambulances available as already busy taking others so end up having to get someone to drive you as it is quicker. I far prefer country living, there are loads of little groups to join to make friends. Really it is only the lack of medical services that worries me.

  • taradavey on 05/03/2025 - 09:15
    +2

    I live in a semi-large regional town and it has none of the amenities, it does have serious traffic issues, very few employment opportunities unless you are a nurse, and the housing market is incredibly expensive - not worth the price. But it is beautiful.

    My main suggestion is to thoroughly research the options for IVF before you move. There is very little variety in providers for this sort of thing (and women's health in general) in a lot of smaller towns, which can often mean heavy price inflation.

    Good luck in your choice.

  • gyrex on 05/03/2025 - 10:37
    +2

    I moved from Sydney (Manly) to the Sunshine Coast in 2019 and have never looked back. I'm fortunate that I run a business from home but cognisant that employment opportunities for others are somewhat limited compared to large cities. If you do manage to get a decent job, there are only positives derived from the move: old school Australian culture (kids playing in the streets, at parks etc., strong community ties across the region and more locally with neighbours knowing one another and helping one another, chatting to random people when you go on walks etc.), lower crime, larger blocks, less traffic, less pollution, less noise and better ability to access highways allowing for weekend getaways.

    I know I'll get lambasted for this view but having more traditional monoculture with a sprinkling of other cultures is the right mix here and probably how multiculturalism was originally envisioned and supposed to work instead of the large scale ethno-enclaves which now dominate parts of Sydney but every time I fly into Sydney airport, I feel like I'm a foreigner in my own country and it's not a nice feeling - much of the Australian cultural values I grew up in during the '80s and '90s are well and truly gone and there's little to no social cohesion anymore in Sydney thanks to ultra-rapid and mass-scale duo-culturalism which has been forced down our throats from successive governments on both sides of the aisle.

    Housing used to be cheaper but that changed during covid and now the nicer areas of the Sunshine Coast are more expensive than Brisbane but probably on par with Sydney. Every time I head back to Sydney to visit family, I count the hours until we can get back home…

    I honestly can't think of any negatives apart from somewhat limited employment opportunities.

  • tabitha731 on 05/03/2025 - 10:52
    -1

    No benefit in moving regional… The costs to commute to facilities and proper medical health outweighs the cheap housing. Things cost more to buy in regions coz it gets shipped especially to those regions

    • MS Paint on 05/03/2025 - 13:18
      +2

      Things cost more to buy in regions coz it gets shipped especially to those regions

      Maybe places like Broome, Mt Isa etc but locations within 200km of a capital city there's barely any pricing discrepancy.

  • CoreArchitect on 05/03/2025 - 11:32

    I'm also keen to understand how people with families (2.1 kids) can make the move. From my limited research, education opportunities are bad. No good public schools, very limited good private schools. Medical access also appears to be an issue for specialist assistance if family requires.

    I would appreciate if someone debunked this for me!

    • geekcohen on 05/03/2025 - 14:02

      Depends where you move to and how regional you go.

      My daughter just started school and we are happy with our choice. It is a public school and there are some private schools around.

      Medical Access depends. My son was born premature and has had to have some specialist appointments, but we are only about an hour's drive from some of these. He was born at Monash Clayton, and I travelled in every day before he was transferred to Warragul Special Care Unit. The care was very good. Our Paediatrician is Warragul-based, so that helps. There are other options for specailists, but again, it is a drive. My in-laws live 30 mins from us and they have to travel to Warragul for heart appointments.

      It all depends on how regional you go and how far you are willing to drive. For us, we don't mind driving an hour because it is all freeway driving with minimal traffic. Beats sitting in traffic in the city/metro areas for an hour stop start.

      I think a big part of it is work as well. I am lucky to WFH full time and my wife is 10 mins drive to work, so it is all local. I think those that travel into the city from regional areas and might have both parents working FT might find it harder without family support.

      I think people have an expectation that what is in the city/metro is going to be available in Regional Areas. It is very different and habits need to change. But quality of services are good and available, just might need to travel for these.

      Just my 2 cents.

    • MS Paint on 05/03/2025 - 17:16

      My kids went to a regional P-12 grammar and received a quality education. They even received bonus ATAR points for being regional (can't remember the amount, 5 points??). Fees were $4k for year 12. The equivalent in the city where we lived prior was nearly $20k. School attracted quality teachers and leaders because they got paid well and great lifestyle outside work hours.

      • CoreArchitect on 06/03/2025 - 09:48

        From what I've seen in the charts. There are very few non-metro schools that rank in the top 20. The ones that do are exclusive and mega pricey. Like that Ballarat one at 40k pp/year…

        I understand that schooling is not be all and end all. As there are so many pathways. But just want to stay in the lane of Apple for apples comparison.

        There is also the uni question. If they choose to and go, how will that happen? Seems problematic.

        • MS Paint on 06/03/2025 - 09:56
          +1

          If overall school ranks are important to you then you'll be disappointed. There's no way a regional school will attract 200 teenage year 12 braniacs to bump up the average when there's only 600 kids in total from prep to year 12.

          The dux of regional schools is close to city school dux scores so if your child is academic and has drive then they will succeed whether it's regional or city. After the age of 21 no employer cares which school is on their resume.

          My daughter moved back to the big smoke for uni. Was great for her personal growth and development to start living independently from her parents.

  • BigBirdy on 05/03/2025 - 14:56
    +2

    Choose your regional area carefully and you'll never look back. We chose an area with good hospitals, shops, airport and infrastructure, yet not too far to a city if required. We really appreciate the more relaxed lifestyle, less traffic, no tolls

  • Azrael169 on 05/03/2025 - 16:30
    +1

    Moved from major city to a town of about 40,000, lived their 5 years and loved it.

    • Housing was cheaper, built and paid off our house in 2.5 years
    • Commute to work went from 45-90 minutes to 5 minutes
    • Lived on a larger block with more privacy
    • Work was more enjoyable

    Town was small enough to still have the country town vibe, but big enough to have all the mod-cons. Still plenty of places to eat/go out, also nearby towns had some world amazing restaurant/food scene. These days with online ordering you can get your hands on whatever you need.

    Downsides can be hard to make friends, most people there tended to have lived their entire life in the region. So unless you are incredibly outgoing, part of a church or play sports, it may take a while to get a social circle. I was still very active with sports, and while some sports like basketball are year round in metro areas, they are can be seasonal in country regions (most people play one sport at a time, and the population dosnt support football, soccer and basketball all running simultaneously).

    After 5 years, move back to metro, it wasnt family, it was my friends. If my friends had moved with me, never would have left the region. Wife was devastated when we moved back though.

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