The sunny state of Queensland has long been regarded as a retiree’s retirement playground. With Brisbane and the Gold Coast holding the most number of sunny days out of the year, standing at 261 than any other Australian city. It is no wonder it continues to be an extremely popular choice for baby boomers to spend their wonder years.

However, there is plenty to consider when making the hard decision of migrating to Queensland. A few things to consider are a place to live, which suburb to settle for, how convenient the public transport system is, the cultural dynamics of Queenslanders. Not to mention leaving your social group and family and friends behind to move interstate to Brisbane or Gold Coast ultimately will mean being away from them for long periods. The question remains Is it really worth it?

Beyond settling on a decision of whether to move or not, there will still be an endless list of tasks to do and get organise before the physical relocation.  So here, we have 3 areas where you can focus on to put money back in your pocket and save, as moving can be a very expensive event if not budgeted and organised correctly.

1. House Prices and House Rentals

With house prices rising in general for Australia, Brisbane still fares up to be on the lower end of the rise compared to other capital cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart.

Melbourne house prices tops the charts at a 16% surge during the second quarter of 2017. Whilst Brisbane only came in at a dragging 3.9%.

If you are selling up from Melbourne, Sydney or Hobart and making the move to Brisbane. Chances are, you could cash in at a premium price and in most cases still purchase a similar size if not more spacious and added comfort and yet situated in a convenient bustling location in Brisbane. This frees up some of the equity in your home and allowing you to use the money for other things without sacrificing too much on comfort.

Figures from realestate.com.au shows the current median house price for Melbourne is $706000 while the median house prices for Brisbane is $512809. That’s a staggering $193191 in saving just for selling up and buy a new house.

While the median house rental prices in Melbourne is $600 per week and in $480 per week in Brisbane. A saving of over $400 per month will go a very long way.

2. Interstate Removalist

Interstate removalists in Gold Coast and Brisbane is big money, in fact relocation in Australia is big money. Moving from one state to another requires plenty of planning and in all honesty, a lot can and probably will go wrong when moving no matter which interstate removal company you choose. This is because there is significantly more risk to your belongings when in transit then when it is idle. But where there is big money to be spent there is also an opportunity for big savings to be had. Don’t be afraid to do your research and call up a few different removal companies and remember to compare like for like as prices in this industry can fluctuate between quality of removalists from cheaper to the more premium services. When you are planning to pay big money for such a service it may save you a whole lot of stress paying a little extra for a quality removalist. Be sure to check out reviews and see what past customers are saying. There are an abundant in compare removalist sites out there that can help if you do not wish to do the research yourself. But just by comparing a few different companies you will soon find interstate removalists will be begging you for the work and that is where you can negotiate a better deal. Just don’t be afraid to ask. But be sure to always opt for transit insurance as plenty can go wrong whilst transporting on the roads.

3. Cost of Living

So how does the cost of living compare in Queensland to the other cities? For people who enjoy to wine and dine a meal at a relatively inexpensive restaurant will cost on average $15 in both cities. However, takeaway such as McDonalds will cost you 5.25% less in the Gold Coast compared with Sydney. Coffee consumers however will expect to pay a little under 10% more per cappuccino whilst beer drinkers can save 27.63% on a domestic beer which can cost you $5.50 as oppose to $7.60 per pint.

Regular household groceries will overall be cheaper in the Gold Coast than it would in Sydney. With significant savings on the main fruits including bananas, apples, oranges and even tomatoes. You can expect to pay $2.22 for a loaf of white bread rather than $2.74 in Sydney. Smokers will also be happy to see the price of a packet of cigarette(Malboro) drop from $30 to $20.

A one-way Ticket on the public transport system will save you 18.75% in the Gold Coast. However, opting for a monthly pass will put significant savings back in your pocket from $190 in Sydney compared to just $70 in the Gold Coast. Taxi tariffs also seem to be slightly cheaper in the Gold Coast but if you are looking to purchase a brand-new car, a Volkswagon Golf 1.4 Litre Trendline or equivalent car will yield on average 8% savings when purchased in the Gold Coast than buying in Sydney. Likewise, a Toyota Corolla 1.6 Litre Comfort will save you 9.85% when purchased in the Gold Coast. It is important to note though that, when it comes to salaries and financing the average monthly net salary after tax is 25% less in the Gold Coast than it would be in Sydney. However, with an overall comparison in mind, the cost of living in Gold Coast is still significantly more sustainable and making the move to the Gold Coast will possibly save you a significant amount of money in the long term making you better off.

All facts and data have been collated from https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Gold-Coast.

The Gold Coast is Australia’s largest non-capital city with a population of 592,330; it is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities with an average population growth of 2.8% which is nearly double the national average of 1.5%.  It boasts a stunning 57 kilometres of coastline that provides great surfing conditions, golden sandy beaches accompanied by a haven of sunshine.

As the saying goes, ”beautiful one day and perfect the next” cannot be more true with a beautiful subtropical climate and an average of 283 days of sunshine every year, that’s 100 days more sunshine per year than the southern capital city of Melbourne.  The natural beauty and relaxed lifestyle together with a strong and vibrant community make the Gold Coast one of the most desired place to work, play and live. The ever growing city is not only Australia’s premier holiday destination but is also proving to be an attractive option for interstate migrants and investors as well as corporate and international businesses.

Lifestyle

The locals are friendly with a laid back attitude, gone are the days sitting in traffic after work, with plenty of sunshine left to saviour, it is truly a wonderful place to raise a family.  There is nothing more joyful than spending time with family and friends, the sight of happy children running around on a beach and in parks is a testament to a culture of encouraging a healthier outdoor lifestyle.

Beach

There is no doubt the beach and coastline along Gold Coast is remarkable, golden sandy beaches that stretch from Main Beach to Rainbow Bay.  Blue skies and cool blue waters attract many visitors from around the world, there are endless amount of activities to enjoy whilst getting your daily dose of vitamin D.

Education

Gold Coast is home to three world-class universities and more than 200 education and training providers.  Over the last decade there is a 115 per cent increase in university qualifications, in the same period there was 31 per cent increase in population growth.  Therefore Gold Coast is becoming a city of increasingly skilled and highly qualified workforce.