FAST FACTS

Cost of living

Whether you are buying a house, parking the car or sipping a coffee, you’ll find it’s cheaper in Canberra. Here’s how some of the costs stack up, in $AUD:

  • All day parking in the city: $5.00 - $7.50
  • Cappuccino: $3.00
  • Movie ticket: $15.50
  • Bus ticket: $3.00 (weekly Faresaver $22.00)
  • Entry to Australian War Memorial, National Gallery of Australia, National Museum of Australia, Canberra Glassworks: Free
  • Pool admission: $4.50
  • Entry to National Zoo and Aquarium:  Adults – $23.50,  Children 0-3 – Gold coins, Children 4-15 – $12.50
  • Floriade entry: Free
  • Median weekly rent: $343 per week
  • Median house price: $403,000

Climate

Someone once said, ‘Canberra is just full of hot air’ – and it is! Watching our colourful balloons dancing across Lake Burley Griffin in autumn truly is one of life’s magic moments. And speaking of autumn, Canberra is one of the few places in Australia where you really can enjoy four distinct seasons with buckets of sunshine all year round.

You can expect warm to hot summers, clear, crisp winters, spectacular springs and balmy colourful autumns. Fact: Canberra enjoys more hours of sunshine than Sydney or the Gold Coast.

Average maximum temperatures

Summer (December-February) – 27 degrees
Autumn (March-May) – 20 degrees
Winter (June-August) – 12 degrees
Spring (September-November) – 19 degrees

ACT school holidays

In Australia, the school year begins  in late January/early February, with short breaks in April, July and September. The school year finishes just before Christmas, with the long school holidays over the Australian summer in December and January.

Fast facts

  • Population: 336,000
  • Median age: 34 years
  • Average full time weekly income: $1,287
  • Average commute time to work: 15-20 minutes
  • Driving time to Sydney: 3 hours
  • Driving time to NSW coast: 2 hours
  • Driving time to NSW ski fields: 2.5 hours
  • Unemployment rate: 2.5% (4.3% nationally)