Germany v Australia
Is being an expat in Germany a better bet than Australia?
So, our expat World Cup games are well underway. We have seen New Zealand beat out Italy, Chile come out over top over Honduras, and Brazil dominate Portugal. But what will happen when Germany goes head to head with Australia in terms of education, cost of living, health care, ease of buying real estate, climate, and job opportunities? Which country are you placing your bets on for being a better place for expats?
Education
In Germany, education is free and in most types of school is coeducational. Almost all elementary and secondary schools and about 95 percent of higher education institutions are public. Germany also has a long tradition of offering alternative types of education, such as Waldorf and Montessori schools. At every type of school, pupils study a minimum of one foreign language (in most cases English) for at least five years. Surprisingly, though, Germany’s educational expenditure as a percentage of GDP is one of the European Union’s lowest, hovering between 3.3 and 4%. And recent studies by the Program for International Student Assessment have shown that German students are becoming increasingly weak in math and science.
Focus is usually on intellectual education in the schools, and things such as school sports teams are not very common. Only few schools have actual sports teams that compete with other schools’, so expat kids from the states who want the typical All-American experience of cheering at the home games will be out of luck.
Overall, Germany offers quality education, and I would not think twice about educating my children there.
There is a common misperception that Australia offers an easy and laid-back alternative to the UK and USA in terms of studying, and is for non-serious or non-academic students who want to make the most of the good weather and surf. However, Australia offers quality education, governed by a strict regulatory body, which makes sure that standards are not only met, but exceeded.
The Education Index, published with the UN’s Human Development Index in 2008, based on data from 2006, lists Australia as 0.993, amongst the highest in the world for overall educational quality, tied for first place with Denmark, Finland and New Zealand. They have ranked 6th worldwide for Reading, 8th for Science, and 13th for Mathematics.
Expat kids may be surprised to find out that Australia has comparatively strict school uniform guidelines across almost all high schools, both pubic and private. Attitude in the schools is that less importance is placed on outward discipline and memorization of facts that many countries practice. Instead, the emphasis here is on self-discipline, learning through understanding, and generally encouraging a child’s enthusiasm for learning. Children are actively encouraged to express themselves and their opinions openly in class.
Score: Germany 0, Australia 1 (You cant argue first place in the world from the Education Index, no matter how solid Germany is!)
Cost of Living
Although the wages in Germany are generally very high (meaningless if you do not plan on working there), the cost of living is also quite high. Germany also ranks as one of the highest in the world for taxation, with income tax possible at 44%
As for living expenses, some towns and cities are decidedly more expensive than others. For instance, living in Berlin, Bohn, Cologne, or Hamburg is significantly more costly than living in eastern Germany or the Ruhr area.
It is possible to travel easily and inexpensively to other parts of Europe from Germany using the efficient train system, so cheap, culturally-rich vacations while living in Germany are a plus.
Food and utility costs may be similar to what you are used to paying in the US or the UK, possibly a little more, making Germany not the best place if you are becoming an expat to stretch your dollars further (especially given that the dollar is weaker than the euro).
In a recent study, all of Australia’s major cities made it into the top 30 best places for expats based on quality of life vs. cost of living. Although housing prices in some urban markets can be staggering, there are many places, especially towards Western Australia, that still offer amazing housing at great deals. Taxes can be quite high, almost on par with those in Germany. Utilities and food can be very affordable, and some states even offer free water to their residents. In recent years, the cost of living in Australia has been steadily rising, but still is not on par with that of the US or Europe. This coupled with the fact that the US dollar is basically equal to the Australian dollar (currently at 1 to 1.078), makes it a cheaper option overall than Europe.
Score: Germany 0, Australia 2
Health Care
Germany has some of the finest medical care in the world. There health care is on par and many times above par compared to the United States. There are plenty of modern hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, pharmacies and dentists throughout Germany. Even in the outlying region, you will never be too far from medical care. Germany is ranked 8th in the world for number of practicing physicians per person.
Germany does offer universal healthcare for its citizens, and many expats that work for German companies are able to get health insurance through the company that they work for. Legal expats can apply for health care, and for those that are considered tourists, they can easily purchase international travelers insurance to protect from unexpected medical emergencies.
For the most part, Germany’s health care can be expensive if you have to pay for it out of pocket, so many Germans actually leave the country and go to other countries for more affordable care that is cosmetically related. But overall, the care that Germany offers is top notch. Fun fact: Germany has the world’s oldest universal health care system.
Australia boasts excellent medical care and medical facilities which are on par with the United States and Western Europe. For those looking to live or work in Australia, health insurance is usually easy to attain, especially if working for a company. If you are an entrepreneur, you can also easily acquire medical insurance and for the most part the costs are much less than in the United States.
Health Services in Australia are universal. The public health system is called Medicare. It ensures access to hospital treatment and subsidized out-of-hospital medical treatment.
The Federal Government pays a large percentage of the cost of services. Where the Government pays the large subsidy (typically 75% of in-hospital costs, 100% of General Practitioner costs, and 85% of specialist services), the patient pays the remainder out of pocket. Individuals are encouraged to purchase private health services to help cover these costs, and others which are not covered, such as ambulance transport, optometry, and dentistry. This category was a close one, but this referee has to make the call and say that the score is…
Score: Germany 1, Australia 2
Real Estate
Many expats that live in Germany for a long period of time choose to purchase real estate. For the most part, purchasing real estate is simple and straight forward. Laws are clear and the judicial system upholds contracts usually without delay. The only thing that stops many expats from investing in real estate is the high prices. Not only is real estate usually more expensive than many cities in America, the Euro has been very strong the last few years, making prices even more out of reach. Your money will go a lot further in eastern Germany than in other parts.
It is important to note that for many homes and apartments, the size will be smaller than most Americans are used to, but they are more than adequate.
Buying and investing in real estate in Australia is fairly straightforward and low risk. Prices vary just as in the United States and can be low to astronomical depending on location and type of property.
For those looking to purchase a single family home, prices range from about $100K in US dollars and up, however bargains can be found, and condos and apartments can be less. For desirable real estate expect to pay prices that are similar to in Europe and America.
Buying real estate in either Germany or Australia will be fairly similar, and not too much different than if you were buying in the US or UK. There are no huge red flags, no huge points that makes one any better than the other, so no points are awarded.
Score: Germany 1, Australia 2
Climate
Germany has a climate with four distinct seasons, similar to many states and cities in the US. It should be noted that for the most part, the climate in Germany is less extreme (no hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. here). Germany has mild summers that occasionally creep up in the high 80’s; however they mostly hover in the 70’s and maybe the low 80’s during the afternoon.
Because most of the country is far away from the sea and ocean, the winter tends to be colder since it is not warmed by the sea. Snow is extremely common and part of life in many places. In addition, during the fall time, the temperatures can drop abruptly. During the spring, the temperature tends to be mild, but rainy at times. However, for the most part the climate in Germany is very comfortable and accommodating.
The climate in Australia is classified as tropical and temperate. Since this island continent is very close to the equator, the northern part of Australia falls into the tropical zone and the southern end is considered to be temperate.
The tropical states have warm temperatures year round. During the winter time (June to September), the temperatures drop to about 68 degrees, with most temperatures in the 70’s. In the summer time, the northern part of the state can have hot and wet temperatures that can hover in the 90’s or higher.
The winter time in the southern states is cooler than the north, with temperatures as cold as the upper 50’s, but temperatures are still warm and can get as high as the middle 70’s even during the dead of winter. During the summer time in the southern states, temperatures are very warm, but the climate is relatively dry. Snow can occur in the southern states and there are even ski fields present, however snow only falls about once every ten years or so and mostly in the Great Dividing Range.
The water surrounding Australia is consistently warm and perfect for surfing. For those that love marine life, Australia is of course home to the Great Barrier Reef, ideal for getting outside and enjoying the amazing climate here.
Score: Germany 1, Australia 3
Job Opportunities
For many foreigners, Germany has fabulous working conditions. German employees receive some of the highest salaries in the world, get offered generous benefits and state-mandated job protection. In some industries, working hours have been reduced to 35 hours per week and vacation days of 30 days per year is not uncommon.
On the downside, Germany suffers high unemployment, around 12%. Today, the country has around 5 million unemployed. High unemployment means that finding a job is difficult, especially for foreigners not speaking absolutely fluent German. A huge range of occupations are regulated in Germany, with many jobs requiring formal qualification. The country has an apprenticeship system that requires most young workers to pass a 2/3 year training program before entering the real labor market, which ensures they have first-hand experience in the job. For expats, this can mean you might be prevented from working in a job in which you have experience at home, for example, electrician, computer technician, etc.
If you do have a formal qualifications, such as for doctors, teachers and nurses, etc., it will need to be certified by a competent German authority (usually a guild, trade or professional association). The work visa issue for expats in any part of Europe can always be tricky, as they tend to hire locals much more than expats, and the process to get a visa can be lengthy and requires much cooperation from your prospective employer.
You may have to take a pay cut to gain valuable experience and contacts in the Australian market. They are fiercely patriotic and employers can reserve the right to deny applications of non-nationals.
Depending on your previous work experience, you may find job prospects better in one part of Australia than elsewhere. If you have a background in manufacturing, you will have more chance of finding a suitable job in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent in Adelaide. If you’ve worked in finance companies, Sydney is the major center of employment, while those with a background in resources should look at Perth. The country may be huge, but job markets are on a much smaller scale.
Australia does offer many different types of work visas, which is interesting. If you are under 30, you can apply for a holiday working visa, meant for gap year students or tourists that want to live or travel in Australia and support themselves by working, mostly agricultural jobs or short term odd jobs. For jobs that may make you more money, you may have to apply for a skilled visa, proving that you have something of worth to offer the job market there. There is also the regional sponsored migration scheme. It is a sponsorship visa solution specifically for people willing to settle in remote areas of Australia. The requirements are nowhere near as difficult to meet as for other sponsorship visas, because the Australian government wants to encourage skilled people to settle outside the major metropolitan areas.
Overall, the job market in Australia has stayed fairly stable during the global financial crisis, and bosses are already budgeting for pay increases of 4% over each of the next two years.
Hmm…Australia may be easier to land a job in, and is more flexible on visas, but you may like the jobs, pay, and benefits that Germany offers. Tie.
Score: Germany 1, Australia 3
So while Australia has the international reputation of being laid-back and easy going, they came to this game pretty fierce, surprisingly. Do you agree with the outcome? Do you think the referee is way off mark? Share your comments and opinions with us!
About the author: Cathy Brown is a mother, writer, artist, teacher, traveller and explorer originally from Michigan. She has a serious case of wanderlust and currently lives in Argentina with her three amazing children, ages nine, seven, and five. She writes for and maintains Expat Daily News – South America and Expat Daily News – Central America
I agree with above comments in regards to Australia. The presented ‘facts’ are completely out of date. It is not possible to find houses for $100k. The average cost of a house in Australia is around $460k, and the median price in Sydney is now $670k. Sydney is now the most expensive city to buy a house in the world (measured based on average income). Transport in Australia is not only bad it is absolutely shocking in comparison to Germany. You would hardly ever find a train on time, and many suburbs around Sydney lack public transport so you are relient on your car, which means it is not uncommon for a journey to work to take 1-2 hours. I have lived in both Germany and Australia and based on your rating criterias I would put Germany on top over Australia. It is true that the climate is better in Australia but most other things would go to Germany.
Australia is still one of the best countries in the world to live. Of course, like any country in the world, there are positive and negative things about life in Australia. But overall it is a beautiful country with a stable and prosperous economy and a high standard of living.
Some of the negative things about Australia:
- It is true that Indigenous Australians continue to be socially disadvantaged, have shorter life spans than Non-Indigenous Australians and are more likely to suffer chronic disease, mental health problems and be incarcerated. Some encouraging steps have been taken towards reconciliation with Indigenous Australians and there are plenty of special health and education initiatives targeting disadvantaged Aboriginal communities, but more needs to be done.
- The cost of buying your own home in a major Australian city has become ridiculous and finding good and affordable rental properties can be a problem.
- Funding for public transport infrastructure in Sydney has been severely lacking over the last 15 years. Also traffic congestion in Sydney, while not the worst in the world, is increasing.
- Violent crime has increased over the last two decades, overall Australian cities are generally safer than many American and European cities; however we do have our alcohol fuelled violence, road rage, gun crime etc.
- Funding for public education and universities has declined, more parents are enrolling their kids in private schools and universities are becoming more profit driven. There is no doubt that the quality of education in Australia has suffered.
The positive things about Australia:
- If you already own your own home (as I do) and you don’t have to pay high rent or mortgage payments than life is great. Although real estate in big cities is expensive it is true that you can still find bargains. Also there are still smaller cities and towns that have affordable housing yet still offer good services and facilities and quality living. At the end of the day even with our rising housing costs, many Australians still successfully invest in real estate and pay off their mortgages giving Australia one of the higher rates of private home ownership in the world.
- In spite of lack of government investment Sydney still has a more extensive and user friendly public transport system than many big American cities. Furthermore other Australian cities have good public transport. Getting around in Australia is relatively easy, affordable and comfortable.
- Australia is still a safe and friendly country. Sure there is road rage, some aggressiveness, materialism and consumerism. But show me any big city in the developed world that does not have those things. There are still plenty of people here who are not obsessed with consumerism, plenty of close-knit neighbourhoods, community gardens and many Australians who volunteer their time to all sorts of charities for the benefit of their communities. Most Australians are polite enough to give directions to tourists and caring enough to help someone who is in distress.
- While it is sad to see the decline in our education system Australia is still ranked in the top 10 in the world for reading and science and in the top 20 in mathematics according to the most recent published OECD PISA assessment. Also thousands of students come to study in Australia from all around the world and the quality of vocational training here tends to be high. The fact is that good quality vocational and higher education is still very accessible to most Australians. In fact I am a good example of someone who came from a somewhat disadvantaged lower income family but has been able to be more upwardly mobile economically and socially due to having the opportunity to go to university. In many other places around the world it can be very difficult to achieve upward mobility like that. I am grateful for the benefits and opportunities I have received as an Australian and I can appreciate why thousands of people fleeing poverty and/or violence apply to migrate here, and even risk their lives to do so.
- I am a health professional and have worked in both private and public healthcare here in Australia. Access to healthcare in Australia is very good in urban areas and not as good, but reasonable, in rural and remote areas. Australia has an extensive and high quality public health system in each state and territory. In the news media there are often stories of long waiting times in emergency departments and bed shortages etc. The system has its issues but it still manages to provide high quality care to the millions of patients who present to hospitals every year. Many Australians, especially talk radio hosts, complain about the state of our healthcare system, but most Australians don’t realise how good they’ve got it. Take the Bali bombing in 2002 for example, injured Australians were airlifted out pretty quickly and repatriated to public hospitals where they received high quality burn/trauma care. Today most of the Australian survivors have pretty much recovered from their physical injuries, some, due to revolutionary skin grafting technologies pioneered here, are even scar free. Now compare those outcomes to the Balinese victims who had the local Indonesian healthcare system to rely on. Sure things could improve but Australia still has one of the best healthcare systems in the world.
- The economy in Australia is stable, jobs are plentiful and the costs of food, transport, clothes and entertainment are reasonable. I disagree with the author of the article that it can be difficult for expats to find jobs because Australians are fiercely patriotic and deny jobs to non-nationals. As long as you have a visa that allows you to work here and you are willing to work then you should not have a problem. Firstly it is illegal here for employers to discriminate against job applicants based on race or nationality. Secondly I love Australia as many Australians do, so sure there is some patriotism, but I would say that most Australians are not nearly as patriotic as Americans. Here we do not have a pledge of allegiance, most schools don’t have flag raising ceremonies and we don’t stand around with our hands over our hearts singing our national anthem, in fact most Aussies cannot even remember the words of their national anthem, we usually just sing the chorus and then inaudibly mumble the rest. Also go into almost any shopping mall, restaurant, large office or hospital and you will see plenty of people from all over the world working there. No matter your nationality, race, religion or creed, if you want work then you will find it here.
- Australia has a good social security system that helps to support disadvantaged people. My oldest sister is blind and has some other disabilities. She receives a disability pension from the government it is a modest amount but sufficient for her to survive comfortably. She also has the opportunity to work in a company that provides work for disabled people, the small income she receives from that supplements her pension, but the work also provides a valuable social outlet for her. The government provides free taxi vouchers to her every month and she uses them to get to and from work in a taxi every day, she can also use them to attend appointments or to go out socially, this increases her mobility and independence. She receives a discount on her home telephone and internet service due to her disability. She also requires oxygen therapy at home, the government provides her oxygen concentrator (worth thousands of dollars) for free, and also the technician who comes to service the machine regularly and provide new oxygen tubing and nasal prongs is free. Her electricity bill is discounted due to use of the oxygen concentrator. She receives free medical and dental care. In spite of her physical disabilities and health problems she is a happy and relatively independent and financial stable person. I wonder what type of life someone like my sister would have in the USA especially if she was one of the 43 million uninsured Americans? What about a Filipina woman in a similar situation to my sister, what type of life would she have? Or perhaps someone in Mexico or even Russia? Countries like Germany, Norway and France also provide excellent support to people who are unemployed, socially and economically disadvantaged or disabled, perhaps even more so than Australia. But still one has to admit that Australia is up there among the best countries in the world in providing equality and quality of life by investing in social services.
- As for lifestyle, well I live in a city that is surrounded by beautiful national parks and bordered on the coast by some spectacular beaches. A few hours drive north and I am in wine growing country where I can visit vineyards that produce some of the world’s best wines. A few hours drive west and I can be hiking and spotting wildlife in the massive Blue Mountains National Park, or exploring ancient limestone caves. I actually do know people who go surfing every day. The fact is that the opportunity is there to enjoy the outdoors, to relax and to see some great places, but it is up to the individual to take advantage of that. There are people who live right across the road from the beach but they never go, then people such as me who live 45 minutes from the nearest beach but go frequently during the summer. I also enjoy kayaking on Sydney harbour during the spring and summer and fishing on the Hawkesbury River. I work a 38 hour week (includes shift work and some weekends) and I receive 6 weeks of paid vacation time per year, so I have plenty of time enjoy life and to travel.
- Food and wine in Australia are excellent, in fact we have some of the best food in the world here, great seafood, lamb, beef and plenty of fresh produce and it is affordable. Unfortunately there is an increasing amount of processed food and fast food, but most Aussies tend to eat less processed food than North Americans. Additionally natural sugars are used more frequently here rather than the High Fructose Corn Syrup that everything in the USA seems to be flavoured with nowadays. There is an enormous choice of restaurants here, almost every type of national/cultural cuisine is available and the quality of restaurant food is generally very good.
- Australia is a peaceful, multicultural, pluralist democracy. In Australia you are free to travel around the country without government permission, we don’t carry national ID cards (at least not yet) and the police don’t have the right here to approach you in the street and ask for your ID, well they can do it but you don’t have to tell them your name. You can criticize the government to your heart’s content. We have not had any major terrorism and we have never had a civil war, nor have we ever had a military government or dictatorship. You are free to go to any church, mosque, synagogue or temple that you please and you can stand in the street and preach your beliefs out loud if you wish. Alternately you are also free not to believe and as there are many Australians who are atheist or agnostic we tend to be a little more secular than the USA. In my street I have neighbours who are Turkish, Lebanese, Chinese, Korean and Maori; they include Muslims, Christians, Buddhists and Atheists. Among my neighbours are families with children, older retired couples, single people with no kids and a gay couple. We all live harmoniously side by side, we greet each other every time we see each other and we look out for one another. Are there racists, bigots and homophobes in Australia? You bet there are. But these days they are an insignificant minority in what is a very diverse, functional and friendly society.
Germany is a beautiful country with some very liveable cities, good government, friendly people and good food, beer and wine. It is a very advanced society that provides excellent education and healthcare and it is definitely one of the great countries of the world. There is no doubt much that Australia can learn from German society. There are however good reasons why Australia is ranked as having the second highest quality of life in the world on both the UN Human Development Index and the International Living Quality of Life Index, and those reasons are more than just the climate. Is Australia the best country in the world? Well I don’t think there is such a thing as the “best country” in the world. It is very subjective and usually I find that people who claim their country to be the best in the world have never travelled outside their own country and also their statement is usually informed by blind patriotism rather than any meaningful consideration of the quality of their country against world standards. Therefore I tend to cringe when I hear Australians, Americans, Argentineans or anyone claim that their country is the “best in the world”. There is no such as the best country in the world, but there most definitely are countries that offer greater freedom, opportunity and quality living than others and both Germany and Australia are definitely among those countries.
One final thing, the author of the article mentioned that snow only falls in Australia once every ten years or so; that is total nonsense! Australia receives annual snowfall in parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. The quality of the snowfall can vary some years, but recent years have seen good quality snow at popular ski resorts such as Thredbo and Mount Hotham. Of course we have nothing like Aspen, Mont Blonc or Whistler but there is a seasonal ski tourism industry here.
As a German with opportunity to study in Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Switzerland and recently working as Vocational Trainer in Australia I have to say that the best vocational training what you can get is in Europe, mostly in German speaking countries, Czech republic is also pretty good, with long tradition in trades, both dual systems of education in Western and Eastern Europe have a very high standard, you have to study 4 years long to get certificate in trade and study from Monday to Friday, approx. 35 hours/week. The worst quality of vocational education is in USA, UK and Australia, so in Australia you can get certificate in 10 months to be a Chef or Cook, the knowledge is very poor and quality of products done by these people is a same. Australia is good country for someone, who acquired the skills in Europe and immigrated to Australia and established own business, do not waste your money and time to study here, these countries just sell certificates, rather than teach skills. I would never let my children study a trade in Australia or in USA. So if you want the best for your bucks, go to Europe!!!
This writer has absolutely no idea what she is talking about. This article is completely false and was a complete and utter waste of time reading. For instance the entire country of Germany’s cost of living is a fraction of what it is in Australia. I am an Australian now living in Germany and could not help but laugh at the comments she made about the cost of housing and food in Germany being comparable to Australia. The cost of an average weekly shopping bill in Germany is a third of what you would pay in Australia. The cost of housing on average would be half that of Australia.
Germany’s unemployment stands at 6.5% so I dont know where she got her 12.5% figure. Schooling is definitely better in Germany and lets not forget the government funds schooling as does the Australian government, only the German’s have an incentive program whereby the higher your grades the less you pay back. That scoring system she puts in place would (by someone who actually knows about Germany) look more like this Germany 4 Australia 1….with Australia scoring a point for climate but then as far as I am concerned Germany would win that too as they have definite seasons of the year unlike Australia who has just Summer and wet summer. Cathy Brown I suggest you do more research before writing a piece of drivel such as the above.