Evgenia, a 36-year-old Internet marketer from a Siberian city, moved to Melbourne a year and a half ago. In this interview, she shares her experiences of immigration, pregnancy and childbirth in Australia. Evgenia talks about the process of moving and obtaining a partner visa, living in the suburbs of Melbourne, the peculiarities of Australian medicine and the cost of living in this country.
In Melbourne, 35% of the population are immigrants from all over the world.
Moving to Australia
— My name is Evgenia, I am 36 years old. I am a freelancer, an Internet marketer and I promote Instagram accounts. I mainly write scripts for Stories and Reels.
I was born in Siberia, in the small town of Bratsk. Later she moved to Novosibirsk, and then to Australia.
I have been living in Melbourne, Australia, for a year and a half, since December 2022. Basically, my entire emigration is due to the fact that I married a foreigner with Australian citizenship who already lived here. That’s why I didn’t choose the city.
Melbourne is the southernmost metropolis in the world, and the cold from the Antarctic is very strong here. Plus, the city is also surrounded by mountains. Accordingly, the weather is very changeable: there may be rain and sun on one day. But mostly, of course, it is much colder here than in any northern cities such as Sydney, Brisbane or the Gold Coast. There is also the northernmost city, Darwin, where real heat reigns — these are already the tropics.
We live in the suburbs of Melbourne. There is a CBD (Central Business District) — this is the city center. There are suburbs not far from it, which can also be called central. We live 30 kilometers from the city, or 30 minutes away by car. Village life is more peaceful here, one might say. Everyone lives in their own houses, as, in fact, in almost all suburbs.
— My immigration story, as I have already begun to tell, is related to marriage. This process is not simple, but it is clear enough. Immigration by marriage is welcomed in Australia. The partner’s visa costs 8 thousand Australian dollars, which is approximately equal to 5,300 US dollars. Waiting times are usually long, but we were lucky — my husband filled out the documents very well, and we were given a visa in less than six months. This happens quite rarely.
The main goal of the local immigration policy is professional immigration. The state attracts talents, a workforce with high skills, that is, specialists with professions in demand here. However, I often hear that it has become more difficult to move now, including for students and IT specialists, since the incoming immigrants have caused the current housing crisis in the country.
Adaptation in the country
— Adaptation is very difficult for me. I did not expect this, because I had the impression (I think, not only me) that everything in developed countries is very cool and advanced. But here my expectations collided with reality, and it turned out that Russia is ahead in many issues. This applies, among other things, to banking applications, service and maintenance in a variety of fields.
Plus, the lifestyle in the suburbs is unusual for me. I’ve always lived in the city. I also live in Melbourne here, but it’s far enough from the center — I’ve been there only 5 times in a year and a half. But this is due to the fact that I became pregnant almost immediately after my arrival (a month later), and now I spend time with the child.
Of course, if you live a normal life, you can go to the center more often, because there is a subway here. But public transport, especially buses, runs very rarely. If you are late, you will have to wait 30-40 minutes, or go to another stop, where you may also have to wait. Therefore, you need your own car here.
It was also difficult for me to get used to the monotony of the suburbs. Single-storey buildings prevail here, and the houses in all areas look very similar.
— As for our region, it is, of course, good for foreigners. In Melbourne, 35 percent of the population are immigrants from all over the world. There are a variety of cuisines to choose from, all kinds of shops where you can find any products, including cottage cheese. Of course, you need to know where to look, but everything is real.
Due to the fact that there are many immigrants here, the attitude of local people towards them is very loyal. It’s easy to adapt because you don’t feel lonely. It may be different in other cities, but Melbourne is a truly multinational city.
In terms of culture and activities, Melbourne is more interesting than other cities. There is an active theatrical life, there are museums, world-class sporting events such as the Australian Open tennis tournament, horse racing at the racetrack. We can say that this is the cultural center of Australia.
Real estate and rentals
— As for housing, I immediately moved to my husband’s house, which he bought with a mortgage.
Due to the current crisis in the market, real estate prices have increased significantly, and the mortgage interest rate has increased approximately fourfold: if earlier it was about 2%, now it is 8% and higher. Gas and electricity prices have also jumped.
By the way, in Australia there is no fixed mortgage interest for the entire term of the loan. You can fix the rate for several years when the situation is stable, but if you take out a mortgage for 30 years, the interest will constantly change in accordance with the refinancing rate.
The process of buying real estate here is quite complicated. When a house is put up for sale, a banner with photos of the house, the agent’s name and phone number is hung next to it. Signs with information about the display of the house are placed around the area. They also advertise on the site. And sometimes they even personally go to the neighbors, invite them to viewings.
Auctions are also often held where you make an offer in real time. If you have made an offer, you cannot just change your mind — in this case you will have to pay a fine. This process is taken very seriously here, as sellers refuse other buyers because of your offer.
Also, when buying an apartment or house in Australia, you need to pay large amounts for the transaction. For example, my husband paid about 12 thousand dollars (7950 USD) for checking its legality and other procedures.
As for the rental market, contracts are usually concluded for a year, and fees are charged on a weekly basis. Prices, of course, vary depending on the area. Renting a two-bedroom house in our area (here real estate is counted by the number of bedrooms), based on current ads, costs about 400 Australian dollars per week (265 USD).
And one more important point: the purchase and rental of real estate here takes place only through an agent.
There is a more relaxed approach in medicine here.
Pregnancy in Australia
— To begin with, the medical system in Australia is completely different from the one we are used to. In the former CIS countries, pregnant women are fully examined, registered, prescribed tests, and everything is rechecked. I’m a bit of an anxious person, and I was uncomfortable with the fact that everything is different here.
Another difference is that here the gynecologist and the obstetrician are different specialists. In Russia, this is usually one specialist — an obstetrician-gynecologist. Here, a gynecologist deals with diseases and examinations of the female genital organs, and an obstetrician deals with childbirth. There are also midwives (midwife) — this is an average medical staff who helps with childbirth. The doctor is not present at the birth in principle (only in case of complications).
In general, there is a more relaxed approach in medicine. For example: during my entire pregnancy, I have never been examined in a gynecological chair, and after childbirth, too. I met with a doctor once online and twice offline already at the end of pregnancy, and then according to indications. If everything is fine with you, you will see an obstetrician only once, and only midwives will be at the birth. The rest of the time you meet with a GP (GP — general practitioner). You cannot take tests without his appointment.
The cost of childbirth in Australia
— Since I have a partner visa, state insurance is available to me. I also have a private one, but it does not cover childbirth (these are much more expensive).
If you want to give birth on private insurance that covers childbirth, you need to plan your pregnancy accordingly. The fact is that such insurance is paid monthly, but it has a waiting period. For example, for pregnancy, it is a year. That is, you pay for insurance for a year, and then it will be able to cover pregnancy.
For comparison, my husband and I pay about 300-350 local dollars per month for private insurance without pregnancy coverage. And with coverage, it would cost 10,000 AUD (6720 USD) per year for two or 833 AUD per month.
According to state insurance, medicine is mostly free, but due to inflation, the situation has worsened slightly. Now there is a “gap fee” — this is the difference between the cost of the service and what the state pays. This is due to the fact that due to inflation, medical institutions increase the cost of services, and the state covers a smaller part. But you can find therapists who work entirely on state insurance.
Ultrasound examinations for pregnancy are only partially covered by state insurance. They cost about 200 local dollars, and a maximum of 60 of them are covered. This is probably the most significant expense in pregnancy management. For all the deliveries, I spent $1,500 (about $ 995) on tests that were not covered, on ultrasound and, it seems, on vitamins.
After the first ultrasound, after about 12 weeks, you are referred to a public hospital. You can choose it based on your place of residence.
When you give birth for free, you are not assigned a specific doctor and you do not know who will deliver the baby. It didn’t bother me, but if it’s important to someone, then you need to consider the option of giving birth with private insurance.
Childbirth in Australia
— I gave birth by Caesarean section. It is curious that during a cesarean section, one support person is allowed to be present here. During a normal birth, you can have two attendants, and only one during a cesarean delivery. I had my husband with me, who was there all the time, even when I was injected. He held my hand, distracted me with conversations. It was a very good experience.
Another difference is that they try to bring the cesarean process as close as possible to natural childbirth. Immediately after birth, the child is wiped, checked and placed on the mother’s chest. You are not parting with the child. If it’s hard for you, he can be taken to a special box, but only if you can’t take care of him.
The birth went well. I was nervous because the milk didn’t come right after that. I had a reaction to the painkillers, I was itching all over and I was on edge. It was hard for me to be nice and smile, but no one here will be rude to you, say anything bad. Everyone is very understanding, supportive and patient. Therefore, after giving birth, I had a greater acceptance of this country.
— In Australia, they ask how you will feed the baby. If you don’t want him to be fed a mixture, then that’s how it will be. They will help you organize breastfeeding — there are lactation consultants in hospitals.
There were two people in my room. The ward is not very large, but there are curtains that can be completely fenced off, creating a personal space. There is also a sink, toilet and shower. The bed is controlled from a remote control, there is a button to call a nurse for any question.
Nurses can help change diapers, take full care of the baby if you ask. The food in the hospital is delicious — three times a day.
After a natural birth, they stay in the hospital for one night, after a cesarean section — two.
After discharge, nurses come to your home twice, and then they schedule personal visits according to a certain schedule until the child is three and a half years old. In 9 months, we saw a doctor only once — at 6 weeks we had an appointment with a therapist. We have never seen a pediatrician. We visit the nurse all the time. There is a hotline of nurses who are aware of the children and know what to do. If the situation is serious, they refer you either to the emergency room or to a therapist.
— The system of work of therapists is set up in a completely different way. They don’t heal here. Got a cold? Get more rest and take paracetamol. Does something hurt? Rest and take paracetamol. Here you need to look for a good therapist who will be interested in prescribing tests if they are really needed. Fortunately, we have found one now.
In emergency departments, the situation is like this: you do not enter in the order of the queue, but in the order of complexity of the case. That is, if more important, priority patients arrive while you are sitting, then you will constantly move back in line. For example, we waited with an infant for 3 hours.
Then I found out that there is a “primary care” system for families and children so that they do not wait in line at the emergency room. We were accepted there in half an hour.
Vaccinations here are all free on schedule. I do not know if it is possible to abandon them, but everyone here is very responsible about this issue.
They also pay great attention to the mental health of mothers who have just given birth especially because of postpartum depression. They also constantly ask at the reception about abusive relationships with the family. This applies not only to physical violence, but also to financial control, for example. They tell you where to go and what to do in such cases.
As far as I understand, maternity leave here lasts six months (if the company is ready to wait for you, then maybe more). If you have worked, payments are provided, which depend on the company. But since I was not working, we tried to apply for payments from the state. But it turned out that the state pays something only if the total family income is less than 75,000 AUD per year (about 50,000 USD).
Obtaining citizenship
— In Australia, there is no law on obtaining citizenship for a child by right of land, as in Russia, the USA or Argentina, for example. Here you can get citizenship only by right of blood. That is, one of your parents must be a citizen.
If one of the parents has Australian citizenship, then you just need to fill out the form, send it by mail, and the passport for the child will come back in the same way. The fee for its registration costs about 200-250 dollars.
To get a residence permit in Australia, I had to live here for two years from the moment I applied for a partner visa. After two more years, it will be possible to apply for citizenship.
What gives citizenship? Basically, if you have a PR (permanent residence permit), then you have all the same rights as a citizen, but you don’t have the opportunity to vote. The advantage of an Australian passport, of course, is the ability to travel freely — there is a visa-free travel to 191 countries around the world (Russia is not included in this list).
In terms of living with a child, Australia is a very comfortable country.
The pros and cons of living in Australia
The main thing that I like here is nature and tranquility. There is a generally healthier rhythm of life here: you wake up early in the morning, go to bed early, there are no bright signs and noisy nightlife. I noticed that I became less anxious myself. Previously, I always expected some kind of negativity from others, but here people mostly radiate positivity.
Of course, this does not mean that Australia is a country of unicorns. Here, as everywhere, there are different people, especially considering the large number of immigrants from all over the world. There are also dangerous elements of society, such as the homeless, drug addicts and alcoholics, but their number depends on the specific area and time of day.
Other advantages include climate, ocean, good roads, clean streets, availability of fresh vegetables and fruits all year round. There are strict quality standards not only for food, but also for children’s products, which ensures their safety. However, this also leads to a limited variety of products.
In terms of living with a child, Australia is a very comfortable country. Firstly, because everyone here loves children. Special seats are provided for them in public transport, and passengers are obliged to give them up, otherwise they will face a fine.
In Australia, motherhood and parenthood are actively supported. Parent groups are organized here by district for families with children of the same age. There are free government programs to solve sleep problems in children, including the possibility of living with a child in special centers to teach the correct regime. There are free lectures on first aid for infants and playgroups for parents with children.
Free kindergartens have been available since the age of three, and the state provides partial compensation for the payment of private kindergartens. Education in public schools is free from the age of five, although there are private ones. They say that children here go to school with pleasure. There is no negativity and bullying on the part of teachers, and this is also suppressed among teenagers.
The availability of free medicine is also a significant advantage, especially compared to countries where there is no such system (such as the United States, for example).
— However, life in Australia has its disadvantages. I have a feeling of discomfort and fear on the streets, as they are quite deserted. This is especially true in the suburbs, where there is often not a soul around. It seems that you might be kidnapped and no one will even be around.
Another disadvantage is that everything closes early in the evening. For example, shopping malls are only open until 5 p.m. on weekends. On the other hand, it provides equal opportunities for recreation for all employees.
The downside is that medical care is very slow here. Everything needs to be done through a therapist, you can not quickly go and take tests so that you can receive the results by mail in the evening. You have to wait for everything.
The same goes for making an appointment with a doctor. For example, I was given a referral to a gynecologist, to whom I was able to make an appointment only on August 2 (by calling on June 15). Of course, you can find another gynecologist, but the bottom line is that the therapist gave a referral to a specific specialist. That is, in order to make an appointment with another gynecologist, I need to go to the therapist again and get a new referral. It’s not very convenient.
Another disadvantage is the difficulty in finding your first job. Without Australian experience, they don’t want to find a job here, no matter who you were before in any other country. For example, when my husband arrived, he was looking for a job in his specialty for 8 months, despite the fact that he is a professional immigrant, that is, he moved on a work visa with a profession in demand in Australia.
— As for the temperament and mentality of Australians, it is worth noting that their smiling does not always mean something, but rather is part of the culture of communication.
In conflict situations, Australians prefer to avoid direct confrontation which can be perceived as ignoring the problem. That is, you can’t fight with anyone, even if you don’t like something. You should just accept the situation and leave in silence. Because if you start insisting or pushing in any way, they will just go on the defensive and won’t help you.
It is also said that Australians are mainly interested only in what is happening inside their country — their curiosity usually does not extend beyond these borders.
The cost of living in Australia
— Now I’ll tell you about the cost of living in Australia. Public transport costs differently here, because each state is a separate territory with its own government and laws. Melbourne and Sydney are similar, but there may be significant differences in the rest of the states. To the point that when moving to another state, you need to get a new driver’s license and change the license plates on the car.
In Sydney, transport works like this: you can pay for a ticket with a bank card, but you can’t, for example, for yourself and for your husband with the same card. Everyone has to pay with their own. One trip around the city costs 1.75 Australian dollars, to the airport — 20 dollars (13 USD).
There is an interesting feature in Melbourne: if you take the bus for two hours, then take the subway, then take the bus again — all this counts as one trip, and the fee for everything is deducted only once. The prices are similar to Sydney.
Gasoline costs around $2 per liter. Plus, toll roads need to be laid for transportation costs. This is very important if you are driving from the suburbs to the city center. We have two freeways here: one is 69 km — fully paid, the second is 229 km, with paid sections. It runs through the whole city.
That is, depending on how long you drive along it, the fee will be deducted. If you go, say, from us to the airport via a toll road, you will need to pay about 8-9 Australian dollars (one way).
If you are driving to the city center, you also need to take into account parking. Parking costs about $20 ($13) per day if it’s a day off and you’re driving all day. There may be different rates on weekdays. There are even monthly rates.
Local flights from Melbourne to Sydney for two adults cost about $500 (333 USD). They don’t take trains here. However, there is a train on which you can travel across the country — such a tour for 5-6 days costs 3-4 thousand local dollars. The power is on.
— Food is relatively expensive in Australia. Basic vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and beets cost about $4 per kilogram. Bread can cost from $2 to $7 depending on the quality. At the same time, flour costs about $ 2 per kilogram. However, dairy products are relatively inexpensive, for example, a liter of milk costs about $ 1.60. All the “milk” is very tasty, because farming is developed here.
Meat and fish are of good quality, but their prices can be high. A kilogram of chicken fillet costs about $ 10-11, and salmon fillets on the market can cost up to $ 36 per kilogram.
However, it is worth noting that the products here are still inexpensive, if you compare their prices with the level of local salaries.
Gasoline costs about 2 Australian dollars per liter, that is, about 1.3 US dollars.
Home Internet costs from $ 50 per month, mobile communication is also within these figures.
A manicure with a gel polish coating costs $ 100 (66 USD) for Russian—speaking masters, while for others it is twice as cheap.
Clothing can be both affordable (in stores like H&M and Zara) and expensive in local branded stores. Prices for dresses of local brands start from 200-300 dollars.
Everything related to recreation and tourism is expensive here. The minimum price for a hotel is 200 AUD per day (133 USD). There are, of course, cheaper ones, but these will be motels. Anything more decent will cost 300-400 AUD. It all depends, of course, on the location. Plus, there are a lot of old hotels without renovation.
One ticket to an amusement park or zoo costs around 30-40 AUD (20-26). A ticket to a regular cinema will cost 13 local dollars (8.6 USD), and to a cinema with IMAX — about 90 local dollars for two.
How much money does it take to live in Australia? The more the better, but for a comfortable life you need two adults to work. For a comfortable life, taking into account the mortgage and the child, about 15 thousand AUD per month (10,000 USD) is enough. But, of course, you can live on a budget — 7-8 thousand AUD (4667-5335 USD) will be enough for a lifestyle without luxuries.
Author
Yulia Yanukovych Editor-in-Chief
I am responsible for the work of the editorial office. I write expert interviews and guides.
English 
Russian 
German 
Polish