Why Australia sucks: Expat reveals everything they HATE about living Down Under

A longtime expat has sparked debate by sharing a long list of reasons why they don’t like living in Australia.

The expat said they had lived in multiple countries for years but “always struggled to enjoy life in Australia”.

In a Reddit post, they said it was difficult to meet friends and also criticized housing prices, as well as the cost of eating out or getting a drink.

In comparison, they praised Asia and said it was affordable, while dining out was both high quality and cheap.

They said it was difficult to meet friends and also criticized housing prices as well as the cost of eating out or having a drink

The comments sparked an avalanche of backlash with many agreeing that Australia isn’t all it is.

Others, however, were more supportive of the country.

The user wrote in their post: ‘I have lived in multiple other countries over the years (mainly Asia) and have always struggled to enjoy life in Australia. I am curious about the experiences of others and whether or not you have lived abroad.

‘Living in Asia, eating out is common, affordable and high quality, getting drinks at a local bar is easy, you can walk to where you want to go, quality apartments, access to events and maintained parks, friends close by and always felt safe.

They said eating out in Asia is common, affordable and high quality. Pictured is a woman in a cafe

‘Compared to Australia, we either live in the suburbs of next to nothing, where doing a simple activity becomes a planned event of several hours OR in a poorly designed and built apartment that costs almost as much as a three-bedroom house.

“Basic activities, such as going out to dinner or having a drink with a friend, are luxuries that we can happily do once a week or a few times a month, rather than being a regular occurrence, and are a logistical nightmare. And the quality rarely matches the price.

“In Australia we have access to good jobs and high incomes, but it feels like we’ve traded in everything else that makes life fun.

“We live in golden handcuffs in the suburbs and spend most of our time in our homes and look forward to the next time we can afford to do something outside.”

One person agreed with the post, saying: ‘The biggest downside to urban life in Australia is the lack of nightlife. In Australia everything closes early and even on Sunday afternoon the shopping centers are deserted.’

The user added: ‘Basic activities like eating out or having a drink with a friend rather than a regular event are luxuries that we can happily do once a week or a few times a month and are a logistical nightmare’

Another said: ‘Things I hate about life in Australia: lack of urban/metro areas. Sometimes I have dreams of packing up and starting a new life in another corner of the country, but you really only have 4 places to do that in Australia.

“It feels isolated and lonely. With all the major capitals ~1000km apart (it takes a whole day to get there by car), but we’re just not close to any country either. the most ‘local’ foreign areas where Aussies can travel affordably are New Zealand, Bali and Melanesia.

‘I’m jealous that in Europe you can only drive for 2 hours in all directions and you are in a completely different country where they speak a different language. I’d like to see Europe/USA someday, but they’re on the other side of the planet.’

A third added: ‘I live in a high quality apartment surrounded by food and beverage outlets and beautiful parks. But I agree that most of Australia isn’t like that, I can’t stand the sprawl in the suburbs.

“I only use my car a few times a week and I could probably stop if I wanted to. Burbs? I can’t do anything without a car. Work? Car. Groceries? Car. Coffee? Car. To take off? Car. Suburban life in Australia is spread out in an Americanized suburban life of cars.’

While another person said: ‘I am from Europe and have also noticed that my Australian friendships are lacking. I just don’t seem to be able to make that deeper connection like I could with my fellow Europeans.’

Others, however, were quick to defend Australia.

One said, ‘I’m from India. I live on the Gold Coast and have lived in Melbourne. There are things I miss about India, but it’s mostly specific people and specific places.

‘The quality of life is orders of magnitude better here. Everywhere is so clean. Our taxes actually result in good roads, pristine waters and forests, and health care for all.

“From where I am, it’s 5 minutes to the water, 20 minutes to the mountains, and across the street to a protected forest. I constantly see special animals, literally in my backyard.’

Another said: ‘I’ve only been living in AUS for 7 months now, but I think you’re simplifying a lot. There are like many other places to live except the sprawling suburbs and apartment complexes in Sydney or Melbourne.

‘Eating out and the like is expensive, but that’s part of living in a country with decent labor rights, minimum wages and quality standards.’

While a third added: ‘I’ll be at the beach with the dog in 10 minutes and it won’t cost anything. We have free BBQs in parks, trails, surfing, you name it. It’s a great place to do outdoor activities for free.’