There are many reasons to love both the city as well as life in the country in Australia. In some cases, Australian’s are fortunate enough to be able to experience both.
For us, nothing can beat country living, but we have broken each lifestyle down to reveal to you which is best.
City Life
City life is great! There’s always something to do, everything you could need is usually close by and there’s plenty of variety. The major pros for us to living in the city are;
- Everything is at your fingertips. Food is available on every corner. In the city, there are plenty of shops, bars, entertainment, parks, and sites to see. There’s something to keep everyone entertained.
- More choice. There is loads of choice available and thanks to Australia’s multiculturalism, you can find food from nearly every culture in the world in the city. That includes great specialised grocery stores and markets.
There are also more restaurants, stores, bars, events and entertainment options to choose from, every day of the week!
- Public transport. City slickers have the convenience of inexpensive public transport to get them through the peak hour traffic in the most economical way possible. It is also useful to be able to catch a taxi or Uber easily to get home after one too many.
- More employment and education opportunities. Compared to life in the country, employment opportunities are as varied as a bag of mixed lollies and there’s much more to go around. Living in the city you are presented with many more school and higher education choices close to home.
- Lower living expenses. Things like petrol, groceries, and contractors can be much cheaper in the city. You won’t find yourself getting charged for ‘travel time’ and paying extra for your weekly shop.
The Country
For us, life in the country will always beat city life. Once you get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, things slow down and become more tranquil. We’ve put a list together of the key positives to love country living.
- Wide-open spaces, peace and quiet. You can have all the scenic views and wide-open spaces that you can possibly handle in the country. The most obvious reason to love country living is the peace, the quiet and the fresh air. You can do what you like and make all the noise in the world when you don’t have any close neighbours. Check out our gallery page for a sneak peek into what we get to see every day. https://www.princessroyal.com.au/princess-royal-station-gallery
- Housing affordability. Finding an affordable home for you, your kids and your pets with room to spare is much more realistic in the country. You probably won’t be bending over backwards to pay your rent or mortgage either. We did a quick search and found that for the same amount you could purchase a beautiful, four-bedroom cottage, with a garden in the country or a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment in the city in Australia’s capital!
- A sense of community. Country people enjoy a wonderful sense of community and are usually actively involved in community groups, events and clubs. People are welcoming and are usually willing to lend a helping hand when someone is in need.
- Peak hour traffic? Never heard of it! Your morning commute is much less frustrating without red lights and road work on every second corner in the country. The only peak hour traffic we have here is when there’s livestock sitting comfortably in the middle of the road.
- You can actually get away. Not having any phone reception can be extremely frustrating when you’re trying to make a call or connect to the internet. The country does have the downside of black spots for phone reception, but when you’ve had enough it can be the next best thing to switching off your phone. You will have a viable excuse to not pay any attention to the outside world and focus on enjoying the moment.
- Living in both worlds is possible. You can live in the city while enjoying the country lifestyle thanks to technology. This is a pro for country life that is becoming more viable as technology advances for more and more people. Thanks to ongoing developments in communication technology, what once seemed impossible is now a reality for many who needed to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
So, which lifestyle triumphs? Well, it is hard to say, we will always prefer the country with its beautiful landscapes, people and atmosphere. But it is hard not to love the sights, entertainment and choice that you can find in the city.
Lifestyle choice is up to the individual and their preferences for busy vs. quiet, their occupation and many other factors.
What do you think? Let us know.
