Open a Bank Account

In Australia, most income including salary or wages and government benefits are paid directly into a bank account.

You should open a bank account within six weeks of your arrival, as you usually need only your passport as identification.

After six weeks you will need extra identification to open an account.

Mortgage

For a typical 4-bed house with a backyard and a pool, the mortgage could be AUD400,000 (about the Australian average).

At 7.50% interest on a 25-years repayment basis, repayments would work out to AUD2216 per month, or AUD511 per week.