Sydney for Digital Nomads | Cost of living, Coworking & Where to Stay

[@parttimelarry]

Welcome back! Been watching this channel for the past 2 years and finally leaving for a big trip to Europe next week!

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Gonna be in Europe this year as well. Might see you there!

[@Felixxxxxxxxx]

Great to see that you're back. You were a big inspiration to me. I started my own digital nomad journey in December last year and have currently lived in Playa del carmen and Guanajuato in Mexico. Think it probably will take me a couple of years before I will be able to afford living in Sydney.

[@CameronImpastato]

Welcome back! Even having gone cold you came roaring back hot. Quality's Still There. Major thank you for showing the community survey. That was an insight I won't let go to waste.

[@AccordingtoWarren]

Great to see your content again. I watched your stuff few years ago. Looks like you improved your career and lifestyle quite a bit since then. Great to see the progress!

[@sergiosala]

Guess who's back? Back again. Chris' back, tell a friend! Nice review man. I'll have to visit Australia one day and then we'll do another collab like the old days!

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Until then mate. Let's catch up somewhere in Europe this summer!

[@joaoalbertofn]

I'm happy you're back Chris.

[@colinchan1]

Really useful. Always been curious about the costs/logistics for a longer Sydney stay.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Glad it helped!

[@gonsleiva3595]

I lived in Sydney and it is a great city, but with the rent price tag you would not save a lot of money. Unless you are doing over 15-20k a month as a remote worker, it is not really worth it. There is much better options overseas

[@SpanishWithNate.]

Chris! So glad to see you posting again. I literally just subscribed to your channel yesterday! Your content is beautifully made and so informative. I’ll be starting my digital nomad journey in the next few months here and have gained a lot of insight from your videos. Cheers!

[@researcher7109]

Glad to see you back traveling, and blessing us with Digital Nomad content.

[@ВадимЛипатов-ю4ь]

I so glad to see your videos again Chris, you motivate me to develop, thanks!

[@kellywillis8091]

Good to see you are back Chris.

[@benficaM8888]

can you do one for melbourne? lol i'm based in melbourne, been nomading for a while, but i can barely find any digital nomads here or digital nomad friendly cafes and places here.

[@shuibabdullah4932]

Good to see you back and travelling Chris!

[@tossed_about]

There is no rent without a lease in Sydney. If a rental arrangement like that mentioned here becomes a legal issue, the relevant legislation imposes a standard legal lease on the arrangement.

[@alex-daro]

Really impressive video and glad you’re back :)

[@kimanziconstable]

SUPER glad to see you, and this great content back! We went full-nomad, in part from inspiration we get watching your channel! We sold everything last year, and have been traveling Europe. We’re making a living freelance writing for large publications.

[@surenot1]

Soooo clever 😆

[@NomadicJulien]

Thanks for the insight! I'm surprised that there's not more coffee shop knowing Melbourne not far is well known for that

[@ChristheFreelancer]

We have lots of coffee shops in Australia but the scene is more fast-paced. Most people get their coffee takeaway and go back to their 'real jobs' haha

[@driftingintoretirement]

Great to see you back Chris.

[@othyforyou]

Welcome back Chris!

[@LostandLore]

Awesome content on freelancing and nomad life man!

[@davidcarey9135]

I'm a digital nomad originally from Sydney. This video seems fair. Overall it's a nice place with great beaches, although not the best for dating and meeting people. If you're a remote worker, given the crazy cost of living in an Airbnb in Sydney, there are better locations in southeast Asia or Eastern Europe.

[@Sonny0276]

Great Video. Thank you for posting.

[@ugochukwuharbor5519]

Good to see you are back..been longing to be a digital nomad in Australia.

[@rossandrewbaker]

Chris is back! 🥳

[@walesz92]

Good to see you back! The edit of this video is on point 👌🏼 x

[@BeeboiZam]

Welcome back Chris! I saw that you were back in Chiang Mai in your latest Insta stories. Hopefully you can make another video of good ole Chiang Mai after all these years.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Hey. Wasn't planning on it but let me know if there's something in particular you'd like me to cover. The strange thing is that not much has changed at all. I even had lunch today at the same fried chicken food stall that I covered in my 2017 video. It's pretty nuts actually.

[@BeeboiZam]

@@ChristheFreelancer Haha...if things pretty much stayed the same...I guess this means Chiang Mai still reigns supreme for Digital Nomads and especially for aspiring Digital Nomads as well.

[@Felixxxxxxxxx]

@@BeeboiZam That's great news, started my digital nomad journey last year. I wanted to go back to Chiang mai, but was tricky due to the border at the time, but will probably head there in winter!

[@BeeboiZam]

@@Felixxxxxxxxx Hey Felix...yeah Chiang Mai makes a great winter getaway. I'll probably be doing the same. Haha

[@bywave]

Great video! best city, loved to see the ivy as a party option!

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Thanks Josh! It got at least one shot in there! haha

[@Jorcus]

Welcome back Chris ~~

[@AmsNl2BcnEs]

Are you going to Melbourne? Would love to see you do a review of the coworkers spaces and digital nomad analysis there.

[@gordo191]

Sydney is so diverse, great food , great friendly people, great beer , super great beaches , if you cross the bridge and head north it has a different vibe altogether, Sydney is clean its cosmopolitan, why wouldn't you want to come for a visit, you can do things a lot cheaper that depends on what you are looking for , good vid mate ,

[@talon_smith]

How have I just discovered you have such great content

[@mdr7878]

Interesting stuff. You spent pretty close to what I spent on holiday in Sydney staying in mid range hotels, but I didn't do the partying

[@ChristheFreelancer]

hmm interesting. Was your accomodation cost more or less (per day)?

[@mdr7878]

@@ChristheFreelancer I think I paid AUS $140 - $175, staying in The Rocks and Bondi. I don't spend a lot on food and drink if solo travelling

[@michaelparry2262]

Great to see you back blogging again. Cost of living is the big killer for digital nomad in Sydney, Melbourne or most of Australia really. Even at the cheapest you were still 3 times what would be spent in Thailand, Bali, Vietnam. But more importantly, does this mean you’re off again overseas soon?

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Yep. Biggest issue with Australia is poor value-for-money for international travellers. Indeed I am travelling internationally this year. I'm actually writing this comment right now from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

[@clivekingshott4323]

Hey Chris, looking forward to more international videos from !

[@WorldTraveler198]

I think my favorite part about Australia is the totalitarian like regimes it’s like living in Rwanda

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Never lived in Rwanda but I'd suspect there's a big difference between living there compared to Australia.

[@yuliusgi]

finally, new video :D

[@BrendanMetcalfe]

Killing it!

[@sunesnigel]

Thank you for sharing this. Great video as well. Looks like a fun and exciting way of life. Not that it has anything to do with it but I'm curious to know if you're also able to save money?

[@m00resy95]

WoW, its like im really there. In Sydney.

[@maxz.1369]

I think it will be hard for Australia to win back people's trust and good so. The whole world knows Australia as prison island. I would not dare to travel there because the government seems so crazy. Who knows, maybe they will lock down everything within 5 minutes and you won't be able to leave. The government clearly does not care about its people, that was a huge learning. Super sad because Australia is so beautiful.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Although I do agree that some restrictions were too extreme, I think the foreign news outlets painted it a little worse than what it was. One thing that Australia has done really well is follow the plan to reopen slowly so that we stay open. In terms of international borders, we haven't taken any steps back since November 1st 2021. The latest restriction to soon drop is the hotel quarantine requirement for returning unvaccinated Australians. As it stands, if you're vaccinated, you can come to Australia without quarantine and I suspect that quarantine will be dropped altogether sometime this year.

[@maxz.1369]

@@ChristheFreelancer But didn't Australia lock out its own citizens and put everyone in jail who demonstrated or said anything against the government? Also not even Australians could leave their own country without exemption. Someone used China as a blue print how to get rid of human rights.

[@adammcnally1955]

I suppose it depends on your definition of “crazy”. The worst state in Australia has a Covid death rate of 439 per million. Western Australia, only 46 per million. In contrast, the US, 3,100 per million. Economically, the OECD predicts the Australian economy will outstrip almost all advanced economies this year. Yes, there were severe lockdowns, especially in Victoria. There were broad and substantial government hand outs to business and individuals to ensure a rapid recovery. While Australia and the United States may seem very similar on the surface, the societies could not be more different. We understood we must work as a society and complied with government directives, who in turn were being lead by respected health authorities. Sure there were protests. These were by what we call the “1 percenters”. They have the right to protest, but the other 99 percent think they were at best suffering Covid fatigue, like many, or were /are batsh*t crazy, at worst. I take real offence with the comment “The government clearly does not care about its people”. They worked damn hard, from both the left and right of politics, to keep everyone safe. Once vaccination rates were plus 90 percent, the borders gradually opened. I live in Europe. Have not been able to visit family and friends, but at least I know our politicians were doing there best to keep especially the elderly and medically compromised safe. Here in Europe, I saw my neighbour taken away by guys in hazmat suits. Two weeks in an induced coma. He made it. Some parents of friends of mine in Europe, were not so lucky. Yes, Australia is beautiful. If you are judging how Australia managed the pandemic by binge watching KZbin videos from right wing “freedom fighters” and your opinion is set, maybe it’s best you don’t come. The alternative is to come Down Under and actually ask Australians what they think.

[@maxim8118]

Chris what do you think about Starlink. In the future, it will be possible to travel and work without being tied to a place of residence. So that there is always Internet both at sea and on land

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Never heard of it. Is it some kind of satellite internet?

[@maxim8118]

@@ChristheFreelancer Elon mask's Internet

[@ericyuan9718]

Don't think many would want to be a DN in Sydney as you've noted, the cost of living is just too high to justify.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Agreed

[@alicakrer9467]

Hello Chris, Can my girlfriend come to on a tourist visa and work for her home countries company and which visa type did you get it

[@zaptosmedia4707]

Ok this actually got me interested in Sydney!

[@hellsente7826]

F those prices. Needs creative solutions. High volume room sharing (sleep only) with cheap places to work (not even workspaces), or maybe some strictly organized combination of that.

[@elcapitan6126]

looking at the expense numbers I realize I'm living pretty minimalist here in Sydney even though paying rent for a place to myself. Makes me think I could easily afford the overseas nomad lifestyle. The barriers for me are logistics and securing remote work while overseas (applying for standard corporate software dev gigs here might not be successful if doing so as a nomad, which to date is my bread and butter for income). Also the whole residential address (lack thereof) if living overseas. How might you overcome these issues?

[@alexandertraveler510]

If you can’t even get a sde job then forget moving.

[@122223333111]

What is this app you used 11:07?

[@ChristheFreelancer]

It's called Notion - Notion.so

[@nat6106]

I was seriously considering going spend time in the country, and even potentially move there. But after the past 2 years of covid-crazyness in Australia, no way I go there before a long time. Sad

[@ChristheFreelancer]

As long as there's not another 'variant' or new pandemic, you should be fine

[@agentdark64]

Hey Chris, are you going back to thailand now that they lifted alot of the restrictions? I'm going there later this year and from Australia as well.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Yeah man. I'm already in Thailand. Been here almost a month now.

[@agentdark64]

@@ChristheFreelancer Cool, just out of interest, do you use a sole trader or a PTY LTD company. If I go sole trader, most clients won't work with a sole trader and require me to use a PTY LTD company. And if you use a PTY LTD company, they (ASIC for example) require your residential address like everywhere (Business address, workcover, director id) everything needs an Australian address. I was thinking of using a virtual office to get around it.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

@@agentdark64 sole trader at the moment. Could change in future though.

[@agentdark64]

@@ChristheFreelancer Cool, yeah i checked the diff between sole trader and company. sole trader you just need a tfn and name, but with company asic will fine any directors for not updating residential address and the sole director has to be a resident of australia which means if you work remotely overseas, you still have to pay some form of rent back home at the same time, which means running a company, you can only viably go on and off remotely overseas for a few months on and off.

[@agentdark64]

@@ChristheFreelancer Are you able to get out of renting back in Australia? I'm looking to do it soon too. Just trying to figure out the best setup. Because it will be costly if you have to maintain rent back in Australia but also pay for an Airbnb in Thailand same time and then of course if you rent back home at same time, you have to come home and maintain the property every few months.

[@nuucha]

Sydney seems exorbiantly expensive for a digital nomad lifestyle. Very good insight though.

[@GK-wx6xo]

Compare Sydney to Chiang Mai lol....wouldn't live in Sydney (again) for quids

[@Baqsam]

Actually thought of you yesterday when discovering Viva la Dirt League!

[@ChristheFreelancer]

haha ok 🤷‍♂️

[@Baqsam]

What's your favorite episode by them?

[@ChristheFreelancer]

@@Baqsam never heard of them tbh

[@Baqsam]

Well, binge watch they videos when you isn't so busy making money and gains and let a nigga know!

[@samueldemeyer8521]

Sydney or Gold Coast vibe? 🙌

[@Auf_dem_Sonnendeck]

Very interesting, Chris. Now I know that Sydney is too expensiv for me…

[@oscartbag]

I come across your content and I love it. But it seems the idea of going to Australia and starting a digital nomad life is strange to me. 90% of digital nomad or remoter workers do not wanna come to Australia. I used to live in Sydney and now am in Melbourne. Reason 1: Sydney and Melbourne are so expensive compared with southeast countries like Thailand or Indonesia. The cost of living is just too high. Reason 2: People who come to Australia mainly wanna have a working visa and work here because the pay is good. Reason 3: The most important reason is, Dating marketing is very tough compared to Southeast Asia. You will be fine Chris, but not anyone is as sexy as you are.

[@elcapitan6126]

The dating market is bad even for "chads" here, relative to elsewhere in the world yes. but Sydney does have a lot of expats from Europe, South America, Russia, etc which are generally better looking and more feminine compared to their aussie and english counterparts. It is an expensive city for what you get but where else in the world do you get beaches with a half decent healthcare system and half decent pay?

[@oscartbag]

@@elcapitan6126 most nomads are still young, so they can go anywhere, good beaches are all over south Asia or south America. And as a digital nomad, you getting paid by your company. If you are getting a decent job in Australia. Then you are not digital nomad. You are on your working visa, you can go anywhere unless you change your job.

[@alexandertraveler510]

Sydney is not fo dns

[@oscartbag]

@@alexandertraveler510 dns as?

[@elcapitan6126]

the rents in sydney have gotten ridiculous since the time this video was made. there's no way a room or studio like that would be available for anything less than $800p/w with 100s of applicants. it's getting tough even for decent paid professionals

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Sadly, I'm not surprised. I think since the pandemic the demand has gone sky high. The value for money has definitely dried up a lot.

[@liaquatjam5922]

great i m biggest fan of you

[@Gamabunta24345]

Dude works as a digital nomad to pay to go into an office. I'd just work from home.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

lol I get this reaction a lot. Have you tried working from home for long periods though?

[@surenot1]

Why can't I skip this ad?!

[@harry486]

Manly worth a mention too

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Was gonna put it in the video but then realised I have nothing really to say on it! haha

[@calvindanielski4369]

🙃 p͎r͎o͎m͎o͎s͎m͎

[@abhinavrana1990]

Man Sydney’s cost of living is more than my in hand salary in Brisbane after taxes.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

I must admit. I didn't save much living in Sydney haha

[@abhinavrana1990]

@@ChristheFreelancer 😂 Goldcoast and Brisbane are awesome for digital nomads.

[@anthony3295]

Why would you be a digital nomad in Australia unless you were a high flying top 1% exec from Switzerland or something?! Australia is expensive!

[@KENTOSI]

The way you're mispronouncing Coogee cracks me up lol.

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Would you prefer me to draw out the 'coo' sound?

[@KENTOSI]

@@ChristheFreelancer It's not your fault it's the way it's spelt. The "Coo" is a short sound.

[@CadStr]

Sydney it's not a digital nomad city.. I'm sorry

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Agreed

[@CadStr]

@@ChristheFreelancer How did you see the Asian countrys like Thailand Malasya Philippines about nomads in this moment? Better than 1 year ago?? Still high restrictions?

[@ChristheFreelancer]

@@CadStr I’m in Thailand at the moment and it’s just like before - except with less people and you have to wear a mask inside of malls.

[@CadStr]

@@ChristheFreelancer thanks for the info.. I dont know what to do if go or not... And idk if have less nomad people is better or not haha

[@ericyuan9718]

Back from the dead?

[@ChristheFreelancer]

Been alive the whole time man ;)

[@aguafria9565]

High tax, high rent, feminist women, and micromanaging bosses. Nah... I'll stick with Poland

[@ChristheFreelancer]

I must admit, since leaving Sydney, the temptation to go back is quite low.

[@alexandertraveler510]

Same can be said of london and paris?

[@AnAussieinNorway]

Been living in Sydney for 5 years. I think it’s overpriced and overrated.

[@elcapitan6126]

it's a good homebase especially if you live near decent beaches. but yes it's overpriced.

[@scottybear]

Hell no! that place is China...

[@ChristheFreelancer]

haha how so?

[@muhammadhaji5017]

@@ChristheFreelancer he literally means, China taking control by providing billions of dollars loans but then the country doesn't able to pay back. China overtaking places

[@dbinmoscow1]

Lol

[@bugged1212]

Lol who even goes to Australia!