Average house price about 450 thousand us dollars in most cities higher wages but higher cost of living than most countries, income tax rates are pretty high to, but what makes it so expensive is the hidden taxes on just about anything and everything. Lack of work in the big cities at the moment outside the professional sector, high paid mine jobs are around with fly in fly out arrangments, my advice get in and get out before the mining boom is over, then expect property prices to drop 30 to 40% and their currency to follow in a similar amount, same as the us crash in 2008. Their economy is as reliant on coal iron ore exports as the arabs are oil, Still better than most places in the world right now.