As a Brit, here’s what the UK needs to learn from Australia about living

Nuria Cremer-Vazquez

July 30, 2026 — 5:00am

The Economist Intelligence Unit this month revealed its annual list of the world’s most “liveable” cities. Copenhagen came top for a second year running, while other perennial favourites Zurich, Osaka and Vancouver also racked up high scores. Most prolific, however, were Australian cities, with three making the top 10.

There are many facets of life in Melbourne (ranked third), Sydney (fourth), and Adelaide (eighth) which the UK could only dream of emulating (hundreds of days of sunshine being one). But with our most liveable city – Manchester, apparently – coming a comparatively pathetic 52nd, what lessons could we learn about better living from Down Under?

Attitude towards public spaces

Britain has no shortage of great parks, nor is it lacking coastal beauty spots. What it does not seem to have are local authorities who are eager for people to use them.

Many of our inner-city parks are gated and locked overnight, while New South Wales’s free-to-use ocean pools contrast starkly with London’s natural water lidos, which can charge up to £10 ($19) per hour.

But perhaps most emblematic of how Aussies treat public spaces is the barbecue. Where we invest in shouty “NO BBQs” signage, our Australian friends are provided with hundreds of free, electric “public barbies” in local parks and on beaches. Picnic tables abound, and day-long communal gatherings feel inevitable.

“Having the facilities to enjoy outdoor spaces with friends for free was a huge factor in enjoying my time in Sydney,” said Conor Jones, a production journalist who spent a year living in Australia. “You can easily go to the beach, swim and spend a couple of hours cooking and eating with friends without having to fork out. People also keep the facilities clean which means they are generally ready to go whenever you decide to use them.”

Clearly, the lesson hidden in Australia’s chief stereotype goes beyond how to grill the perfect beach snack.

Not living for the weekend

Australia is known as the “Land of the Long Weekend” for a reason; most people make constant use of their free time outside work.

Destination expert and Sydney local Ariela Bard said: “The spectacular beauty of the Australian landscape is, for many, not reserved for weekend jaunts, it’s a part of their daily lifestyle. A morning ocean swim, a ferry across the harbour, or a bushwalk is not a family outing saved for the weekend, it’s integral to their physical and mental wellbeing.”

Workplaces facilitate these routines, with employees often encouraged to log off on time to enjoy the rest of their day. “This is a country that values leisure and health above material success,” said travel writer Mark Chipperfield. “Aussies worry about their jobs, mortgages and power bills just like everyone else, but still find time to squeeze in a dip in the sea after work.”

Granted, most Britons might not be able to go surfing on a Tuesday night. But what if weekday evenings consisted of more than a gym session for the sporty, and a night on the sofa for everyone else?

Cafe culture

Vienna, which came in second on the Global Liveability Index, might have something to say about Australian cities being celebrated for their cafe culture. But given that there are far more people across the globe ordering a flat white each morning than an Einspänner, Oz’s contribution deserves a mention.

Its coffee scene took off after post-war Italian and Greek immigrants brought the espresso machine to Melbourne, a city now heaving with independent cafes as integral to locals’ daily social interactions as their counterparts are in Naples.

Third-wave coffee shops have also boomed in Britain (much to the annoyance of those of us now paying close to £5 [$9.50] for a caffeine fix), yet most high streets are still dominated by big chains offering grab-and-go beverages to commuters. Hardly community hubs.

Lower tax

Generally speaking, Australia offers significantly higher salaries than the UK, so it’s no surprise that young Britons are flocking there in droves. In 2024, Australia reached almost 40,000 annual migrant arrivals from the UK. The trade-off is that living costs are often higher, with groceries, electricity bills and consumer goods being more expensive on average.

Tax rates, however, are lower, the impact of which, according to Australian travel writer Steph Marinkovic, is tangible in daily life.

“Eating out is so much more affordable,” she says. “GST, the equivalent of VAT, is just 10 per cent, and I can enjoy Michelin-level fine dining for as little as two-thirds of the price of the UK.

“Rent is also significantly cheaper, and tenants don’t have to pay council tax. When I moved to the UK, my room in a four-bed, shared house in an untrendy part of London’s Zone 2, which I shared with my partner, cost the same as a one-bedroom flat in Sydney’s sought-after inner west.”

Lack of formality

Politeness is a British institution, and an invaluable one at that. Our manners (and respect for fair play and queueing) are famed the world over and should be protected.

That said, the same social mores which are intended to be courteous and flattering can sometimes be interpreted by others as awkward, repressed or even disingenuous. Could embracing Australia’s more relaxed style of interacting be a valuable social tool?

“The national humour – blunt, offensive and highly personal – is designed to deflate egos and prick pomposity,” said Chipperfield. “Few university students would dream of addressing their lecturers as ‘Doctor’ or ‘Professor’. And don’t expect anyone to carry your luggage or call you ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’ – unless you are staying at one of the posher hotels.”

Aussies pride themselves on their supposedly classless, egalitarian society, so considering Britain’s own deep-rooted class divides, perhaps we should view calling everyone “mate” as more of a social leveller than a mark of disrespect. (Except, of course, for His Majesty the King.)

The Telegraph, London