We are a nation famous for our love of tea, fish and chips, the Royal Family… and miserable weather.
Now that the sun has gone into hibernation for another nine months, Britons eager to escape the endless rain may be toying with the idea of packing their bags and moving to paradise.
For many, Australia’s beautiful beaches and year-round warmth will be their idea of happiness.
Thousands of people move to Australia every year, boasting better salaries, friendlier people and an incredibly relaxed lifestyle.
However, the truth is not so clear, especially when it comes to the cost of living, as MailOnline can attest.
London and Sydney, Australia’s largest city, are almost tied in terms of cost metrics, according to crowdsourced data compiled by Numbeo.
For example, in London you’ll have to shell out 32.3 percent more for a three-course meal for two: £85 versus £61.39.
However, coffee can be 33.8 per cent more expensive in Australia. A cappuccino in Sydney costs £2.65, compared to £3.74 in London.
However, beer hits Londoners’ pockets harder than Sydney’s – it costs around 90p more per pint.
The biggest discrepancy between the two cities is in utility bills.
Londoners are facing a staggering 49.6 per cent increase in the monthly price of water, gas and electricity. The average bill is £254.74, compared to £153.43 in Sydney.
In London, childcare can be almost £300 more expensive, at £1,809 a month, while gym memberships average about the same, at around £45.
Overall, living in London can be around £500 more expensive per month, according to MailOnline’s realistic spending analysis using data from Numbeo.
But overall, Londoners earn more: they take home £3,573 compared to £3,232.
Although the cost of living is somewhat similar between the two nations, Australians have a higher life expectancy.
The data suggests that men in Australia will live to 81, while women can expect to reach 85. On the other hand, British men are expected to die before they reach 80, while women live to 83, on average.
Surprisingly, London also seems to get more sun than Sydney.
Meteorologists estimate that London has an average of 12 hours, 26 minutes and 26 seconds of sunlight, ten minutes more than Australia. This is 2.5 hours more sunlight per year.
But there is no doubt that Sydney takes the cake in terms of temperature.
According to Google Weather, Sydney’s average temperatures range from 8°C at their winter peak in July to 19°C in January, far exceeding the UK’s corresponding scores of 4°C in January and 15°C in July and August.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show 32,070 Britons moved in the 2022-23 financial year.
This figure is far from that of the period 2006-2012, when the annual numbers of those who made the trip exceeded 50,000 twice (2007-2008 and 2011-2012).
But according to experts, demand is still there and could even be stronger than ever.
Grahame Igglesden, director of visa consultancy service Concept Australia, told MailOnline that the Australian government is taking steps to try to reduce the volume of applications for both temporary and permanent visas.
“The Australian government runs the program for its own benefit and so they make no apologies if some people have not had their visas accepted – they want to select the best and the brightest,” he said.
Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the number of temporary visa applications worldwide increased by 57.8 percent in 2022-23 to more than half a million (553,000).
“It’s much harder to get in these days; in previous years, you had to recognise your skills, calculate your points, submit your application and then rise to the top of the list and get a visa,” Igglesden said.
“But in many cases now, if you apply as a skilled worker, you have to submit an expression of interest and then wait for the government to ask you again.”
Mr Igglesden added that the criteria by which certain professions are favoured also change.
‘In recent years, if you were a nurse, a medical professional or a teacher, you were a priority.
“But in the last round of invitations they changed things up and left nurses and teachers in the background and introduced trade workers such as plumbers and plasterers with a more favourable rating,” he said.
Whatever their reason for moving to Australia, Brits are likely to either fall into the “love it” or “hate it” camp when comparing it to home.
A woman who moved to Sydney from London, known simply as “Blonde” online, revealed that all the changes had been positive – except for a shocking experience with wildlife during a storm.