Is Australia better than New Zealand to live in?

Answer 1

Both countries have a tremendous amount to offer, with each offering a high standard of living.

Costs of goods and services in New Zealand are higher than Australia, but the country is not ravaged by drought as Australia is, and perhaps less subject to sudden fluctuations which often result from localised natural disasters.

Housing is still (relatively) affordable in both countries, perhaps more so in Australia, although the current economic climate is affecting that area.

Both countries have a wide variety of scenic attractions, each unique to their own area. Australia capitalises on its wide open spaces of the outback, and its beautiful, balmy beaches up and down the coastline, together with the magnificent Great Barrier Reef. New Zealand offers spectacular snow-capped mountains and rugged mountain adventures, and caters to the serious winter sportsman.

Each country has its own unique wildlife. The birds in New Zealand are unlike those of other countries, while Australia has its unique marsupials and monotremes.

Each country also has its share of natural disasters, but Australia probably has more than New Zealand. Australia suffers from frequent bushfires, floods, cyclones (in the northern regions) and large regions of each state being in drought. New Zealand certainly has its share of flooding and seismic activity, but the disasters do not seem to be on such a large scale as they are in Australia.

Australians will say they have the better country, while New Zealanders will no doubt say the same about their own country. Preference for which is the "better" country is a very subjective topic.