1. Australia is *far*. Like - really far away from everywhere. In case of a family emergencies it *will* take you 3 days and ~$2000 to get home, and at least $1000 to fly on holiday anywhere except New Zealand. This is actually a lot more isolating than you think, having lived (I assume) in Russia and the US.[ On the plus side, an 8 hour flight will never seem long again.]
There is also much less "culture", much less non-shopping stuff to do. I don't know how important this is for you, but it *is* a veritable backwater, and you may sorely miss the myriad of museums and public libraries with all of their awesome events available in the US (or bigger Russian cities). And - culture is expensive; it is not uncommon to pay over $100 for not the best seats in one of the 2 theatres in the city. [NB To Australians - I love it here, and I know there IS culture - I'm not trying to offend. What I am trying to say is that there is a lot *less* to choose from than in the US or other, more populated areas /and don't get me started on the rather minor representation of all of the (even historic) immigrant communities in the arts here!/]
2. The expat community is a lot smaller here. I don't know what proportion of your friends hail from the former Soviet states, but there will be many, many fewer of them here. So -simply- things like kvas, kefir, grechka, kolbasa, and other random foodstuffs you may want may not be as readily available, and - more complexly - you may find it a lot harder to find Russian-speaking people to fit in with. Also, not really relevant for you yet, but may be in the long term: in the US (in NY and DC, at least) you can send your children to the Embassy school for a "normal" evening externat, meaning they get the standard education in Russian, including the language and good maths (much better than in American school). In Australia, the only thing available is a Sunday school type thing, affiliated with the Orthodox church, with language classes coupled with the whole Horovod-Narodniye tanci-Samovar stuff - not nearly as useful as what is available in the US (and other countries in Europe).
3. Australia is expensive. Much more expensive than the US, even relative to median salaries. It is nearly impossible to find a "decent" 2 bedroom apartment for rent in the bigger cities for less than $1500/month, and houses for rent are not nearly as "nice" (read - solid, well-built, modern and comfortable) as they are in the US. Google "Victorian terrace house" and "Queenslander" to get an idea of what many of the older houses here are like, and hence what people think is comfortable. I used a spreadsheet of >75 places before finding a place that was acceptable in terms of price/quality the last time we moved, and I was just looking for something that wasn't dark, falling apart or drafty (and I live in a place where it is never colder than +8!). Food is also expensive - fish is at least $20/kg, meat - $10-20/kg. Veggies are very fresh and cheap, though, and available (amazingly) year round - I still can't get over how great this is.
And, yes, buying a house you could live in /not in Sydney/ is likely to set you back at least $400k-$750k. Sydney just multiply all of my numbers by 2.
There are also many fewer stores here (clothes, electronics etc), not only than in the US, but even than in modern Russia! H&M opened their first store last year, Ikea has like 6 stores, and many other brands/shops are just not there - meaning that there is very little variety in what you can buy, and it is quite, quite expensive - definitely more so than in the US.
4. Status issues - no one in Russia will question your decision to move to the US - it is, by definition, the "best" place to emigrate to (on par with the UK), as perceived by people "back home". When you say you moved to Australia, people will question your choice a bit more, and sometimes act as if you settled for second best... Depends on how important this is for you.
Having said all of this - I love it here, and I would not live in the US again. The reasons for this are:
1. The people. They are a lot more European than Americans, and a lot more tolerant, open and friendly. They are also a lot more laid back and just have the "no worries" attitude that has really grown on me over the years. And they have an amazing resilience in the face of natural disasters and in general a harsh land that is mostly not friendly to humans. There is a lot of community here - community which is often not as segregated by race or socioeconomic status as it is in the US, or by educational status or profession as it is in Russia.
2. Australia is a modern immigrant country.
The US was an immigrant country in the 19th - 20th-post WWII century. Australia is an immigrant country *now*. There are *so* many people from so many backgrounds living in the major cities here. So while there is much less "culture" in the museum/theatre sense, I get my fix by eating out, going to street fairs and random free cultural festivals, and just talking to people in the community - so many of whom have such amazing stories to tell...
3. The nature. Enough said. Bushwalking, hiking and the most beautiful parks are within a day's drive of even the major cities.
4. Australia is (comparatively) very safe. I have walked (female under 30) in Kings Cross on a Friday night, in the Valley in Brisbane, and on the Gold Coast during schoolies - and while there I have seen some minor kerfuffles, I have never walked into a neighbourhood like you do in the US, where you realise you are in the wrong place, then slowly turn around and just backtrack your steps (I'm thinking of parts of DC and the Bronx here).
5. The potential. Especially in light of (2), you can really feel the potential this country has - it is so young, and it's so great to feel that you as a human being can contribute to the community here and actually make a difference.
6. Income inequality is a lot less here. As is the tendency to show off by having the most in luxury items, fancy clothes, makeup and other blingy objects - so if that's important to your wife, she may be better suited to living in the US, where being interested in these kinds of things may not garner as much incomprehension as it could here.
Other things you might want to consider:
- Getting PR is easy if your job is on the skilled occupation list (google this - for the whole country, and for each of the states - but then you have to live in that state after you've come). Otherwise it is much harder. And irrespective, document processing will still take you forever. The fees to get PR are about $6000, and it takes ~1.5 years (onshore), after living in the country for a number of years. Offshore you could easily spend 1-2 years before you can come here - although your employment in the US would be a big boon to your application, so your processing time might be on the short side.
- Australia has free public health care, and many social benefits and tax concessions. The US does not.
- Any international move will set you back - the question is by how much, and whether the other factors make it worth it in the long run.
So - basically - it's a quality of life choice...
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Note: I am sorry if any of the above offends any Americans or Australians. I am grateful for my time spent in both countries, and love each dearly in their own special ways.
Australia is now home, though, and a home for which I am very grateful and love very much - irrespective of all of the "flaws" I have listed above. For me, just as with a significant other, the flaws are as endearing as the attractions (although I will never be endeared by the whole "double taps" thing!).