Tim, a 31-year-old Sydney-sider, is taking an unusual approach to saving by going on a “financial gap year.” His real goal is to squirrel away $100,000 in the next year. He hopes to one day use that money to buy a small, bio-intensive, hobby farm. This farm would feature goats, ducks, and a vegetable garden, allowing him to embrace a lifestyle more aligned with his values.
Since relocating to—much less expensive—inland Queensland, Tim’s reduced his living costs tremendously. He conservatively estimates that he’s been able to cut them by upwards of 75 percent. In Sydney, he was paying $820 a week in rent, a weighty albatross that ate up the overwhelming majority of Keplin’s budget. Now, after a slight bump to his income and a decrease in costs through eviction, he’s come out the other side with greater financial flexibility.
Tim’s typical workday begins at 5:30 a.m. and extends into the late afternoon, where he spends his time logging pine trees—a skill he developed after moving to Queensland. He reflects on his newfound financial situation, saying, “Now, all the money that’s coming in, I’m like: ‘Oh, this is my money and it’s staying there.’”
The trend of Australians taking financial gap years is starting to pick up steam. Many individuals and families are relocating temporarily to more affordable regions in order to fast-track their long-term financial goals, such as home ownership. Tim’s not alone in this effort! Sarah Brown, 29, and her partner Will Ridley, 30, recently moved from Sydney to Forster, a gorgeous coastal town on New South Wales’ Mid-North Coast.
Sarah and Will originally purchased a place in Forster as an investment property. Yet they quickly realized the economic advantages of being able to live there. Sarah remarked on their improved financial security: “We were paying $820 a week [in rent] in Sydney — all of that has gone into savings.” Their experience is a telling sign of a national trend as more people look for more affordable places to live beyond crowded metropolitan areas.
The Regional Movers Index reported a 10.5 percent increase in migration from capital cities to regional areas during the March quarter of 2025. It’s a change that speaks to an increasing appetite by Australians for more sustainable, affordable modes of living that provide cost of living help.
While Tim’s smoke-free lifestyle change continues, it has not come without sacrifice. He describes his current life as “as small as you could possibly imagine,” yet he feels fulfilled by the progress he is making toward his goals. He acknowledges the challenges of cutting expenses but notes that his frugal lifestyle has become second nature: “I was like, ‘if I cut back anything less, I just don’t know where it would be from. My car is 13 years old. I don’t buy new clothes. I live a very humble existence.’”
Even with this hefty toll, Tim chooses to remain hopeful about the future. He views this period as a form of delayed gratification, stating, “I feel like instead of missing out, I feel like I’m excited to build something for the future.” He admits that this is the first time in years—since before the COVID-19 pandemic—that he feels genuinely excited about what lies ahead.
More Australians than ever are moving from our capital cities to the regions. This increase is straining housing supply and affordability in these new destinations. One housing sector stakeholder made the case that enough people are moving in order to make it work. With that growth comes the big city housing challenges as well. “While they’ve had this big influx of people, they’ve brought the big city housing problems with them,” they stated.
With a growing number of Australians looking for affordable places to live, experts expect further changes in where populations are moving around the country. Terry Rawnsley commented on this trend: “We’ve always had people shifting around the country for short-term contracts… So that’s definitely continuous.” He noted that smaller cities are winning the retention battle better than they used to. If these trends continue, it could herald a major shift in the way Australians value urban versus rural living.
Values, identity, and housing affordability continues to be one of the largest obstacles for those seeking to migrate back to such big cities. “Housing affordability is going to be more of a barrier going back into the big cities,” Rawnsley added.
