Forex Articles

Four of Australia's cities have appeared for four years straight in the Top 10 list of the world's Most Livable Cities compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit, a research arm of the publisher of The Economist.

The four cities share qualities that are appealing to retirees, including an excellent infrastructure, a balmy climate and plenty of cultural attractions and outdoor activities. For Americans, the English language, British cultural heritage and relaxed style are bonuses.

All of these places are beach towns. If you're considering retiring to Australia, visits to all four may be in order. (See also, Plan Your Retirement Abroad.)

Melbourne grew up around a 19th century gold rush, but it continues to prosper as Australia's cultural capital, busiest seaport and financial center. Its spectacular location on Port Phillip, a wide natural bay at the southern tip of the continent, is not the least of the attributes that has won it the number one slot on the World's Most Livable Cities list every year since 2011. The quality of its health care and infrastructure, and a very low murder rate, earned it extra points.

Melbourne's climate is not quite as temperate as elsewhere along Australia's coast. It's famous for changeable temperatures and occasional wicked thunderstorms. Summer days can be very hot, and winter days can be freezing, or near-freezing. (Remember, the seasons are reversed Down Under, so the summer months are December through February.)

The Melbourne metro area encompasses no fewer than 30 smaller towns, with a total population of about 4.4 million. That sprawl covers a wide range of living options, from slick downtown high-rises and Victorian terraces to modest beach houses.

Melbourne remains an expensive city, but its global ranking has dropped to number 33, from number 16, in the most recent cost of living survey. To get a feel for the city, check out BuzzFeed's 53 Reasons Living In Melbourne Ruins You For Life.

On the east coast, Sydney wins bragging rights to at least two iconic sites: the Sydney Opera House, a masterpiece of 20th century architecture, and Bondi Beach, the backdrop for innumerable mid-winter bikini pics.

There's more to Sydney, though. It's Australia's biggest city, and its status as an Asia-Pacific financial hub has attracted a diverse population from around the world, with all the cultural and culinary benefits they brought with them.

As demonstrated in those Bondi Beach bikini shots, Sydney has a subtropical climate, with mild winters and hot summers. Its high quality of living rates it the number 7 slot in the world's Most Livable Cities ranking.

Sydney is an expensive city, but its global ranking dropped to number 26, from number 9, in the most recent cost of living survey. A travel writer for CNN found 50 Reasons Why Sydney Is No. 1.

If you like your beach town to be located within a short drive of wine country, Adelaide in south Australia, could be your choice. The combo didn't cost it any points in rankings of the World's Most Livable Cities list, where it is listed at number 5.

The city of about 1.2 million people is Australia's wine capital, the perfect base for a tour of reds along the Limestone Coast, Rieslings in the Clare Valley or whites in the Adelaide Hills. Adelaide also prides itself on being a party-hearty town, with events culminating in Mad March, when the weather is nearly always perfect.

Australia's own population rated Adelaide as their nation's most livable in surveys taken from 2011 through 2013. It is senior-friendly, too, with more than a quarter of the population aged 55 or over. Adelaide's climate is noted for hot, dry summers and mild winters.

Adelaide is far less expensive than big-city Melbourne and Sydney. It currently ranks 59th in the world, down from 34th, in the global ranking of city costs of living.

Perth, on the Indian Ocean, was established as a colony in the 19th century by the British, who were in a hurry to settle the continent's western side before the French got there. It has since swelled to a population of more than two million, largely on the strength of its role as a way station for Australia's natural res. Its riches include gold, diamonds, coal, oil, nickel and more.

Perth appeared in ninth place in the World's Most Livable Cities list. Located 2,000 miles from anywhere, even Melbourne, Perth's otherworldly vibe is enhanced by the presence of black swans on Swan River, a pink lake, which locals swear is a solid bubble gum pink and the remains of SkyLab, the unmanned U.S. space ship that plummeted to Earth in 1979.

Perth and its surroundings offer a wealth of outdoor activities, including scuba diving and horse riding, walking and cycling, whale watching, lobster fishing and, of course, beach lolling.

Perth is a relatively expensive city, but it dropped to 37th place (from 18th) in the most recent cost of living cities index. LiveTheLifeInPerth is a blog for and by emigrants to Perth.

With their balmy climate, cultural attractions and outdoor activities, these four Australian cities are very livable for retirees. As with any retirement destination abroad, be sure to visit them first, trying to consider what they'd be like as resident, not just a tourist, and thoroughly research the cost of living the life you would want there. (For more, read What Does Retirement Abroad Cost?)