Three worked monthly budgets
Each line below is either a figure from the dataset or a fixed US reference amount scaled by this country's index for that category. The reference column stays on screen so you can see exactly what was multiplied by what, and swap in your own number where your life differs.
One person, outside the city centre
A single adult renting a one-bedroom away from the centre, cooking most nights, using public transport rather than running a car.
| Line item | How it was derived | In Australia | Same line, US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, one-bed outside the centre | Market average for a one-bedroom, taken straight from the data | $1,501 | $1,350 |
| Groceries and household | $400 US reference × groceries index 109 | $436 | $400 |
| Utilities, phone and internet | $210 US reference × utilities index 111 | $233 | $210 |
| Local transport | $120 US reference × transport index 107 | $128 | $120 |
| Eating and drinking out | $170 US reference × restaurant index 124 | $211 | $170 |
| Everything else (clothes, leisure, repairs) | $240 US reference × overall price index 100 | $240 | $240 |
| Monthly total | $2,749 | $2,490 | |
The same basket runs $259 a month more than it would in the United States, or about $3,108 across a year.
A couple, one-bedroom in the centre
Two people sharing a central one-bedroom, two transport passes, a bigger grocery bill and a real restaurant habit.
| Line item | How it was derived | In Australia | Same line, US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, one-bed in the centre | Market average for a one-bedroom, taken straight from the data | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| Groceries and household | $680 US reference × groceries index 109 | $741 | $680 |
| Utilities, phone and internet | $265 US reference × utilities index 111 | $294 | $265 |
| Local transport, two people | $215 US reference × transport index 107 | $230 | $215 |
| Eating and drinking out | $360 US reference × restaurant index 124 | $446 | $360 |
| Everything else (clothes, leisure, repairs) | $430 US reference × overall price index 100 | $430 | $430 |
| Monthly total | $3,816 | $3,650 | |
The same basket runs $166 a month more than it would in the United States, or about $1,992 across a year.
Remote worker still paid by a US employer
Central flat, no local employer and therefore no local employer health cover, plus the travel and connectivity costs that come with keeping a US job from abroad.
| Line item | How it was derived | In Australia | Same line, US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, one-bed in the centre | Market average for a one-bedroom, taken straight from the data | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| Groceries and household | $470 US reference × groceries index 109 | $512 | $470 |
| Utilities, phone, internet and a desk | $300 US reference × utilities index 111 | $333 | $300 |
| Local transport | $150 US reference × transport index 107 | $161 | $150 |
| Eating and drinking out | $420 US reference × restaurant index 124 | $521 | $420 |
| Everything else, including travel home | $520 US reference × overall price index 100 | $520 | $520 |
| Private health cover, one adult | Typical private premium in the dataset, not scaled | $130 | Not comparable |
| Monthly total | $3,852 | $3,560 | |
The same basket runs $162 a month more than it would in the United States, or about $1,944 across a year. The US column excludes health cover because the structures do not line up: Employer-sponsored single coverage averaged about $777 a month in total premium, most of it paid by the employer, before deductibles and out-of-pocket costs.
These are models, not surveyed household budgets. They take national price levels and apply them to a fixed reference basket, so they describe the price environment rather than anyone's actual spending. Capital cities routinely run above the national index, second cities below it, and a car, school fees, childcare or debt payments would each add a line that is not here.
Category by category against the US
The overall index hides the spread. The category that comes out best against the US is rent at an index of 99; the one that comes out worst is restaurants at 124, a spread of 25 points between them. Budget from the categories you actually spend in rather than from the headline number: a household that eats out four nights a week is exposed to a different index than one that cooks.
| Category | Index | Compared with the US | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall consumer prices (including rent) | 100 | Similar | within 2% of the US |
| Rent | 99 | Similar | within 2% of the US |
| Groceries | 109 | Pricier | 9% more |
| Restaurants | 124 | Pricier | 24% more |
| Transport | 107 | Similar | 7% more |
| Utilities | 111 | Pricier | 11% more |
| Location | Australia | United States |
|---|---|---|
| City centre | $1,675 | $1,700 |
| Outside centre | $1,501 | $1,350 |
| Average net salary | $4,996 | $4,230 |
Rent is the line worth stress-testing first. A central one-bedroom averages $1,675 against $1,700 in the US, and moving out of the centre takes it to $1,501, a difference of $174 a month before anything else in the budget changes.
How each category ranks across the tracked countries
The table above compares Australia with the United States. This one compares it with everywhere else on this site, category by category, so you can see which line items are a real advantage here and which are simply normal across the countries Americans look at.
| Category | Australia | Median of the set | Rank | Cheapest in the set |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall prices | 100 | 87 | 14 of 15 | Thailand (32) |
| Rent | 99 | 77 | 12 of 15 | Thailand (29) |
| Groceries | 109 | 93 | 13 of 15 | Thailand (64) |
| Restaurants | 124 | 94 | 14 of 15 | Thailand (26) |
| Transport | 107 | 103 | 10 of 15 | Thailand (52) |
| Utilities | 111 | 93 | 9 of 15 | Thailand (17) |
Where Australia ranks in this dataset
Against the 15 countries tracked here, Australia is number 14 from the cheapest, and 1 of them are more expensive. The cheapest in the set is Thailand at 32, the priciest Ireland at 100.
| Rank | Country | Index | vs US | 1-bed, centre | $4,230 of US spending costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thailand | 32 | 67.7% less | $475 | $1,366 |
| 2 | Mexico | 62 | 38% less | $765 | $2,623 |
| 3 | Portugal | 63 | 37% less | $1,200 | $2,665 |
| 4 | Japan | 66 | 34.3% less | $1,280 | $2,779 |
| 5 | Spain | 70 | 30% less | $1,390 | $2,961 |
| 6 | Italy | 71 | 29% less | $1,200 | $3,003 |
| 7 | Germany | 72 | 28.5% less | $645 | $3,024 |
| 8 | New Zealand | 87 | 13% less | $1,112 | $3,680 |
| 9 | Netherlands | 88 | 12% less | $1,640 | $3,722 |
| 10 | Canada | 91 | 9% less | $1,433 | $3,849 |
| 11 | Sweden | 92 | 8% less | $1,206 | $3,892 |
| 12 | United Kingdom | 92 | 8% less | $2,370 | $3,892 |
| 13 | Norway | 99 | about level | $1,642 | $4,188 |
| 14 | Australia You are here | 100 | about level | $1,675 | $4,230 |
| 15 | Ireland | 100 | about level | $2,263 | $4,230 |
What a US take-home packet is worth in Australia
The same dollars buy a different amount of life once the local price level applies. Each card takes a US monthly take-home figure, reprices the identical standard of living at an index of 100, and shows what is left over. Rent share is the central one-bedroom as a percentage of that take-home, next to the same share in the US.
Modest take-home
$3,000/mo take-home
- Same lifestyle costs
- $3,000
- Left over each month
- +$0
- Buys what this would in the US
- $3,000
- Central rent as a share of pay
- 56% vs 57% in the US
US average net pay
$4,230/mo take-home
- Same lifestyle costs
- $4,230
- Left over each month
- +$0
- Buys what this would in the US
- $4,230
- Central rent as a share of pay
- 40% vs 40% in the US
Senior take-home
$8,000/mo take-home
- Same lifestyle costs
- $8,000
- Left over each month
- +$0
- Buys what this would in the US
- $8,000
- Central rent as a share of pay
- 21% vs 21% in the US
Take-home is the number that matters here, so these figures assume you have already paid tax somewhere. Where that tax is due is a separate question with real money attached. How the Australia tax rules treat Americans →
The same budgets against the pay that usually funds them
An index tells you what things cost, not whether you can afford them. The average local net salary in Australia is $4,996 a month against $4,230 in the US, so the budgets above land very differently depending on who is paying you. The share column is the modelled budget as a percentage of that net pay.
| Household | Budget in Australia | Income assumed | Share of net pay | Same basket, US pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single person, local job | $2,749 | Local average net pay, $4,996 | 55% | 59% |
| Couple, two local jobs | $3,816 | Two local average net salaries, $9,992 | 38% | 43% |
| Remote worker, US employer | $3,852 | US average net pay, $4,230 | 91% | 84% |
A local job also means local deductions. The top personal income tax rate in Australia is 45% and VAT or sales tax runs at 10% on most of what you buy, which is already inside the price indices above but not inside a US gross salary you might be comparing against.
Run your own number for Australia
Put your real take-home in and the comparison reruns against the Australia price level, with and without rent.
A ratio, not a budget: it scales your income by the country's overall consumer price level against the US average. Your actual costs depend on the city and how you live. Rent figures are national market averages for a one-bedroom apartment.
Cost questions about Australia
How much money do you need to move to Australia from the US?
For a single person on a sponsored 482, budget the A$4,015 visa charge plus medicals, police checks and English testing, then about A$5,000 to A$7,000 for flights, four weeks bond and two weeks rent, and initial furniture. A points-tested 189 costs A$6,135 in visa charges alone plus A$1,000 to A$2,500 for a skills assessment. Add several months of living costs before your first Australian pay run.
Is Australia cheaper than the United States?
No. The OECD put Australia's comparative price level at 100 against a US benchmark of 100 in July 2026, so the overall basket costs about the same. Groceries and restaurants run above US levels and alcohol and tobacco are roughly double. Clothing, education and communications are clearly cheaper, but housing sits at about parity on the OECD basis and household utility bills run roughly 10% above the US on a like-for-like monthly basis, at about US$232 a month for electricity, gas and water. Restaurant prices include tax with no tipping expectation.
Sources and method
Indices are expressed against a US national average of 100 and reconciled from the sources below. Rent and salary figures are national averages in US dollars. The budget tables multiply those indices by the reference amounts printed in each row; no figure on this page comes from a household survey, and none of it is financial advice.
What these numbers are. The headline figures were re-derived from primary sources during review. Some category indices could not be matched to a published statistic and are reasoned estimates, marked as such in the list below. Where a source entry says a value is derived, estimated or crowd-sourced, that is exactly what it is: no international body publishes a like-for-like index for every category, and private insurance premiums are not published at all in most countries. Rent figures are national market averages, so a capital city will run above them. How the dataset is built.
- OECD, Monthly comparative price levels (SDMX dataflow DSD_PPP_M@DF_PP_CPL_M). Direct query for Australia returns AUS, counterpart area USA, July 2026, observation value 100 on a United States = 100 basis. This is the source for col_index_vs_us. — accessed September 4, 2026
- OECD, PPP detailed results, price level indices with base reference area = United States, 2024: actual individual consumption 92.7; food and non-alcoholic beverages 101; alcoholic beverages and tobacco 201; clothing and footwear 69.5; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels 91.8; health 86.9; transport 99.3; information and communication 80.8; education 64.2; restaurants and accommodation 115. groceries_index_vs_us (109), transport_index_vs_us (107) and dining_index_vs_us (124) are these 2024 values rescaled by 100/92.7 so they sit on the same July 2026 headline base of 100. rent_index_vs_us (99) is the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels line (91.8) rescaled the same way, 91.8 x 100/92.7 = 99.0. The OECD publishes no separate actual-rentals price level for Australia in this dataflow, so this COICOP 04 aggregate - which is dominated by actual and imputed rentals but also contains utilities - is the closest permitted comparative measure; it is an approximation for rent alone. utilities_index_vs_us is NOT taken from this series; it is rebuilt from ABS household bill data, see the ABS entries below. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Reserve Bank of Australia, Exchange rates: 1 AUD = 0.7210 USD on 4 September 2026 (rate used for every AUD to USD conversion on this page). The RBA renders its daily rate table in JavaScript and blocks automated download of the F11 CSV, so the value was cross-checked against the US Federal Reserve H.10 release below. — accessed September 4, 2026
- US Federal Reserve, H.10 Foreign Exchange Rates weekly release dated 31 August 2026: the Australian dollar, quoted in US dollars per unit, at 0.7151, 0.7160, 0.7169, 0.7198 and 0.7166 for 24 to 28 August 2026. Cross-check on the 0.7210 rate used for AUD to USD conversion throughout this page. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021, table G02 Selected medians and averages (ABS Data API dataflow C21_G02_SA2, item 'Median rent ($/weekly)'), SA4 level. Inner-city SA4 medians used as the city-centre base: Sydney - City and Inner South A$550, Melbourne - Inner A$401, Brisbane Inner City A$425, Perth - Inner A$400, Adelaide - Central and Hills A$355; unweighted mean A$426 a week. See the companion GCCSA query for the outside-centre base. IMPORTANT LIMITATION: the ABS publishes no rent series by number of bedrooms, so these medians cover rented dwellings of every size and structure. They are used as a proxy for rent_1bed_center_usd and will normally sit ABOVE a true one-bedroom flat. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021, table G02 Selected medians and averages, Greater Capital City (GCCSA) level. Median weekly rent: Greater Sydney A$470, Greater Melbourne A$390, Greater Brisbane A$380, Greater Perth A$350, Greater Adelaide A$320; unweighted mean A$382 a week. This whole-of-metro median is the base for rent_1bed_outside_usd. Australia-wide median weekly rent on the same table is A$375. Same bedroom-count limitation as the SA4 entry: the metro-wide median is dominated by larger dwellings, so it reads high for a one-bedroom flat. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Consumer Price Index, Rents index numbers, Australia, original (ABS Data API dataflow CPI, index 115522): September quarter 2021 = 81.32, June quarter 2026 = 102.29, a rise of 25.79%. DERIVATION OF THE RENT FIELDS: the 2021 Census medians above are escalated by this factor and converted at the RBA rate of 0.7210. City centre A$426.2 x 1.25787 = A$536.1 a week = A$2,323 a month = US$1,675 (rent_1bed_center_usd). Outside centre A$382.0 x 1.25787 = A$480.5 a week = A$2,082 a month = US$1,501 (rent_1bed_outside_usd). Both are honest estimates built only from official ABS series; because no ABS series is bedroom-specific they should be read as the upper end of a one-bedroom budget, not the middle. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Consumer Price Index, Australia, July 2026 (released 26 August 2026): rents rose 3.6% in the 12 months to July 2026; electricity 6.1% over the year after the Commonwealth and state rebates ended; water and sewerage and gas also reported. Used as the currency check on the rent and utility escalations. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Household Expenditure Survey, Australia: Summary of Results, 2015-16 (the most recent HES): average total goods and services expenditure A$1,425 a week per household; domestic fuel and power A$40.92 a week. The A$1,425 total is the level base for the utilities rebuild. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, CPI weighting pattern effective from the December quarter 2024 (ABS Data API dataflow CPI_WEIGHTS, Australia): electricity 1.8353% of household expenditure, gas and other household fuels 0.9616%, water and sewerage 0.8703%, utilities group 3.6672%, rents 6.6129%. These are 2023-24 actual household expenditure shares and supply the consumption side of the utilities calculation. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Consumer Price Index index numbers, Australia, original (ABS Data API dataflow CPI): All groups (10001) 2015-16 average 75.21, 2023-24 average 95.07, June quarter 2026 102.31; Electricity (40055) 2023-24 average 99.28, 2026-Q2 114.73; Gas and other household fuels (115524) 2023-24 average 89.27, 2026-Q2 97.69; Water and sewerage (97558) 2023-24 average 94.74, 2026-Q2 104.21. DERIVATION OF utilities_index_vs_us ON THE MONTHLY-BILL BASIS: the HES 2015-16 household total of A$1,425 a week is revalued to 2023-24 with the All groups CPI (x 95.07/75.21 = A$1,801 a week), split with the 2023-24 CPI expenditure weights above to give electricity A$33.06, gas and other household fuels A$17.32 and water and sewerage A$15.68 a week, then repriced to the June quarter 2026 with each component's own CPI: electricity A$38.21, gas A$18.96, water and sewerage A$17.25, total A$74.41 a week = A$322 a month = US$232 at 0.7210. Against the dataset's US reference of about US$210 a month for the same basket that is an index of 111. CONSUMPTION ASSUMPTION: the actual national household consumption of electricity, gas and water embedded in the ABS's 2023-24 expenditure weights - an average household of 2.5 people across all dwelling types, including the roughly one household in three with rooftop solar - held constant and revalued at June quarter 2026 prices. This is unit price x real national household consumption, not a unit price per kWh. EXCLUSION: domestic waste collection is not in the figure. Australian councils charge it inside property rates paid by the owner rather than as a tenant utility, and the ABS CPI utilities group excludes it, so the Australian index is if anything slightly conservative against a US basket that includes refuse. Water and sewerage service charges are likewise usually the owner's, reaching renters through the rent; the full property-level total is indexed here for like-for-like comparison. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Average Weekly Earnings, Australia, May 2026 (released 13 August 2026): average weekly ordinary time earnings for full-time adults A$2,083.70, seasonally adjusted. avg_net_salary_usd_month is derived from this: A$2,083.70 x 52 = A$108,352 gross a year; 2026-27 resident tax of A$23,026 plus 2% Medicare levy of A$2,167 leaves A$83,159 net, or A$6,930 a month, which is US$4,996 at 0.7210. Excludes superannuation, which is paid on top of salary. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, National, state and territory population: 27,801,023 people at 31 December 2025 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Visa Pricing Table: the Department's index of current visa application charges. The amounts on this page are rendered by the Visa Pricing Estimator service rather than served as static text, so the figures used here were read from that service directly - see the next entry. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Visa Pricing Estimator - the Department's own pricing service, queried 4 September 2026 for a lodgement date of 4 September 2026 with one main applicant, one dependant aged 18 or over and one child. Base application charge / additional applicant 18+ / additional applicant under 18: subclass 189 points-tested A$6,135 / A$3,070 / A$1,540; subclass 190 A$6,140 / A$3,070 / A$1,535; subclass 186 A$6,140 / A$3,070 / A$1,535; subclass 482 Core Skills A$4,015 / A$4,015 / A$1,005; subclass 858 A$6,235 / A$3,120 / A$1,560; subclass 820/801 partner A$11,710 / A$5,860 / A$2,935, with offshore 309/100 returning identical amounts; subclass 500 higher education sector A$2,500 / A$1,530 / A$500; subclass 601 ETA nil visa application charge. This is the source for every visa fee quoted on this page. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) Core Skills stream: up to 4 years, CSOL occupation, 1 year relevant experience, pathway to permanent residence — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Salary requirements to nominate a worker: Core Skills Income Threshold A$79,423 and Specialist Skills Income Threshold A$146,576 for nominations lodged 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) points-tested stream: under 45 at invitation, minimum 65 points, skills assessment and SkillSelect invitation required — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) Temporary Residence Transition stream: normally 2 years full-time sponsored employment on a 457 or 482 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, National Innovation visa (subclass 858): permanent visa, invitation-only, nominator required, processed under Ministerial Direction No. 120 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Department of Home Affairs, Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601): United States of America listed as an ETA-eligible passport, AUD 20 app service charge, up to 3 months per entry — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Government, PBS Schedule fees and patient charges: general co-payment A$25.00 from 1 January 2026, concessional A$7.70, general safety net threshold A$1,748.20 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, MBS Online: the Medicare Benefits Schedule, described there as a listing of the Medicare services subsidised by the Australian Government and part of the wider Medicare Benefits Scheme managed by the Department. The Department is Australia's national health authority and this is the page behind healthcare.official_url. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Government MBS Online, item 23 (standard GP consultation): schedule fee A$45.05, benefit 100% of schedule fee, schedule fee updated 1 July 2026 — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Government privatehealth.gov.au, Overseas Visitors and Overseas Students: temporary visa holders on a working visa including subclass 482 and 485 are required to take Overseas Visitors Health Cover, and student visa applicants must hold Overseas Student Health Cover. The eleven Reciprocal Health Care Agreement countries listed are the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Norway, Slovenia, Malta and Italy; the United States is not among them. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Government privatehealth.gov.au, Overseas Visitors Health Cover. NOTE ON typical_private_insurance_usd_month: no official body publishes a standard OVHC price, and this page states only that 'every OVHC policy will differ in costs, eligibility and benefits'. The US$130 a month figure (about A$180 at 0.7210) is an editorial mid-range estimate for single working-visa OVHC cover, not a sourced statistic, and is the least certain number on this page. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Taxation Office, Your tax residency (last updated 3 June 2026). Sets out the four residency tests used in taxes.residency_rule - the resides test as the primary test, plus the domicile, 183-day and Commonwealth superannuation statutory tests - and states that the ATO does not use Department of Home Affairs rules, so you can be an Australian resident for tax purposes without being a citizen or permanent resident. The ATO is Australia's tax authority and this is the page behind taxes.official_url. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Taxation Office, Tax rates - Australian residents. Resident rates 2026-27: nil to A$18,200; 15c per dollar over A$18,200 to A$45,000; A$4,020 plus 30c to A$135,000; A$31,020 plus 37c to A$190,000; A$51,370 plus 45c above A$190,000, exclusive of the 2% Medicare levy. Primary source for income_tax_top_rate (45) and for the tax step in the avg_net_salary_usd_month derivation: A$108,352 gross gives A$4,020 + 30% of A$63,352 = A$23,026. — accessed September 4, 2026
- Australian Treasury, Income tax treaties: Australia-United States DTA signed 6 August 1982, in force 31 October 1983; amending protocol signed 27 September 2001, in force 13 May 2003 — accessed September 4, 2026
- IRS, Australia tax treaty documents (1982 treaty, 2001 protocol and technical explanations) — accessed September 4, 2026
- IRS, Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion: maximum exclusion $130,000 for 2025 and $132,900 for 2026 — accessed September 4, 2026
- US Social Security Administration, Totalization Agreement with Australia: the agreement covers Superannuation Guarantee contributions employers must make for employees, and 'Self-employed U.S. citizens residing in Australia do not have to pay U.S. Social Security contributions on self-employment income' — accessed September 4, 2026
- US Social Security Administration, International Programs, status of totalization agreements: Australia entry into force 1 October 2002 — accessed September 4, 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Australia individual taxes on personal income: 2026-27 resident rates nil to A$18,200, 15% to A$45,000, 30% to A$135,000, 37% to A$190,000, 45% above; Medicare levy 2%; Medicare levy surcharge 1% to 1.5% for higher earners without private hospital cover. The 16% second-bracket rate fell to 15% from 1 July 2026 under the legislated personal tax cuts. The ATO entry above is the primary source for income_tax_top_rate; this entry corroborates it and is the source for the Medicare levy surcharge range of 1% to 1.5%. — accessed September 4, 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Australia corporate other taxes: GST levied at 10% (source for vat_rate), and superannuation guarantee permanently increased to 12% from 1 July 2025 — accessed September 4, 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries, Australia individual residence: resides test plus domicile, 183-day and superannuation statutory tests; temporary residents generally taxed only on Australian-source income — accessed September 4, 2026
- Foreign Investment Review Board (foreigninvestment.gov.au), Residential land guidance: from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2029 foreign investors are generally prohibited from purchasing established dwellings; annual vacancy fee applies to under-occupied foreign-owned property — accessed September 4, 2026