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Expat reveals huge culture shocks after moving to Australia: 'Blew my mind'

The Canadian revealed both real life issues and comical habits observed since moving 6 years ago

A Canadian woman has shared a list of culture shocks she's felt since moving to Australia, with the interesting comparison between her home country sparking an online discussion.

Ioana posted a video to her TikTok account and candidly expressed her opinions on Australian life, highlighting both real issues experienced in the country as well as comical habits adopted by those living Down Under.

Ioana pictured left with a koala and right in her car.
Ioana shares the culture shocks she has experienced since moving to Australia six years ago. Source: Instagram / ioanaonthecoast

Expensive rental prices

The woman admits she was shocked to learn how expensive property is to rent in Australia and confessed she thought rental payments were given on a monthly basis when she received quotes as she hunted for apartments in Melbourne.

"The base price in Melbourne is like $500-700 a week. It's insane and that blew my mind," she said.

The TikToker continued to say that despite recently moving to the Gold Coast, rental prices outside of metropolitan areas remain "crazy unaffordable" in her experience. With many Australian states experiencing a rental crisis, this aspect of Aussie life is branded as a negative compared to her hometown of Montreal.

Online many people agreed with the Canadian, saying it's a real issue faced by those residing in Australia.

"The rent and cost of housing is out of control," one comment read.

Smaller portion sizes

Ioana expressed that portion sizes are "a lot more balanced [and] a lot less gross" in Australia and condemned Canada for the excessive amount of food given when ordering a meal at a hospitality venue.

She said she experienced "reverse culture shock" when she flew home in December, showing pictures that highlighted the difference between breakfast served in the two countries.

Comparison of breakfasts.
The expat said she experienced "reverse culture shock" in Canada and explained she couldn't get all of her breakfast in frame for a picture as it was too large (right). Source: TikTok / ioanaonthecoast

Australian coffee gets 5-star rating

The Canadian was full of praise for Australian coffee and said some of the best coffee she's ever had was from Australia.

"Cafe culture here is insane," she said, giving kudos to Australian coffee even though her hometown puts up a good fight with providing a decent coffee.

"North American filter coffee can suck it!" she continued.

A similar sentiment was shared online, with one man believing Australian coffee claims the prized top spot.

"Easily some of the best coffee in the world," he stated.

Tipping service industry workers is not as common

Ioana was pleasantly surprised that being paid a living wage is much more prevalent in Australia compared to North America, flagging that workers don't rely as heavily on tips here to get by.

She noted that the cost of living is much higher here, however, expressed her understanding that this came hand in hand with higher median wages.

Walking barefoot is the Aussie way

Despite calling out Aussies for the strange phenomenon of walking everywhere barefoot, Ioana shared that this habit has quickly caught on and she too finds herself without shoes a lot of the time.

Compared to North America where the slogan 'no shirt, no shoes, no service' was adopted by many businesses, Aussies adopt a more liberal view on acceptable attire when buying their goods.

"I've seen people half naked at the store," Ioana shared in the video.

This culture shock resonated with social media users, with many likening it to an initiation into Australian life.

"Your not a true Aussie unless you have walked into a shop cold and still wet in swimmers and being barefoot," one woman confirmed.

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