The very first point has to be , would you be allowed to move here. Are you a citizen or do you have to apply for a visa and which?
Then, what do you call near the sea?
Houses near the beaches are very expensive, and I mean very very expensive.
Cost of living has gone up so much in the last years. Even when you are used to it, it is still a shock to see kiwis costing $20.90/kg at woolies.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are very expensive compared to Europe. Junk is cheap.
Flight prices have jumped. Domestic and international. We are very lucky to have one flight per year paid by DH's work. We pay for the second flight home, and what we used to pay for business pre-covid is now the economy price if you have to travel during school holidays.
Weather is nice, but weather is nice in Italy, Spain, South of France as well.
Houses here are poorly build. There is no heating as one is used to in Europe. No radiators, it is air con or if you are lucky, a gas bayonet in the wall to which you attach a very expensive (+1200$) Rinnai heater.
Health system is a bit worse than continental Europe. Even when you have top private health care, you can't use it to see doctors such as Gp or specialists, or having imaging or testing done. Private health only covers in-hospital care. In Sydney, it is very hard to find a free GP (it is called bulk billing), you have out of pocket fees of roughly $45 and for specialist, the out of pocket will be several hundreds $. Private funds will cover extra such as dental, physio, glasses with varying degree of co-pay.
The main con, is how far you will be from everything and everyone. Just for fun, simulate the cost of 5 tickets to UK during typical school holidays.
Renting is expensive, buying even more.
As you see, there is a recurrent theme. The cost of living. That is something a family of 5 should consider. What is the point of moving here and end up in shitty suburbs because everything else is unaffordable.
You don't mention art and culture, which is good, because prices are ridiculous and options are very limited. And some weird reasons, they translate the operas played here, which annoys me beyond reason. Outdoor is free, but outdoor is free in Southern Europe too , with the added benefit that you can go skiing in Winter . Thredbo is a joke when you are used to the Dolomites.
A big pro, is how nice people are. And how safe it is. The safety of going for a swim and you bag is not taken the second you turn your head.
The ocean is nice but oh boy is the water cold. Except now. February and March are the best months for a swim.