Move from South East Asia to Australia?

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My husband and I are teachers and have been living in Southeast Asia for 4 years (prior to this we were in the UK). We have two children who are 5 and 6 years old. We are currently trying for a 3rd too.
As my children get older I have started to think about moving somewhere more long term. One of the biggest concerns I have is that we all cannot speak the language in the country we live in, meaning I worry about isolation of my two children when they cannot speak the language.
We are thinking about our next move, and thought Perth could be ideal due to language not being a barrier, and also a nice slow way of living.
However, we have some concerns, money, getting teacher jobs, if we have another child, childcare costs.
Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

No experience of Perth but wondered if learning the language of the country you’re in was an option for your family? Your children in particular are of an age where they would soak it up? And many benefits for older adults too in terms of brain health. And could help you feel more settled where you are…

Will you pass the Australian teaching boards? I know a couple of very experienced teachers who have struggled with the exam in terms of cost and content.

The cost of living in Australia is high.

I have three children we spend around $4-$500 a week on groceries, around $150 a week on sports, $100 a week on after school care for two days. A GP visit cost me $40 out of pocket as it's very hard to see a free GP. We have to run two cars as public transport isn't great. We spend about $150 a week on petrol.
We don't have family near by and managing childcare around work, illnesses, special events etc is hard.
If language is the issue would you not consider learning the language.

Thank you. We have lived here for 4 years and my children can say a few words (I know that will be my fault). It is definitely not a country I can see the children growing up long term for a variety of reasons.

Thank you, that is really helpful! I havent looked into passing exams etc.
The costs are higher than I thought based on what you have said!
Do you know many teacher couples who have managed to have a good work life balance as well as be ok with the cost of living?

I don't know any couples who are both teachers. Except where they have moved to international school in Asia. As most recruitment is via state education departments I would think negations for same school etc would be hard. It maybe different in the private or Catholic sectors.
The teachers I know have really struggled with the lack of flexibility with teaching and young children. Those that make it work tend to have a partner that can do childcare emergency stuff.

Thank you, that is really helpful.

Cant comment on the teaching side except to say that teachers are in short supply.

We are a family of four and spend 3-350/week on groceries. Our dc do a range of extracurriculars and each seems to come in around $250 per term.
depending on residency/visa status you may pay even for public school.

Similarly for daycare you may not qualify for the childcare subsidy (our daily fee before subsidy was $165/day and the younger ones were more expensive as they had higher staff/child ratios).
This might also impact what you pay for before/after school and vacation care. Expat friends of our found it cheaper to hire a nanny as they didn’t qualify for the subsidy.

Even babysitters are expensive. I’ve had a few quote me $40/hour with an extra $5 for our second child.

Also check housing/rental costs and availability. It’s fast moving and expensive. Make sure it has air con!

We get by with one car but I still find the on road costs to be a lot (pink slip, green slip, insurance).

Perth could be a great fit for your family—it's got that laid-back vibe you’re after. The city’s arts scene is surprisingly good, with the Perth Cultural Centre bringing together the Art Gallery of WA, the State Library, and the WA Museum Boola Bardip. There’s always something on, from theatre and live music to the big Perth Festival each year.

Getting around is reasonably easy, thanks to the Transperth network of trains, buses, and ferries. The free CAT buses in the city are handy for exploring, and the train lines make it simple to reach family-friendly suburbs without dealing with crazy traffic.

If your kids are into sports, they’re spoilt for choice—local clubs for footy, cricket, netball, swimming, and more are everywhere. Plus, the city’s full of outdoor spaces like King’s Park (one of the biggest inner-city parks in the world) and the Swan River, perfect for picnics, kayaking, etc.

The Western Suburbs (on the river/ocean) are expensive for housing. But Fremantle and the surrounding suburbs are a standout—full of character, with a mix of old-school charm and a buzzing arts and dining scene. You’ve got superb public schools in the area (but catchments are strict, so check the Department of Education website maps carefully) plus lots of stunning beaches and parks and heaps of free or low-cost festivals and activities for all ages. Fabulous bookshops too. It’s the kind of place with loads to explore and a real sense of community.

Australia is expensive overall, as other posters have mentioned, but there are great lifestyle compensations in Perth/Fremantle. And as a teaching couple you should get jobs quickly, though you may be on contracts for a while.

I moved to Perth and love it! Housing is now very expensive though, we were lucky enough to buy before Covid, houses are now double what we paid then. We pay about $250 a week in groceries for three adults (Aldi) Our power bills are very low as we have solar (about 30 a week). Public transport for us is great, we live near a train station so can get into the city in 40 minutes, I get a bus to work and it’s cheap clean and reliable. We have two cars, fuel is fairly cheap. Life is good, we live near the beach and go all the time. So investigate the housing costs and if you can afford them I would say go for it!

You will need to register with the TRBWA to get your teacher registration sorted. There is no teacher exam as such, but you will need to be 4 year trained.

Have a look through here Not Perth but in the country.