More Aussies are moving out of the major cities and into the regions, with many searching for a cheaper lifestyle as the cost of living bites. One Victorian teacher said living in a small town was “definitely” cheaper but the difference wasn’t as dramatic as you might think.

Zoe Carney relocated from Melbourne to a small town on the way to Mildura this year to work as a rural teacher. The 29-year-old told Yahoo Finance the high cost of living was a major factor spurring her move.

“The cost of living in Melbourne is really high and I wanted to be able to live independently,” Carney said.

“Teacher’s salaries aren’t bad but if you want to be independent, live on your own and not be super financially stressed, you almost have to go into a leadership role.”

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Carney said she was able to receive a $50,000 financial bonus from the government to relocate to the regional town to teach. This was paid on top of her $83,000 yearly salary, which Carney said was initially a big drawcard for the move, along with the more relaxed lifestyle on offer.

In terms of the general cost of living, Carney estimated she was saving an extra $150 per week compared to Melbourne. She said this was “awesome” but probably not as “huge” savings as some people might expect.

“People think you’ll move to a small country town and you’ll save so much money. Of course, I earn more but if you take that away and if I was just earning the same as what I was earning in Melbourne, I’d still be saving a bit but it’s not as much as you’d think it would be,” she said.

Carney said she’s found there is only a “small difference” in the general cost of living. She’s found things like a gym membership and getting her car serviced were cheaper than in Melbourne.

Rent is also cheaper but not “significantly less” for someone like her who is renting as a single person, though she said she was able to get much more bang for her buck.

“In Melbourne, I was spending about $400 a week in rent but I was also living in my own one-bedroom,” she said.

“Now, I have a two-bedroom unit with a courtyard so I have way more space now and this is only $320 a week.

“The average cost of rent here for a three- or four-bedroom house is about $400 a week. So that’s where you have the really big savings.”

Those looking to get onto the property ladder could also reap the benefits, with average house prices in the area under $300,000 compared to Melbourne where things are north of $1 million.