roomiematch.com’s Brisbane roommate rundown:

Brisbane is Australia’s third largest city, with its Central Business District (CBD) nestled along the Brisbane River.

This capital city was previously a bit of a bargain. But lately, there are fewer bargains available when it comes to rent. Because of Australia’s real estate inflation overall, rooms across Brisbane keep inflating too?

And if people keep moving from Australia’s other capital cities in an attempt to save money, this trend could continue.

But for now, Brisbane is lower key. It’s less cosmopolitan than Sydney or Melbourne, while still not as prime a surf destination as Perth . . . because surf worthy beaches are not INSIDE Brisbane.

But both the Gold and Sunshine Coasts are a relatively short drive. There’s also a popular artificial beach with palm trees right in the middle of the city! (You just can’t surf it.)

Brisbane’s Riverwalk runs along most of the inner city short, and is also surrounded by bicycle paths, which away from the river do get hilly. While cyclists are permitted almost everywhere, outside the CBD and the river you’ll see more aggressive traffic.

Hence, most Brisbanites rely mostly on their cars. And deal with some traffic jams too, but they’re usually not so bad for a city this size. Other than walking dogs in parks to and from local coffee shops for brunch around the CBD, there’s not much of a walking culture. You’ll want a car or rideshare to get around.

Brisbane is also the most pest-intensive Australian capital city, even inside the city limits. Any laid back Brisbanite has learned to exist alongside all those bugs.

And all the lizards. There are a lot.

Australian white ibises are native wetland birds. While they can be found all around the continent, Brisbane may have one of the largest flocks, and they’re constantly foraging. These “bin chickens” steal unattended food including garbage. They’ll try to steal your lunch, then serenade you with their calls that sound like geese honking through kazoos.

You shouldn’t get too mad at ibises though, because many have consumed both cane toads and locusts in addition to your chips.

And then there’s those brush turkeys with their megapode mounds. Consider yourself warned: If you leave your backyard compost pile uncovered, don’t be surprised when a turkey moves in.

Finally, don’t freak if your tap water is warm, that’s normal in the warmest weather because the pipes warm up too. Most refrigerate before drinking.