Zen10

I am concerned with South Australia and Southern England and the price differences are marked. An acre of land with a house on it where it is convenient for me in Australia is $550,000, and the same property in England is $1,100,000.

Now, this is personal - because I have selected the two sorts of places I want to live in, but then I would do this, wouldn't I?

commonwealth

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012...-economy-study

Grayling

Most expats do not want to live in South Australia....and many who do migrate there go on a regional scheme because SA makes it easier than other states......most move on as soon as they can.

I could compare, say, Barnsley with Sydney and it would be just as valid as your comparison.

Beoz

If I were to compare the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney (where I've lived for the last 2 years) and the South West of London (where I lived for 12 years before that) I still save more money in Sydney. Not only on exchange rate but as a proportion of my salary. Both places are the most expensive urban areas in either country - you can't get fairer than that. I did come on a 2.3 salary conversion. Not really sure what else to say to suggest.

Grayling

That is supply and demand.....more people want to live in London.

This thread is about costs in Australia vs the UK.....it does not specify Sydney and London.

The bulk of the population in either country do not live in those two locations.

Beoz

Then the whole point is moot.

If someone wants to compare downtown Brisbane to a village in the Midlands where the salary conversion is ..... well ... whatever its going to be then there is no comparison is there? You just can't put a marker in it.

TheArmChairDetective

Because it was, where someone has said or hasn't said where they live is irrelevant to the jest.
As for your being confused, well deciding whats funny is an individual thing.
I agree, but an individual has to use their own experiences as a base line so if Sydney and London is their baseline then that's what their opinions going to reflect.

Grayling

....and that is reflected in the result of the poll.....most people, who responded, find Australia far more expensive.

Alfresco

25 do, 21 don't. Not much difference really for such a small sample.

Grayling

but 34 to 12 make Australia more expensive....pretty decisive I would think.

Alfresco

Only 25 people thought much more (far more).

Grayling

Still a majority

Why are you so bothered that more people find it more expensive here?

Alfresco

I'm not.

Some people do, some don't. It's all circumstantial really.

Zen10

To deal with the faux-nonchalant point about SA making it easier - this is absolute nonsense. The state is subject to the same laws as everywhere else. Those that move on to the Gold Coast or Sydney are not the sort of people that are going to enjoy a small town atmosphere like Adelaide, or vineyards etc. So we wish then well in pursuit of the theme parks and water slides or whatever they go to Queensland for. This might suggest why SA has one of the lowest English populations in the country, and we're all grateful for that. We like it here because it is very low population density, very low English demographic, beautiful architecture, vineyards, and the traffic is so easy sometimes we cut through the CBD as a short cut.

My comparison is crucial to me. I lived and would want to live in a specific area of England to be near family, and unfortunately the prices there are very expensive. I'm not going to move to bloody Barnsley just to make your argument easier for you, am I? My argument is my argument and based on my experience - Aus to me offers better value because of the reasons highlighted above, namely, I come from a very expensive part of England, and I now live in a relatively unknown and unfashionable part of Australia where I can have twice the living standard I could get if I went where all the other Poms went.

Grayling

SA regional visas were always easier to get than elsewhere which is why many used it as a gateway.

I wouldn't want to live in bloody Adelaide so that invalidates that argument........and neither do most other migrants.

.....and before you give us a lot of bull about traffic etc. I have spent a lot of time in Adelaide.....my son lived in Norwood for many years (and that is not a particularly cheap area either) and I know that the traffic can be pretty awful in Adelaide as Well.

My son eventually threatened to leave his company if they did not move him back to Braisbane.......they agreed even though much of his work is still in Adelaide.....he prefers to commute when he has to.