kericare

i have been reading through the discussions on this sight about how australia has become so so expensive, people are saying how much the cost of living has gone up ie food,utility bills etc.is it that bad and is that why people are coming back home as i have read on here,the cost of bills and food have gone up over here too though and when i have been reading peoples comments on how expensive it is over in oz i think why are people still living there then and people still wanting to go, we are wanting to make the move again but have the problem of selling our house we have a second veiwing this week so im keeping my fingers crossed,we live here week to week we dont over spend that is what we did in oz was living week to week. we have to shop around here too for the cheaper things,we will have equity in our house to bring out with us and my hubby is in contact still with the people he used to work with so hoping he will go back to work with them. i would just like to know peoples thoughts on this as it has been worrying me what has been discussed on here thanks.

neil248

No it is not

ukecadet

It possibly may be

What_a_life

Its expensive, theres no doubt about that. But friends and family tell me its very tough there right now too. Havent been back in a couple of years so hard to make the comparison between the 2. You certainly dont seem to get much for your money, but ebays a godsend

neil248

Ok then, can only assume the cost of living has not increased in the UK in the last 5 years

Grayling

Not as much as here

What_a_life

Was saying that alot of people have been saying how hard things are in Uk, as opposed to 2 years ago, so must have risen alot musnt it?

Grayling

Most people's main expense is housing

That is totally out of kilter here now

Pollyana

People are still living here cos they went through a lot to get here and it would cost thousands to move back? People are still here cos some of them like it?

Costs have gone up, horrendously in the last few years, I reckon the food shop that cost $50 when I came here in 2003 is now over $200 for the same stuff. its not the cheap place it once was, and many Brits who could once buy an 8 bedroom mansion can now only afford a 3 or 4 bed.

Lots of discussions on it, you'll find both sides of the coin, but don't come expecting it to be cheap to live here.

sonlymewalter

The UK is expensive and Aus is expensive but everyone makes a choice as to where they are prepared to live and the price they are prepared to pay to live there.

Amazulu

NO

neil248

Must admit that when we came out getting 2.5 $ to the pound it all seemed so cheap.

We have since become citizens so just pay whatever they ask which is the Australian way. Have not really got a clue whether it is expensive or not compared with anywhere else in the world which is also the Australian way which is why some things cost a ridiculous amount of money.

As pointed out in another thread when it comes to something like a hearing aid costing 3 times what it would cost elsewhere in the world it does seem wrong. With most discretionary spending you have the choice either pay or don't and there are ways around it.

As for housing a 7% mortgage interest rate is probably normal and can't blame Australia that it has not ****** it's economy up unlike certain other countries.

Bix

There really are too many variables for anyone to give a sensible answer to that question.

Depends where you come from and where you're going to.
Depends what you earn now and what you will earn in Aus.
Depends on your family make-up.
Depends on your style of living.
Depends if you wish to change lifestyle in any way.

.....the list is extensive.

I can give you my personal opinion but due to the above factors will it actually mean anything to you?

We came over in 2004.
It was cheap here in comparison to our UK way of life.
Things in Australia have increased a lot since then.
Things in the UK have also increased.
Exchange rate has moved dramatically against the GBP.

My assessment now in 2011 is that accounting for all the changes the cost of living would be about the same for us either side of the water.

neil248

Bix has said it how it is

Sherlock Holmes

Use the internet.

Barter in shops.

Shop around.

Insulate the house.

Put in rainwater tanks.

Get an instantaneous and/or solar hot water system.

And bear in mind that consumers are finally beginning to wise up and that retailers are beginning to feel the pinch.

Australia was cheap years ago, especially for utilities. Now it's not.

But it can be affordable.

Can't say it is so expensive that you'd have to go back.

I would put a big question mark on making the move from the UK just at the moment though.