JCB42

I'm moving out to the great NZ next month. Secured an Engineering job out here; on the surface I thought the maths made sense. But I figured would ask yourselves who are actually out here their thoughts.

I've tried to figure out the "cost of living" in NZ based off all the websites and it seems tricky.
-Food I understand is expensive
-Clothes are pricey too (will be bringing my own)
-Rent is 'reasonable'
-Tax is steep (no allowances)
-I get a company car, so I don't need to worry about that atm.

Where I'm coming from: London, erm (Chelsea, don't judge! I'm not a football fan), actually from Wolverhampton near Birmingham.

I have been fortunate enough to swing a comparatively "cheap" rental place in London for a King Size En-Suite room for £850/month.

For reference, my salary here was £600/week so I could just about make it work.

As an engineer, I think I've worked out my NZ salary to be about $850NZD/week after tax.

I'm 27, no GF to "treat/look after/maintain" and here for the mountaineering and climbing, oh and to work! . I've grown to like the nicer things, but I don't need any more clothes/climbing gear! But I love a good coffee and a decent burger each week.

On that NZ wage, will I be able to get a similar kind of shared accommodation/pad in somewhere like central-Wellington? Is it livable? Or is the harsh reality that the little luxuries of a great Byron Burger won't be possible?

I've lived the "London Life" but I'm trying to adjust my expectations as to what I'll actually be able to afford out in NZ.

I accept that its all subjective, and lifestyles differ, but I'm curious as to your opinions.

Pigdog

What part of Wellington ? Central or surrounding districts ?

Have a look on
Realestate.co.nz
nzflatmates.co.nz
easyroommate.co.nz

You can also rent motel rooms for long stays until,you get yourself sorted out.
Can't comment on the cost of living in Wellington as I live on the South Island.
Good luck.

JCB42

Thanks for the links. ... Any idea on how much utility bills are on average per month?

Unfortunately I don't know my actual destination on where I'll be placed yet. Just looking to get a feel for things atm.

MrsFychan

if you are looking to flat share then it really does depend on what the landlord is asking to be paid for.

Decent cup of coffee is anything upwards of $4.50 for a small.
Not sure what a decent burger would equate to, would depend if you want a Burger King/MacD's or a cafe still one

JCB42

Haha. Thanks for the coffee info. Byron is like a really nice burger restaurant chain here in London. A league beyond MacD!

Genesis

I think you will love Wellington..I adore it. Have a look at this link
https://www.enz.org/house-rents-wellington.html

Your rent will be your biggest bill eh? I am sure that once you are settled you may well be able to share a room in a house...or even do that 1st, that will be much cheaper.

Given the figures, add in that you get a motor I am sure you will have a reasonable life on $850 after deductions. Burger Fuel burgers are beyond reproach. There is one in Wellington in Cuba St. Look at their website.

For your own burgers when you have your moving in BBQ...ANGEL BAY burgers are probably the best burgers in the world!!!! They are in the freezer cabinet of most supermarkets. They come in a plastic bag type of pack (not a box). They taste SO homemade and actually are cheaper to buy than making your own if you are buying hi end mince, they are amazing value and taste even better than Burger Fuel's, which are really good anyway!! Ask away re any more questions. You have much to look forward to!!!!!

escapedtonz

Good call!


Food is generally 15% ish more than the UK, but doesn't have to be. Takes a while to adapt but after a while the cost of your shopping bill will reduce to a more manageable fee.


Clothing doesn't have to be expensive. If you want named and/or designer stuff then yes it is more expensive here but if you aren't bothered about this and happy with normal fashion on the "high street" then The Warehouse and KMart is fine and affordable.


Rent is more expensive here. For you I'd recommend sharing for a while till you get on your feet and can see how much you can afford to pay out per week. Your own room in a shared house should set you back around $170 per week maybe including internet and power. Wellington is a University city so you're likely to be sharing with students unless you look at accommodation further out of the CBD and surrounds. Many people with huge houses often advertise a room in a house for rent if you don't mind living with a family in part of their house.


You are taxed on every cent earned here. No personal tax allowance here but the highest tax rate is 33% I think so depending on earnings you could have a lower tax bill annually. I know mine is lower than the UK.


Company car is an awesome saving on the pocket. Hopefully you also get fuel and can use the company car whenever you like for personal use also.


A coffee will cost you $4.80 for a regular. $5-$5.50 for a large. They're more or less the same named coffee's in the UK now...they were different when I arrived. The name of the milk is different so you may get some funny looks if you ask for a skinny latte as skinny milk doesn't exist - it's called trim


Now on the subject of burgers.....Mmmm, mouth watering
Burger Fuel is awesome. Really tasty burgers - try the Bastard or the Ring Burner. You also get a doofer so the ingredients don't splurt out the other side when you take a bite as they're huge. Most McDonalds here also do "Create Your Own" burgers which are much much better than the standard crap they sell. They are proper angus meat patties. Much tastier and so much better. These are made to order and delivered by the staff to your table. I reckon on par with Burger Fuel.
Tried Wendy's, Burger King and Carl Jnr burger joints and not impressed. KFC is also very different here and not that good.


I think you'll be fine on a net pay of $850 per week so long as you are careful initially with the rent bill. As Genesis says this will always be your highest bill per week so requires adequate respect.


Other expenses not to forget about :-
Mobile phone.
Refuse collection may not be included in the house share.


Enjoy.

bourbon-biscuit

Avoid getting a car, live as central as you can afford and bring everything you will need (climbing gear etc.) and come for a "suck it and see" few years and you should have a blast. You won't live like a king anywhere in NZ on that income but if you go for the climbing and walking and for a couple of year's experience you really ought to be able to have a great life.

LoCarb

Coincidence! 15% is the tax added to food in NZ.

We were told it's too complicated to exclude food from consumption tax

No computers in NZ then

sr71

Clothing is also easily available on line, so same prices as the UK from M&S, Next etc. Maybe cheaper if you get VAT removed and free shipping etc.

wez130

As sr71 says, decent clothes can be purchased onlinee for the same price you'll pay in UK, for example, Selfridges will ship to NZ, the tax will be taken off here and then added again in NZ so rather than pay 20% VAT in the UK, you'll pay 15 % GST in NZ instead + shipping, which, in reality isn't that big if you get a few things sent over.

£850 a month for central London is really cheap, it should be doable in Wellington for shared accomodation, i don't think rent is as high there as it is in Auckland yet. However, your new wage seems quite low for an engineer, i'll be earning more as a chef there.... hmm
Check out areas like lower hutt for rentals though, they should be less than CBD, but easy to commute daily via train / bus, or even cycle, it's only a few miles.

Burgerfuel, as mentioned, is the daddy of burgers in NZ, and the prices subsequently, make up for that, iirc, the bastard (which is awesome), is about $17 (citation needed). However, as also mentioned, look out for the build your own burgers in maccy D's, you can add loads of stuff, it's great fun, but again, go mad with 'extras', you'll pay for it On the whole though, the quality of the burgers at McD's and burgerking, are better than they are here in UK, however, the best thing about BK and Mc'D's, without question, is the frozen fanta / coke, they are a dollar each for a large one and so refreshing, and available all year, you don't get them here in UK, it's one of the major things i miss about NZ.

If you appreciate a good beer, you're in the right place, i think Welly is the craft beer captial of NZ (at least north island), there's some really good stuff being brewed and sold there.

All in all, it is more expensive in NZ to live, but if you're smart, you can make savings, take advantage of sales and promotions where you can.

JCB42

Wow thanks for all the helpful feedback! I may have to see if Selfridges do a membership card for my designer stuff!

Definitely will check out all the burger selections for sure! Byron/Hache and Five Guys have me spoilt atm, and it'll be hard to kick the habit! Haha.

I'm kinda hoping to be placed in Wellington now! It sounds like a great place!
Although I could be in Kaikoura where the recent earthquake was helping with the repairs. But I'm assuming the cost of living will be even lower down there?

So in very brief summary I guess for say $200 a week inc. rates I can expect a fairly nice double bed in Wellington in a building that isn't falling apart? Perhaps $250 for one with an en-suite?


How much is a typical 4G Mobile contract with say 2GB of data in NZ?

escapedtonz

Yes you should be able to find a decent share for $200 a week inclusive of power/internet/water. Good luck on the en suite for $250. I'm sure there'll be one somewhere. I'd expect that weekly cost is too high for a student so there may be a few to choose from?


We pay $39 a month each for a mobile contract with 1GB data that rolls over and only expires after a year.
Have a look at Vodafone, Spark, 2degrees (which we're on) and Skinny. If you have a smartphone, get it unlocked to all networks and bring it with you as it'll work fine here.

sr71

There are better places in NZ, especially Auckland, like Burger Burger. Unfortunately none have those fancy drinks machines however (only ever seen those in 5 Guys)

wez130

Also, if you like pizza, the large pizzas at pizza hut and dominos in NZ are $5 each!
It'll be easy to get fat lol