IndieG

I've seen so many figures - but the one that really scared me was Dean's figure of $200,000 p.a. to live a "comfortable life" for a family with 2 kids in Melbourne.

I have a fair idea of how much a house is going to cost me to rent or buy; education; medical; entertainment...etc.

Am just trying to get an idea of our basic living costs -would be great if some of you could share your average bills for:

Food+Groceries (family of 4)

Utilities (water; rates; insurance; gas; electricity)- say a 4 bed, without a pool

Internet

Mobile Phone

Reg+Ins+petrol - a mid sized salon

Tia

movin'on

OK Perth
4 bed house no pool nice average area $500 per month
fast internet, satellite tv all channels & phone (few foreign calls) $200
electric and gas $150 a month(more in summer with a/c)
car insurance and petrol $200 min, car loan $800 per month (3 yrs $20K)
food 2 adults, 3 children all under 6 $1600 a month

we also have mortgage in UK and others so my estimate is that $120K is comfortable but it depends if you have debt etc on top and want to ever to on holiday, then you need more. Melbourne is cheaper overall but money not as good

IndieG

Great - thanks for that, movin'on

DibDob

$500 a month for a 4 bedroom house is not very typical is it????

$1600 a month on food??? what the heck do you eat Gold??

LittleKittyCat

We are in Sydney and manage just fine on hubbys salary of $69000. There are hubby and I and two children. However, we have no debt at all. No car loans/credit cards or anything else. We paid for things like house insurance/car insurance and for cars etc upfront - that makes a big difference.

Food, we spend about $200-250 per week, but we have both children in nappies which are fairly expensive. Petrol, it costs about $75 per tank and I fill mine every other week, hubbys once a month (only uses it for going to and from the train station at the moment). Utilities, phone/broadband comes to about $130 per month and that is with calls to the UK about every other day. This will drop a bit now our UK house has sold and we don't need to talk to EA/solicitor etc. Don't have Foxtel or anything. Water rates, don't know yet - we had a burst hot water tank so the landlord paid our first water rates bill. Don't have gas and electricity I would guess at about $125-$150 per month, but we have been using electric heaters in the childrens bedrooms and also the tumble dryer because it has rained lots recently. I have a $50 pre-paid on my mobile phone every three months, hubby uses $150 worth of calls a month but (for some reason I can't fathom) it only costs $29. That is with Vodafone.

Your shopping bills are more expensive to start with because you will be stocking up your basics cupboard (plus everything is exciting so it is all "Ooh, lets try that, Ahh, shall I get one of those"!). However, after a couple of months that all settles down.

I guess you cut your cloth to fit. My hubby took a pay cut to come here, but I am a stay at home mum to our children. So either we had to live within our means, or I would have to work which I don't want to do until the children are at school. I would rather do without certain luxuries but have the life I want.

avi

By these prices we wont be able to survive. When we come over next year I will be on a new grad wage of around $48,493 a year there will be 4 of us 2 kids 2 adults we will have approx £20,000 british pounds to bring with us.

The figures quoted especially food is more than we spend in uk. Our income in Uk is £19,000 joint income with a mortgage car loan etc which is why we thought we would be able to cope but what you tell means we wont so very confused now.

Will be a new grad at Townsville Qld

DibDob

You will be able to, you just have to live within your means. There will be people earning less than you and surviving!!!

LittleKittyCat

Just bear in mind that we are in Sydney and as I say we manage fine on hubbys salary. Rents here are extortionately high (we will be paying way less per month on a mortgage when we have found a house to buy), so that is a factor. Just had a look at domain, and rents in Townsville are far, far lower than what we pay in Sydney.

IndieG

Karma for all that info

Deancm

I was going to say the same. You could probably quadruple that. And groceries, easily $400/ week.

Vash the Stampede

I'd multiply by six, actually. By eight if we're talking about anywhere within 10km of the CBD. Allow $700/ week for groceries; $400 might get you a few bargains at Coles, but you'll want to eat better than that.

DibDob

Guys seriously how do you spend £200 a week on food??

We spend £40 here at the mo in the uk and eat well??? Its been a little while since i was last in oz but can food really have gone up that much??

DibDob

Now you are having a laugh are you not?????

£350 a week on food does the queen even spend that much?? most people in the UK dont even take that much money home each week!!!!

Deancm

Townsville? The last place you want to go.

Deancm

Go shopping in Coles. They are practically running a monopoly and can charge what they want. In the last five years, the cost of groceries has doubled.

And Vash, when I saw the price of groceries whe I returned, I nearly had a heart attack!!!