merlotsmum

This can be why the whole "Where is the most expensive place to live" thing is personal, we don't have kids so this was a cost we don't have to find, so we felt we got more for our $$$ in Oz

NickyP

Must agree in general the schools here are excellent (you will still get some bad ones anywhere though).
We are living in regional Victoria and hubby earns about the same as he did when we lived in the UK about 3 years ago so can't complain at all. We have 4 kids 3 at school and are sending them to the local Catholic schools costing approx $3000 for all 3 including camps etc (an extra $600 for our eldest's books to start his VCE year 11 but then he has picked the expensive subjects ). I have nothing against the state school system here and may well be teaching in it myself soon enough. It is important that would be expats don't think that they have to send their kids to private school here but they also need to be aware that the private are usually far cheaper than in the UK and a choice for those that can afford it. Also most church schools will charge fees. Our kids could have gone to any of the local schools here and would have been OK in them all probably however we are happy with the choices that we have made.
In general we cannot comment on the cost of living here as we are still having to pay the start up costs of moving to a new country as we have only been here a couple of months. I spend a roughly equivalent amount in shopping and am starting to look at local butchers etc to bring the bills down. Some things are cheaper some more expensive but overall we will be able to live on hubby's wage probably but I will return to work part time as soon as our youngest is at school as having a family with 4 kids isn't cheap no matter where you are. Our big kick in the teeth financially will be buying a house as we will have to look at a large house but don't have a huge deposit from selling a house in the UK. Most people work their way up the housing ladder to get the size of house that we need but we will have to go straight in there which will be painful (no surprises there). I dread to think how it would be if we were in the city at least here things are a little more affordable.
We are happy here and wouldn't change it for anything but it will take a while to find our feet financially and people should be aware that moving to another country is probably the biggest financial risk that most of us will ever take.
Nicky

woodyinoz

Whoops - sorry

For us hubby is taking home way less and there isn't much family tax as it is means tested... for us we were and hopefully will be far better off in the UK.

Luckily we don't need private schools as the state schools here are excellent

Holidays for me are what have been the biggest killer. We can manage just fine on normal day to day living and after school activities but there is never the $5K left for a basic holiday... yess I know that we could camp and we do but I always wanted my kids to experience different countries. I also don't wish to live in fear of an interest rate hike :scared:

Plus I would like to think that I can go back to visit the UK every couple of years.

People coming out really do need to do there homework or come with the idea of an adventure like we did.

ABCDiamond

That is correct.

However, where do they do there homework ? Not in here So many different opinions.

Some say UK is Cheaper others say Australia is Cheaper.
Some say they will earn $1 for every £ earned in the UK, other say they will earn $2 for each £, and others again earn even more, but some even less than the $1 - £1
Some say the weather is terrible in Australia, others say it is great.


Who do they believe ? I started in this forum over 2 year ago, and this debate will NEVER end, it will NEVER be decided, because we are all different.

Some of us do spend less than we did in the UK, and even earn more than we did in the UK.
Others will get lower wages, and pay higher prices.

It can depend a lot on what you do, where you go, how lucky you are, etc etc.

I've read posts that say: I've been here for xx weeks/months, and I know what I am talking about, others use statistics to prove the point (me included), others say statistics/averages mean nothing, (and depending how they are used, that can also be correct)

People will never know till they try it, so..... as you said "come with the idea of an adventure", see how it grabs you, don't be afraid to allow change into your life. But if you don't want change, be prepared to return to what you previously had.

This isn't the UK with a FEW differences. We eat different foods, we drive different cars, we use different words, we are different.

I say "we", even though I am still not an Australian citizen, but I feel more like one now.
I suppose that comes with having spent almost half my adult life here now, but not all in one go


My own opinion ? It's the same as some and different to others. But we live comfortably on one "average" wage. We also lived on one wage in the UK, but I prefer it this way round, (my wife works this time )

ABCDiamond

2 x Iceberg Lettuce for 99 cents (yes, that 44.5c each)

and Watermelon 19 cents Kg
and Plums 99c Kg

and Chickens ? 5 for $10 (yes, that $2 each)

It took me years before I found the best places to buy things

cam_uk

Jammy sod!!!

cam_uk

Is this info on your website??? (i.e the locations of such bargains)

If not .. i'm coming shopping with you

ABCDiamond

It's in the local paper, I get the time to read it these days

PS: It's in the same shopping centre, in Capalaba, as my Butchers. You know... the one with Rump Steak at $4.99 or $5.99 kg. The $5.99 one was really tender, but the $4.99 one was a little bit tougher.


I post that sort of "Local" info on the Bayside site at times

mr mover

This whole thread is really a waste,of time every state in a Australia has different costs/taxes/earning potential. Living in Darwin is in some cases dearer than Melbourne, Adelaide ,Hobart cheaper in some cases than any where up the "East coast"
Perth cheaper ,but has access costs ,different than the rest of the country,go and live in Roxby Downs , a mining town on the edge of the simpson desert, the only super market in town ! just been taken over by Woolworth's [go check those prices] but the average wage in Roxby is around $85000 per -annum .
It seems ludicrous to even try and compare Australia, to a country that is part of Europe, and its Economy..................... mm

fraser

I think you'll find that they're 49.5 cents each

Still bloody cheap though

Amazulu

If LPG is so great & Australia so ahead, why are there so many V8 & V6 petrol cars/4x4s/utes here? LPG is in the minority.

ABCDiamond

You know, I thought it looked wrong when I typed it, but I double checked it, and still got the same answer !!

God, this is almost as embarrasing as the time I submitted a set of accounts to the Bank with a $500,000 error on the balance sheet !! (OK - that was a tad worse )

Now I know I am getting old, i'm losing it ............

ABCDiamond

Possibly because petrol has been so cheap, not many have bothered about it ?

mr mover

a lot of vehicles are "dual fuel" run on either LPG, or petrol. You just switch one to the other, my mate tows a 4 horse float from Adelaide to Broken Hill for the races ,using LPG all the way average cost 55c,s a litre thats in a Ford F100 302 cu inch v8....... mm

blairdoesntcare

good point regarding your sisters shopping bill - but are you converting the Oz dollars to Uk Pounds ? If you are then you have forgotten that its different earning dollars than spending converted UK Pounds.. I earn over $120,000 AUD and find the place as expensive as Hampshire in England.