Thought it may be of help for any one looking at costs:-

I have done a comparison of costs I have in Oz against the costs in the UK I am on almost the same salary in OZ as in the UK:

Food 5% in uk 6 % in oz
Rates 3.2% uk 1.6% oz
Petrol 0.6% uk 1.2% oz
School 0%uk 1% oz
Elec 1.2% uk 2.5% Oz

I have done a % of salary after all deductions. Thought other could add their experience

My experience is that I spend less on most things apart from food where it is about the same. My electric is more but I run air con and heating along with a pool so you are not comparing like with like. If I didn't have those things my electric would be cheaper. I spend more on childrens activites because there is more to do here than my area back in the UK.

Presumably you are intending to drive four times the distance in Oz as you do in the UK given petrol is about half price here compared to the UK?

yes driving further but I would expect most people do over here.

And also the cars most people drive are much thirstier.

Not sure if thats true. Only some of the local made cars the bogans drive