Beoz

http://www.smh.com.au/executive-styl...816-1iwhr.html

saveme

One expects to pay more for quality.

Bix

These reports look in from the outside so mean very little.

The expense of living anywhere is what you can procure for the money you earn within that country.

chris955

Something I've noticed with these things is that if London is shown to be the 5th most expensive city in the world people will say well yes I dont know how people living there survive but when London is way behind Sydney the surveys are largely irrelevant

Dreamy

Its not that its irrelevant, its more to do with how they work it out. The strong AUD will have a big effect on such tables when day to day living isn't judged on how strong the dollar is.

This bit in the article had more meaning

That is at least relevant to most people.

chris955

I guess my point was that all these surveys seem to come up with a different result and individuals read into them whatever they want to either to make themselves feel better about a move away from 'home' or a return or simply about where they live. Mortgage stress is on the increase especially in the Western Sydney suburbs so the issue isnt just related to visitors.

Bix

I think your point is the same as always and already well known to most viewers of the forum. You are moving to the UK so need to justify that decision to yourself.

Unfortunately you have a two track mind:

If something good about Aus is discussed you strive to show it's equally good in the UK.

If something bad about the UK is discussed you strive to show it's equally bad in Aus.

The majority of people don't give a damn and accept there are good and bad about both countries and are happy to discuss both independently.

chris955

I don't get what you are saying at all. Anyone reading these surveys will read into it whatever they want to regardless of where they are living or where they are going.
I have absolutely no need to justify our move whatsoever. I'm not quite sure how this became about me ?
Do you question those who only see good here and bad in the UK ? I haven't noticed if you do.
My wife reckons I have a one track mind but that's a whole new thread.

Beoz

When New York was the most expensive place in the world to live it didn't stop 10 million+ people from living there. Wages were higher and that added to what was left in the pocket every week.

Generally, Sydney is expensive, and is so compared to London, but salaries are higher therefore still makes it an attractive place to live.

fish.01

The irrefutable fact of these cost of living surveys is they are usually based in US dollars. So if your currency fluctuates against the US dollar your cost of living ranking increases or decreases despite whether it has become more or less expensive to live in your city. This makes them all largely useless for ranking true cost of living.

This explains it:

Many of the world’s regions have switched places in the UBS rankings as currencies fluctuated in the wake of the financial crisis. London, the second most expensive city in the 2006 review, plummeted nearly 20 places following the pound’s steep devaluation, landing in the middle of the Western European rankings. Currency devaluation pushed down prices in many emerging market cities as well. Prices slipped the most in Mexico City, Moscow and Seoul.

(Source: http://www.citymayors.com/economics/...e_cities1.html)


And from UBS themselves:

World currencies strengthen against US dollar

Sydney continues its storm to the top of our rankings, now holding 7th place. To some extent this development can be explained by the Australian dollar’s continued appreciation against both the US dollar (19%) and the euro 5%). However, Sydney is just one of many cities that have seen a jump in their rankings. This is in contrast to the American cities we surveyed which now hold much lower positions. The most expensive American city is New York, occupying rank 14. Typically, New York was featured in the top ten in the past. This can be attributed to the general depreciation of the US dollar versus the world’s other currencies. On average, our surveyed cities’ currencies appreciated by 9% against the US dollar, with those who did so considerably being: the Swedish krona (21%), the Swiss franc (20%) and the Hungarian forint (19%). This has caused a pronounced fall in US cities’ rankings.

(Source: http://www.ubs.com/2/e/medlib/wmr/pd...hne_2011_e.pdf)

Beoz

I do agree. Currency fluctuations are a big driver on these lists. But one question ..... where is Melbourne and Perth?

fish.01

Don't know, maybe they only do major world cities?

The Mercer survey has them:

Asia Pacific

Australian cities have witnessed some of the most dramatic jumps in the ranking as the local currency has gained almost 14 per cent against the US dollar. Sydney (14) is up ten places, Melbourne has moved from rank 33 to 21 and Perth has surged 30 places to reach rank 30. Up 44 places, Adelaide (46) is the country’s highest riser.

saveme

Someone compared Sydney with New York City. Good point as Sydney is Australia's 'Big Apple.'

Once you live here and learn to love it, you won't go anywhere else.

ozzieeagle

I wonder what it would take in the rest the world for Melbourne to be seen as Australias premier city. It's been there before... and currently on target to do it again. 15 to 20 years in terms of overtaking Sydneys population.

This article has Melbourne as the 7th most expensive city ...

http://www.smh.com.au/money/sydney-m...707-1h496.html

moneypenny20

Melbourne is in Victoria and Perth's in WA.

I'll get my coat.......