Johnny DT

I am looking to move to Perth.

My salary in the UK (£40k) is about double the national average. In Australia someone in my job would earn $120k - $150k, which I understand is about double the national average. This would therefore suggest that I'm not better off. However if I earn £40k in the Uk, but earn £65k in Oz ($130,000), and the cost of living is about the same, then suggests that I should be better off.....

I know it's not simple, but broadly speaking based on the above am I going to be better off financially?

Pollyana

So you're saying that whichever country you are in you expect to be earning doublethe national average? In my experience you will end up spending at least the same percentage of your wage on living expenses, if not more, so I would expect you to probably end up on about the same standard of living.

bluekipper

It amazes me that deciding to move countries has to be about wages (for some), surely its about a change of scenery and quality of life? weather etc?

each to their own, but I for one dont let this enter my head, as long as I have enough to pay my bills & have food, il be very grateful

Bluekipper

Kapri

According to the national statistics people, the median wage for a male in the U.K is actually £27,092 so your salary is not double.
The average Australian wage for a male is $69,997.

Will you be the sole earner?

MartinH

You would think they would throw in the extra $3 and call it an even $70 k wouldn't you?

iamthecreaturefromuranus

All the scenery and weather in the world won't make a difference if you don't have a pot to piss in. If you have a family in tow then your potential earnings have to be right up there as one of the first things to think about.

garyp

arh well the $50000 I have been offered means I have not got a pot to piss in and i am way below the average
How do families survive on this kind of salary in oz if its less than average?

iamthecreaturefromuranus

They "do it tough" in true Australian fashion. $50k a year will be hard work.

macy

It will be tough, you will if you have children get some help from centrelink but Australia is an expensive country, make no mistake living on $50K with a family will not be easy, no free medical care, no free dental care, no free presciptions for children under 16 and the cost food is expensive. We did it for a year on slightly less than $50K with a family of 4 and it was depressing how little we had left over each week.

MartinLuther

I'm not sure it's right to say that there's no free medical care. I've had loads of 'free' medical care here. Also, I would have also thought that someone on $50k with kids would have had access to a Health Card which gives access to free dental for kids.

ABCDiamond

The extra FTB they/we get

MartinLuther

I did read a few years ago during Peter Costello's reign (God Bless Him ) that someone on $40k with a 2 kid family would effectively be paying no tax as the benefits would be equal to the tax paid. I suspect with the increases in LITO that this figure is now higher.

ABCDiamond

no free medical care I disagree
no free dental care I disagree *
no free presciptions for children under 16 I agree
the cost food is expensive I disagree

* Note: School children do get some free dental services; the school dental vans, the free annual check up for teenagers.
However, most of it is paid for, unlike the free dental service for everyone in the UK.

I agree that a family of 4 on only about 70% of the average male wage would find it tough, probably in either country.

ABCDiamond

An interesting thought.. I just checked ours.. we paid $2,400 net after tax rebate and FTB payments.. oh but... we also got back about $1,800 in stimulus, so we have only contributed about $600 in tax this year

And our income is pretty close to the average...

MartinLuther

Sponger