Me and my partner are looking to make the move to auz, and the type of work that i would be doing would be about $85k AUD.
As i don't know about living cost in auz can anyone give advice how this stacks up against average wage, and if its possable for a couple to live (not lavish lifestyle) combined on this salary?
Cheers
WN

Average Full Time Ordinary Time Earnings 2010

State Average Annual Wage
Tasmania $55,103
South Australia $59,223
Northern Territory $61,771
Victoria $62,748
Queensland $63,866
New South Wales $65,707
Western Australia $70,210
Capital Territory $75,348

Australia’s best-paid workers are miners, with ordinary earnings averaging A$103,111 a year

Average Full Time Ordinary Time Earnings February 2010 By Industry

Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurants $46,306
Retail Trade $48,703
Other Services $50,742
Arts and Recreation Services $56,971
Manufacturing $58,292
Transport, Postal, Warehousing $60,018
Health Care and Social Assistance $62,036
Wholesale Trade $62,457
Administrative and Support Services $62,884
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services $63,175
Construction $65,816
Public Administration and Safety $68,177
Education and Training $68,921
Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services $71,557
Financial and Insurance Services $76,487
Information Media and Telecommunications $77,033
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services $77,761
Mining $103,111

My wife and I lived a comfortable lifestyle, with 2 kids, on less than that in Brisbane.

depends on where you want to live, lifestyle to which you would like to become accustomed, whether you shop at Fortnums and Masons or Liddl ?

Most people could happily manage on that income... but I'm not sure Sarah Ferguson could...

Cheers for the answers, puts a bit of perpective on things.
Eddie, indeed a lot depends on outgoings and standard of living, I guess i have a pretty low to normal standard of living in u.k, drive a 15 year old car and shops at tesco's, but am perfectly happy with my lot
I just wanted to make sure that that wage would cover both me and my partner during any periods that she is out of work.
Cheers
WN

Well the prvious posters say yes it will... but I'll say the opposite. No it won't.
You will find it tough going in any of the major cities on a single income of $85k pa

The creature speaks truly.

It really depends where you plan to live. $85k will do you very nicely in rural Victoria, for example, but won't keep you in any level of style and comfort in inner Melbourne or Sydney.

You don't say where your job's based - I'm guessing major metro? Whether its a goer or not depends hugely on where you're headed to.

Its about what I live on in outer Melbourne - and if the missis doesn't get back to work next year, we'll be selling the kids for medical experiments.

Or maybe just putting some stuff on ebay. We'll see.

I agree - 85k single income in the major cities will be do-able but not all that comfortable. I doubt it would even be do-able in Sydney, although of course there are people there on much less, heavens knows how they do it.

It all depends on your housing costs. Chrissystevo says "My wife and I lived a comfortable lifestyle, with 2 kids, on less than that in Brisbane.".....and I'm willing to bet that his housing costs are very low (e.g. mortgage of less than $130k... Please confirm whether I'm right or not!).


If you are coming over with no $$$, then $85k will not be enough to give a comfortable lifestyle for 2, as the housing costs will be high. However if you have a lump sum of cash, perhaps through selling a house in the uk, then you'll be able to purchase a house with only a small homeloan.... consequently, $85k will be plenty.

Swings and roundabouts! I reckon on $85k with a married tax allowance you would take home about $1250 - 1300 a week. Maybe a bit more (I dont actually know what the married tax allowance is)

Even if your rent was $500 a week (you'll pay more than this in inner cities probably) that still leaves you with $800. $100 - 200 for bills dependant on what kind of consumers you are, $100 for yer car/travel costs, $200 for groceries and you've still got $300 to spend on beer.

To give you a comparison my weekly outgoings are this (I'm only paying for me though) :-

Rent $380
Electric $25 (averaged out over 6 months including winter bill)
Phone/mobile/t'internet $35
Petrol $50
Other car costs (loan/insurance etc) $75
Groceries $50 - 80
Water $5 (I dont have a pool)

Total $590.

Even if you double all the costs except rent - you'll still have cash to spare.

These lot must eat out 3 times a day, spend their whole lives on the phone, with the air con and the car running whilst letting the pool overflow.

We used to manage on $65k a year, with a 95% mortgage, before I started work last year (and yes, we even have a pool) There are 4 of us (one being a very hungry 17 year old!)

We weren't exactly rolling in it, but we didn't go without anything either.

My work mate and his wife manage to survive on $40k a year, and he owns his own apartment by the beach! He has to eat rice all the time, but hey ho

Seriously, it can be done providing you live within your means

Married Tax allowance... does that even exist?

No idea. I know you get let off with more medicare stuff if you've got a missus. I dont have a missus. He'd still net $1200 ish from 85k though I reckon.

Hmmmmn
Im getting worried now I will be on a wage of around $50k with a hubby and 2 kids in WA near nedlands and have bben looking at houses for around $400-$500 a week rent.

Will I be able to manage? We will be bringing over about £4K what I can manage to save etc?