3Pirrets2Oz

Hello all!

Just about ready to submit our visa application this week, and have been trying rather unseccessfully to utilise the search facility to find the answers in relation to the cost of living per month - in particular for a family of 3 in the Brisbane area! We will be looking to rent a 3/4 bed house if that helps.

Anyone who may be able to help with a list of figures, it would be very much appriciated or any appropriate links to previous posts?!

Also if anyone knows what the avarage salary for a carpenter is at the moment that would also be appriciated(hubby has 8 years experience behind him If it's relevant to payscales)

Thank you guys

G, A & K

DadAgain

OK the above is completely 'off-the cuff', subject to huge variances. Most prices can be beaten if you can be bothered to seek out better deals:

HOUSING
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Rent (3/4 bed house): $300-$700 p.w. (depending on area and quality)
Purchase Cost: $400K-$1M+ (again depending on area and quality)
Rates (not if renting): $500 per qtr
Water: $200 per qtr
Electricity: $400-$600 per qtr (depending on amount of aircon used)
House Insurance: $100 per month

CARS
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10 year old family hatchback: $6k
Registration: $400 per 6 months (4 cylinder)
Insurance: $500 per year (assuming good no claims history)
Service: $200-$500... (more if extensive work required)
Fuel: $1.50 a litre..... ~$80 a tank...(last us generally a week and a half - obviously that depends on how you figure out your life!)
Commuter Buses/Trains: $40-100 per week (depending on distance)

Speeding fines: $200 a year.. (yeah technically possible to can avoid them - but probably safer to include them in the budget!)



FOOD
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Weekly grocery shop: $200-$400
BigMac Meal: $7.95
'Decent' eat out: $30-$50 per person
Carton of Beer (24 x275ml): $50

HOLIDAYS
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Flight to UK in peak periods: $2000-$2500 per person
Week all inclusive in Fiji: $1000-$1500 per person
Local Hotel/Apartment by Beach: $200-$400 per night

Steve2009

There should be absolutely no need to pay $500 comprehensive insurance on a $6,000 car in my opinion. Put the money in the bank in case you need to buy a new one. This will be a far better use of your money. I don't believe NCB has any bearing on CTP insurance.

EDIT: It is a very good and useful list though. Well done and thanks.

asprilla

Other bits and pieces to add to Dadagain's list:


Wine
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cheap bottle from dan murphy's $2 - $5
cleanskins $4 - $8
regular bottle $8 - $20, (big selection around $10 - $15)
decent bottle $20 - $40


Internet
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Go to forums.whirlpool.net.au to get an understanding of all the variables here.

Put aside $40 - $100 per month for broadband.

DadAgain

oh shoudl have added:

ENTERTAINMENT:
============
Internet: $60 per month (unlimited ADSL2+)
Phone: $5 per month (VOIP - unlimited calls AUS & UK)
Mobile: $30- $50 per month
Foxtel: $??? (No fr&^king way am I paying for that sh&t!)
Hard Disk Space: $100 a year (I seem to need a new TB or so a year for all the TV I watch... of course I could go a deleting spree and free up some old space - but its easier to through in another drive and carry on as before....)

fish.01

CTP is not enough either IMO.

Steve2009

You might be able to clarify the difference between CTP and comprehensive? I understand that CTP covers you for third party damage to persons or property? Comprehensive also covers you for damage to your own vehicle? There must be something (i.e. cover) I'm missing here.

Edit: I just found it myself. CTP does not cover third party property. Apologies DadAgain. Luckily I've always had comprehensive so this isn't an issue, but it is a worry if you get hit that the offending party won't have the money to pay and your NCB get's hit.

fish.01

That is the British (and possibly Irish?) definition of CTP I think. In Australia CTP only covers third party person not property. To cover hitting someone else's mercedes you need either fully comprehensive or just the optional 3rd party property cover.

Steve2009

Yep, my car is up for sale a the moment but someone hitting it while uninsured would be my main concern. I wonder how many of the maniacs who use their vehicles like weapons around here have 3rd party property cover. Thanks.

fish.01

You often get given Rating 1 For Life status in Australia after some years of clean driving so crashes don't affect it...from some companies anyway.

bingobob777

Been here in Brisbane 2 months and here's my figures for a family of four a month

Rent 3910.71 - 900 a week
Phone/Broadband 59.99 - TPG unlimited ADSL2
Mobiles 120 - HTC Desire and Samsung - Telstra
AAMI Contents Insurance 37.75 - AAMI
Gas/Electricity 170.58 - ALG energy
Go Card 147.2 - 3 zones, 10 journeys a week
Shopping 1000 - struggling with this so far though to be honest
Gym 60
Car Insurance 30 - 15,000km from Pay as you drive insurance
Car New Mazda CX-7 - $1,200 fully maintained on novated lease

3Pirrets2Oz

Hi everyone!

Thank you all very much for your responses
Give's us a good starting point.

Starting to realise that it's not the skills test and visa application that involves time and effort - just as well i've started to dig around early!
Decided i'm going to start putting together some spreasheets

A few questions - from your posts, it would seem that its normal and allowed to have no insurance cover for your car - is this the case(madness IMO)

Gas - dosen't seem to be mentioned very often - do people use Electricity for most things?

Could someone advise how often bills are paid in Oz? Weekly/Monthly/Quarterly?

On another topic - we managed to get some figures for avarage carpenters wages - can anyone tell me what percentage of pay is taken of in tax - trying to figure out what we would actually have left at worst and best

Ohh, one other thing - cant believe holidays for fiji are so cheap we decided we are not going to holiday outside of Australia for the first year or two - too much to explore there - however - guess where i'll be booking for our first holiday

Thank you thank you thank you xxx

Hoolio1972

Been here in Brisbane 8 months and here's my figures for a family of 3 per month

Rent 510 a week (on acre with roos in the garden, 26km south)
Phone/Broadband 110 / mth
Mobiles 100 / mth- HTC Desirex2 (Telstra - crap customer service, but by far best coverage)
Contents Insurance 40/ mth
Electricity 130/mth
petrol (cheap) $110 / week (2 cars: combined we do about 600- 800k/ week)
Shopping 300/ week (you can shop arround to get costs down)
Car Insurance 40/ mth GETZ
45/ mth Great Wall 4x4

Car New Great Wall - $155/ week - for years loan
I had novated lease quotes - and there was no benefit (very marginal)


Other things to consider is:
Medical insurance (we dont have any - medicare is fine - we havent been out of pocket yet, for the times we used it)
Life insurance

======
Whether you do or dont have a job - be sure to go to centre link the day you arrive. If you are a permanent resident you will get rent assistance, child benefit and % of childcare costs. Its not allot, but in the early weeks/ months, every little helps. (and besides you have paid a fortune to the OZ government to be here: think of it as a tax rebate, lol) Its paid very quickly.
We got 90% childcare paid, which helped allot, giving us free time to check out areas to rent, secure rental and also interviews for jobs. (so that we could relax!)

Pollyana

Beware though, at the end of the tax year when you do your tax return you may find some of the child benefit and rent allowance being reclaimed by the government as they are means tested on a yearly basis.

Hoolio1972

Fair point, I know.

We over estimated our earnings at the very begining. We are actually due a few $k take return

I do know of others, that underestimated (knowingly) and will be due a big tax bill. I guess its swings and roundabouts . . .

as long as you/ we are aware