m4t_lee

Hi All,

I've not moved yet but we're just about to apply for our Visa, i was under the impression that if i were to earn around 70 - 80k i should be comfortable and the wife wouldn't have to work, is this far from the truth? I am a IT Infrastructure Tech.

Also food bills, we spend no more than 120 AUD a week here, is food really 300 AUD a week? We have 2 little ones.

Cheers,

Mat

jodeandsteve

Well im in Bonnie Scotland, and we are seriously thinking of moving to Oz. I was born there so i still have my ozzie passport- been here 28 years though. But the so called crap wages are freakin me out, is it that exspensive to live in Oz- we were hoping it will be cheaper- less electricty and gas for a start!! I ve worked out the amount in sterling and i too would be happy with that! And i do work! Surely you can spend more time out and about! Not the cinema every week as we poor scots have to do as its peeing down the whole year round!!! Please lets hear some positives of life down under!!!!!!!

Paula223

Hey look its not all doom and gloom,believe me you will love it and never look back,everywere as its positives and negatives but you will have lots more positives,look forward and never look back!!!

Downies

Hi - my other half is a plumber based here in Perth, the salaries here vary too according to other plumbers he met at the TAFE during his water regs course. He seemed to be on the best hourly rate of $32. He is licenced, but doesnt carry a contractors licence and does commercial/industrial plumbing only.
The rent here is on average $300 to $350 per week depending on which suburb you settle in - thats for a 3x1.
We manage only because we dont have a family and I also work.
Paula

Mike and Kathy

I think the cost of living is really high here. We have four kids and on a regular basis our shopping is above 450.00. If, and when, we get it under 400 we find ourselves going to the shops mid-week. Our latest gas bill (winter in Melbourne) is 319.96, water for a quarter is 88.65, electricity for a quarter is 448.81, Foxtel minimum is 36.00 roughly, full package with no pause/record facilities about 115.00 per month, our internet costs us 65.00 per month with Bigpond and we use this to make all our phone calls which keeps our telstra bill lower than it was before we got Bigpond and it is at 63.00 per month. (We make all our overseas calls using VOIP which throws the call to our landline and is free for some destinations and almost free 0.05 euro's for other destinations). Petrol is about 149.00 and its good to get autogas because that's as low as 49.00c. Rent varies as do mortgage payments and you have to pay for everything for your kids dental, childcare/school books, if not the schools themselves - here in Melbourne everyone seems to send their children to private schools. You have to pay for private health care too, if you don't and you earn over 50,000 you will be taxed an extra 2% of your wage as a penalty, so go to iselect.com. au and look up what cover will cost you - for my family its over 250.00 per month - we haven't taken it up yet because we are still within our year, and we can't afford it anyway. We have some Scottish friends my husband was working with going home in December because they are fed up with feeling poor - they both work, their son is 18 and finishing school in December, they have been here 2 years and as soon as he finishes school their flight is booked for the following day. He is a plumber. I know another couple, both nurses, and for them its better wages here than at home so they love it - its so difficult to say how you will manage your money but its worth knowing that it is expensive here.

Wendy

It's $50k for a single person and $100k for a family

Mike and Kathy

Hey thanks, every little helps. Can you tell me which health care provider is $100 for a family per month. When I punched our details into iselect.com the cheapest quote was for $250.00 with hospital cover and dental, but I would definitely want to know about the cheaper one so we have something to look at before the end of the year.

Amazulu

It's 1%.

Wendy

I've found medibank to be the cheapest so far. www.medibank.com.au

You can choose the level of cover you want, and only need the basic cover to exempt you from the extra loading.

Mike and Kathy

Medicare were good - but why didn't that option come up on iselect.com when they advertise that site as being the one to go to for a really comparision of health options. Anyway, the blue ribbon service was $75.00 which included the dental, which we really need, but doesn't include hospital cover, but do the public hospitals offer a service that is completely free if you are hospitalised, ie would the scans and xrays and everything be free. Its a shame there isn't a book about what to do when you get to Oz, there is plenty of help and advice when you try and get the visa.

ozzieeagle

HCF do a family one (two kids) for 185 bucks per month, that covers everything, including dental, to the tune of 70 pct rebate. It does have cut off limits like 500 bucks rebate per year per family member for the dental though.

Wendy

iSelect only have the companies that 'pay' them for their space So medibank obviously don't

I think you pay for scans, x-rays etc. Not sure if that's in all hospitals or not. If you take your receipt into a medicare office they will refund some of it.

Have you checked your kids school, some have a school dentist which is free.

m4t_lee

Hi Mike and Cathy,

That was a great post thanks, really gives me a good idea of what things cost over there. They don't seem quite as cheap as i first thought but on the other hand i've roughly worked out we should be ok one one wage which is a little load off my mind

jan&co

Have you tried Australian Unity?

andybow

hi could u tell me how much plasterers r on a hour we r thinking of comming soon and would like a idea of the wages thank andy