Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

I find the cost of eating out pretty much identical to back home in the UK

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

Agreed, my parents opened a UK building society account for me in the 70's when I was a toddler to assist with the chances of me getting a mortgage when I was an adult as at that point the longer the relationship you had with the mortgage provider the more likely they were to accept your application

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

My experience of Australia is limited to good old Victoria and from my observations eating out is both cheaper and better quality than the UK. I also find the cost of living for our family lifestyle reasonable in most respects. This obviously depends on your individual expectations and the need to surround ones self with flash stuff.

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

I reckon it's great that the cost of housing has soared and the exchange rate has crumbled and the cost of petrol has gone up and the cost of frangipani stickers for cars has risen. Because now we'll get fewer Dick Whittington style muppets who think the streets are paved with gold and that Oz is some sort of antipodean Narnia. And we might just get a few more people who want to move here because they like the country instead.

Just my two cents.

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

Where's the ROFLOL emoticon? You know, there HAS been a dearth of these sort of posts for quite a while. Nothing wrong with a bit of enthusiasm of course.

I said in my update- come here because Australia offers you something. Come here because you think there's a good fit. Don't swap one life for more of the same.

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

But then perhaps that was the days of the house being 3x income.

If the total sum saved is say GBP4,500 over 40 years, when the point of wanting to buy comes, then it ain't going to cut the mustard if prices are 7* income.

I remember people in London who were saving hard and it made no difference at all. Their several thousand quid meant nothing.This was 10 years ago.

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

I thought was seeing things when I saw $18 for an average sized baked in-store cheesecake in Woolworths the other day. Bit like one of them sara lee ones that cost about 2 quid or so. Thats a piss take surely? Is there really numpties about who think that's value for money? :confused:

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

I'd be OK paying 20 bucks for a main course, or rather a selection which comes with a side salad etc - all the rest - pub food. It's a meal, not a dish.

Now I think about it, paying 12-15ish for a takeaway dish seems expensive, but I remember paying GBP6-8 in London *well* over 10 years ago...can I rely on my memory....

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

I've talked to people that emmigrated and thought that they could buy a beachside property for 2p. As soon as they realised they couldnt they came back. If your only emmigrating for financial reasons your not likely to last long anyway.

The wife and I love the country and the higher cost of living and crappy exchange rate have not put us off. We've just had to resign ourselves to the fact that we will have to get jobs sooner than we originally anticipated.

Costs and property are a big part of any move but if, rather than adjusting your expectations, changes in those factors are enough to put you off entirely, then you probably never really liked Australia that much to begin with.

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

funny how all these thoughts help even if many seem irrelevant!!!

so people, when did measuring the cost of living become linked to eating out with punters as well as economists (big mac index)??? i feel humiliated 80% of the time when eating out - as a biz person it seems so utterly misguided to put valuable resources into a mediocre eating experience. i would love to be in a calmer life where eating out took its rightful back seat... hey, thats where i want to live, a place where i work hard 9 hours a day/ 4 days week and the rest of the time i am watching the spider in my backyard spin its web.

i suppose what i am asking - in a nutshell - is your work time in oz productive enough and your tax rev spent wisely enough that you could care less using the rest of your time watching the weeds blowing in the wind? do the people who eat out mingle with the people who eat in the garden? water issues aside, do you feel the oz way is a sustainable way? another big issue migs often overlook is their children's future - can you see your offspring living in oz once youthful global urges have subsided, will there be something worth staying for?

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

Friends of ours have just moved to perth, MD of a company, only been there 5 weeks and say it is Very expensive compared to Sunshine Coast, which is one of those popular but expensive bits of OZ anyway.

We pay about $13 for a main course curry or thai, huge meals with rice, authentic indian and thai families run them, very high quality, however I think in bris if you floated into a fancy place you could pay $20 I know we have been out for steaks etc that have been $35 and you didnt even get chips/salad:blink:

Sydney IMO is the most expensive bit of OZ for a family, the price of transport X 4, entrance to attractions was hideous, $800 bridge climb anyone!! accom Very expensive and most places wouldnt allow 2 kids in the room with parents. Like sydney but stupid prices compared to LONDON for a family holiday.

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

When I was in Perth last year I was shocked how expensive it was to eat out compared to Melbourne. (And ordinary too.) A former colleague who now works in Perth agreed and said she was also shocked at how much more expensive groceries were in Perth than Melbourne.

We have a handful of "cheap" fantastic takeaways/eateries that we favour - gourmet wood fired pizzas $18 lge; authentic Chinese dumplings/soups/noodle dishes $45 for 3 adults; good Malaysian $55 for 4 adults; cooked breakfast at the Espy $10; parma and a pint $14 (Mon/Tues nites); etc. Just got to know where to go;)

Oh and BTW take out coffee is $3.20:thumbsup:

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

When was housing ever consistently 3x income, especially in places like London or Sydney?

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

Porterhouse steaks, veggies & chips at the Espy in St. Kilda, $9.50 on a weeknight & top quality...I won't be complaining at the cost of eating out, when you struggle to get a Big Mac Meal for the same money here in K*nt :thumbdown:

Re: Is oz as attractive as it was?
 

A Big Mac Meal in Sydney costs about $7. I am struggling to see your point (apart from having a whinge about the UK).