Question re salary
Dec 16th 2015, 12:18 am
#32
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 297
Re: Question re salary
My brother in Sydney pays more than I do for a single bedroom flat than I do for a 3 bedroom house with front and back garden, garage and all. His commute time is 2 hours, mine is 20 minutes.
If he moves up here on the same wage it will be in essence a 30% pay rise not to mention the improvement in lifestyle.
Dec 16th 2015, 12:58 am
#33
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Scotland
Posts: 3,337
Re: Question re salary
Rubbish Sacrifices would have to be made but a liveable lifestyle could definitely be maintained. Someone on that salary would also qualify for a load of mumbo jumbo welfare and tax breaks and would effectively pay little income tax given our seriously imbalanced tax system How do low and middle income earners manage in your country given that Australia has an overall higher standard of living than the US?
Dec 16th 2015, 2:08 am
#35
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Question re salary
Perhaps it is a myth but I do have a single counter example.
My brother in Sydney pays more than I do for a single bedroom flat than I do for a 3 bedroom house with front and back garden, garage and all. His commute time is 2 hours, mine is 20 minutes.
If he moves up here on the same wage it will be in essence a 30% pay rise not to mention the improvement in lifestyle.
My brother in Sydney pays more than I do for a single bedroom flat than I do for a 3 bedroom house with front and back garden, garage and all. His commute time is 2 hours, mine is 20 minutes.
If he moves up here on the same wage it will be in essence a 30% pay rise not to mention the improvement in lifestyle.
A 2 hour commute .... ouch ..... that would pretty much mean he drives from one end of Sydney to the other through the western suburbs. Coupling that with a bad salary it sounds like he needs a full re-assessment of things. ....
Life is too short to put up with that type of commute.
Dec 16th 2015, 2:58 am
#36
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Dec 16th 2015, 4:10 am
#37
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,809
Re: Question re salary
Yes those are harder to gauge but here's what I spend per week:
Phone - $10
Internet - $20
Petrol - $50
Train/bus - $35
Parking - $0
Health insurance - $0 (doesn't seem worth paying)
Car insurance - $0 (my car is cheap and I am unlikely to total another car)
Total: $115
This is Brisbane not Sydney, its much cheaper.
Phone - $10
Internet - $20
Petrol - $50
Train/bus - $35
Parking - $0
Health insurance - $0 (doesn't seem worth paying)
Car insurance - $0 (my car is cheap and I am unlikely to total another car)
Total: $115
This is Brisbane not Sydney, its much cheaper.
If I had no debts that salary would be fine, even with going out a fair bit. Its an OO6 Qld Govt salary, which is around a high level AO4/low AO5. Perfectly liveable - I have many mates who will attest to that as they do it every week. And thats without welfare or handouts as the government doesn't like us childless types enough to give us any cash 
Dec 16th 2015, 10:31 am
#38
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Question re salary
Rubbish
Sacrifices would have to be made but a liveable lifestyle could definitely be maintained. Someone on that salary would also qualify for a load of mumbo jumbo welfare and tax breaks and would effectively pay little income tax given our seriously imbalanced tax system
How do low and middle income earners manage in your country given that Australia has an overall higher standard of living than the US?
Sacrifices would have to be made but a liveable lifestyle could definitely be maintained. Someone on that salary would also qualify for a load of mumbo jumbo welfare and tax breaks and would effectively pay little income tax given our seriously imbalanced tax system
How do low and middle income earners manage in your country given that Australia has an overall higher standard of living than the US?
On $70,000 income would lose roughly 8.3% of income after paying tax but receiving family benefits.
i.e. Pay $15,697 (tax + medicare levy) and receive $9845.40 (family benefits) = $5,851 outgoings
Note: With no kids it's around 22% of income lost.
Dec 16th 2015, 11:38 am
#39
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 396
Re: Question re salary
Our HR recently did a study on salaries in different locations around the world and whether they were appropriate for the cost of living in that location.
I know for what I do, my salary was bang on the money in what they deemed global comparisons v Sydney (I have no idea what that means with fluctuating exchange rates and all). I also know that the guys living in Brisbane are paid quite a lot less. In addition we had a couple of guys move to Sydney recently as Brisbane is going down the toilet and have been given substantial pay rises to do so.
Even if its the millionaires dragging up the salary, its a benefit to Mr Average living and working in Sydney and the expensive myth that is so prevalent on here is just that - a myth.
I know for what I do, my salary was bang on the money in what they deemed global comparisons v Sydney (I have no idea what that means with fluctuating exchange rates and all). I also know that the guys living in Brisbane are paid quite a lot less. In addition we had a couple of guys move to Sydney recently as Brisbane is going down the toilet and have been given substantial pay rises to do so.
Even if its the millionaires dragging up the salary, its a benefit to Mr Average living and working in Sydney and the expensive myth that is so prevalent on here is just that - a myth.
Zurich, Geneva Are World's Most Expensive Cities, UBS Study Says - Fortune
Dec 16th 2015, 12:29 pm
#40
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 6,039
Re: Question re salary
It's not a myth; Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in:
Zurich, Geneva Are World's Most Expensive Cities, UBS Study Says - Fortune
Zurich, Geneva Are World's Most Expensive Cities, UBS Study Says - Fortune
For example, when purchasing power is compared using wages the list flips on its head with the most two most expensive, Zurich and Geneva, now having amongst the highest purchasing power:
Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...ities-ubs-says
Last edited by fish.01; Dec 16th 2015 at 12:32 pm.
Dec 16th 2015, 7:24 pm
#41
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Question re salary
It's not a myth; Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in:
Zurich, Geneva Are World's Most Expensive Cities, UBS Study Says - Fortune
Zurich, Geneva Are World's Most Expensive Cities, UBS Study Says - Fortune
Dec 16th 2015, 8:24 pm
#42
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Sydney
Posts: 396
Re: Question re salary
So, in the absence of any other Australian cities in this survey, Sydney is the most expensive Australian city.
Dec 16th 2015, 9:23 pm
#43
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Question re salary
The point is the salaries are higher for most in Sydney (any stat you care to look up will tell you that its the highest paying city in Australia) which often will offset that housing cost.
And if you can offset that housing cost, why would you choose to live in any other city in Australia when you have everything and more than any other city has? OK it doesn't have a Mt Wellington, or a Great Ocean Road, but nearly everything
Dec 17th 2015, 11:12 pm
#44
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 297
Re: Question re salary
The point is there is only one aspect of Sydney that makes it the most expensive city which is housing which granted, takes a far chunk of peoples outgoings. Everything else is the same or cheaper. You just have to have dinner in a restaurant in Brisbane or buy a coffee in Perth to see that blanket statement is false.
The point is the salaries are higher for most in Sydney (any stat you care to look up will tell you that its the highest paying city in Australia) which often will offset that housing cost.
And if you can offset that housing cost, why would you choose to live in any other city in Australia when you have everything and more than any other city has? OK it doesn't have a Mt Wellington, or a Great Ocean Road, but nearly everything
The point is the salaries are higher for most in Sydney (any stat you care to look up will tell you that its the highest paying city in Australia) which often will offset that housing cost.
And if you can offset that housing cost, why would you choose to live in any other city in Australia when you have everything and more than any other city has? OK it doesn't have a Mt Wellington, or a Great Ocean Road, but nearly everything
Food, utils are approximately the same of course but there a lot of lifestyle factors that mean I don't have to pay as much for what I like to do.
Dec 17th 2015, 11:58 pm
#45
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 14,040
Re: Question re salary
Also don't neglect that in Sydney you will almost certainly have a far far longer commuter time than Brisbane - which is more costly and in essence unpaid work time.
Food, utils are approximately the same of course but there a lot of lifestyle factors that mean I don't have to pay as much for what I like to do.
Food, utils are approximately the same of course but there a lot of lifestyle factors that mean I don't have to pay as much for what I like to do.
How do you figure the lifestyle thing? The beach is free.