Hi all, we moved from the UK to NZ in mid 2007 and we've had a great few years in NZ and like it in so many ways but due to some work opportunities that have come up in Australia, we're actively looking at a move to Melbourne or Sydney.

We're fairly well off in NZ, wage wise but will earn more in Aus and we've been looking at costs for many things and to date virtually everything bar rent for a house seems cheaper, can this be?

Food, cars, petrol, power, wine, public transport etc etc even when converted to NZD are cheaper and when we consider we'll be earning more in actual numbers of AUD that we earn in NZD its not hard to see why so many people are moving there. Food shopping is a real eye opener with most everyday items being 10-20% cheaper (in NZ$) in Woolworths Aus compared to NZ.

Yes NZ is a smaller market etc etc but hell fire when you start looking at things, it feels more and more like we're being seriously ripped off in NZ. Take a look a dairy products and its ridiculous considering we produce so much that milk in Aus is 30% cheaper than here!!!

So, are we missing something?

It seems like we're going to have lower costs and therefore much more disposable income in Aus but has anyone found the reality to be different?

Anyone here moved from NZ to Aus and what was your experience on the costs for daily life etc?
__________________

I can only comment comparing from a recent holiday in NZ (South Island).

Food I thought was a little cheaper in NZ...beer and wine definitely cheaper in NZ again. Preferred shopping in New World to either Coles or Woolies too.

Petrol is much cheaper in Aus, diesel is much cheaper in NZ.

Couldn't really comment on power or public transport.

NZ didn't seem more expensive in Aus in general to me though.

Perhaps Wellington is different?

I'm off to a wedding in NZ early next year and will get the chance to speak with some major business types out there. Should come back with a good feel for waht's happening over there.

I think it's cheaper. If you'd made a mention in your thread title that you're comparing Oz with NZ you'd get heaps of replies from the ditch hoppers in Oz so if you don't get many, try starting a new thread called something like "thinking of hopping the ditch- is it really cheaper & better?" ... that'll flush 'em out

Kiwis who come to visit us here in Melbourne are astounded by how cheap shopping is here.

Having lived in both countries, I can only agree, especially when you take into consideration how much more you earn here.

BB

The bigger the market the cheaper the products - usually. I would be very surprised if an economy the size of NZ could get things cheaper than Aus.

I think Diesel appears much cheaper at the pump in NZ because they also pay some kind of tax based on the km's done in a year...like in addition to their road tax/rego.

I work quite a lot in NZ and feel that it may be a liitle bit cheaper than Sydney for general purchases.

I have never been to NZ but a friend of mine os currently on holiday there from NSW and she keeps harping on about how cheep things are there, she bought a baby gro bag which is $40 here for $10 there! She is having a shopping field day! She is in Auckland. I think it sounds way more cheeper there than here and I do recall a thing on today tonight which had 3 shopping baskets and one was UK one was NZ and other was AUS and UK was cheapest then NZ and Aus was way more expensive - they said was cos we only had coles and woolies and not enough competition in AUS

Being on holiday somewhere and living there are two very different experiences. If your friend from NSW had to pay utility bills, visit the doctor, buy prescriptions or even do a complete weekly food shop she would soon be realising how expensive it is there, and the lower wages in NZ make it even more so.

NZ also has only two companies that own all the supermarkets - and they don't have Lidl.

BB

I wish BB was a lying ... but he is not

Your friend may have found the odd thing that was cheaper from a holidaying perspective but I assure you, NZ has many things about it that ARE better than Australia but wages and cost of living are not two of them.

It's sunnier here too!

We'll maybe not in Melbourne but most places.

what the Hell is Lidl? never heard of that, we don't have that either

Her parents live there and she is staying with them for a few weeks, was only trying to help, i'll keep my trap shut next time

I just cant imagine anywhere else being as expensive as Perth, we seem to get ripped off for everything here I did used to live in Melbourne and found it much more affordable there, but then that was about 4 years ago so it might be same as here now, but there was a lot more competition and a lot better service and choice.

Good luck with your decision

Lidl is a cheap German supermarket - they're everywhere here.

BB

Really? I've never seen a Lidl. Do you mean Aldi?

It's Aldi here in Aus, which treats it's employees well and pays them accordingly. .. Circa 28 bucks an hour on average. Aldi brought some real competition to the Australia supermarket sector.


.. Lidl are a totally different kettle of fish. In fact here is a report as to why no one should ever shop at Lidl, which is a gutter dwelling chain, prominent in the UK..

http://franklludwig.com/lidl.html