john_hepburn

Hi all,

Apologies if this is naive and I know it's probably asked a lot. We're getting close to making the decision to go or not, my wife has a solid offer with visa sponsorship and I've got a decent sniff of a job.

Having seen the salaries on offer I was checking it against Australian averages and I was a bit surprised by how high the average pay was, there's also a lot of sites saying 200k isn't considered a hight salary!

We've been offered 130-140 and 70-80 respectively, it seems decent to me but is this enough to enjoy a decent lifestyle for a family of 4 in SA?

old.sparkles

I would think you would be fine on those figures here in SA .

Without knowing the occupations, I can't say if they are average, above or below but I do know that I live well enough on a single salary here

Beoz

Not enough info other than you will be in SA which has cheap housing compared to other places.

What do you earn in the UK now and where do you live?

It's better to look at it in those terms to make sure you can maintain the same quality of living.

$140k is well above average.

john_hepburn

We live in Scotland and earn around £130k gross PA. Cost of living is less here but the weather is depressing as hell and with Brexit and the likelihood of the UK breaking up I can see things getting worse here before they get better.

We're thinking that relatively speaking we would possibly be slightly worse off taking into account cost of living etc. But there's a lot to be said for being somewhere where you actually get to see the sun more than a couple of days a month.

christmasoompa

A move to the south of England would do that and be much cheaper.

I think the general advice on the forum is 2.5 times your UK salary for a similar lifestyle, so that would be $325k and $200k would be quite a drop. No idea on if it would give you a good lifestyle or not, but the 2.5 figure is one I've seen mentioned on here many times (example from a recent thread - Relocating on 482 TSS)

Good luck.

Retirednow

True, but who wants to live in Blighty…

john_hepburn

Wow! That's by far the biggest figure I've seen for equivalent income/lifestyle levels. Most folk places say you need 10-15% more.

What in particular makes it 2.5 x ?

FTA our take home each month here is £6400 and using the Aus figures would be £6856.

old.sparkles

It's just a guide.

There are comparison sites that will do cost of living comparisons. I moved from the south of England to Adelaide with no job to start and found work. I don't really compare what I earn here to the UK, nor convert prices but if I was to convert what I was earning in UK to AUD it would be similar I guess.

After a few jobs, I work less hours now and earn more than I spend. There's only me and young spark here (adult with autism), but my salary covers things with no worries, and we have large house with pool, but I did add solar and battery. My take home would be less than you are anticipating but we obviously do not have school costs / child care to consider.

christmasoompa

I'd choose Blighty over Oz every day personally. Different strokes for different folks and all that.

the troubadour

I'm increasingly arriving at that conclusion as well. Australia is somewhat past its sell by date. Way too expensive. Declining living standards. And lots more I could mention . I've been looking at property on the South Coast.

Amazulu

In WA, the wealthiest state in Australia, $200k is high but not uncommon. $200k is a good income anywhere on the planet, so a dual salary of that will afford you an excellent lifestyle. There is so much work around at the moment, that anyone unemployed is either unemployable or imbecilic. SA, although probably a nice place to live, is known for its low incomes and lack of opportunities - I think it has the lowest inward migration in the country

Good luck - you're coming to one of the nicest places to live known to man

Amazulu

Err, last time looked, that's still in Australia

Australia is indeed expensive but living standards, in the real world for those having a crack, are improving all of the time. It's certainly got a lot better since I arrived in 2005. Admittedly, our Kung Flu overreaction has put a dent in things, but that will end soon enough and it will be onwards and upwards
Enjoy

christmasoompa

I've never even visited. There are so many other places on the planet that appeal to us more so it's fairly low down our list of places to visit tbh, and any headhunters from Oz are soon sent on their way by hubby, it's just not somewhere we'd be interested in moving to. As I said, different strokes for different folks, I'm sure most love it.

Retirednow

I guess you have low standards but it is what it is..

Beoz

That's what happens when your salary can't meet your demands. You rent and moan where you want to live for a number of years then when the desire to own becomes too great, you move to where you can actually afford.

This is not an Australian phenomenon, it's a global one. Poor people don't buy houses in rich areas. Shocking to hear I know but that the way it's always been.