Phil K

I know this sort of question has been asked many times but has anyone got a vague idea of the minumum amount per month we will need to live with.

we are looking to spend 1600 a month on a rental so its more the bills & food side.


To be honest we have been told that the cost of living in Queensland (Sunshine Coast) is very high & will be a shock to us so getting worried.


Thank You

Phil & Family

goldchoccycoin

How many adults? Children? Size house? Pool? Air con?

$400 per week rent is pretty reasonable - you should get somewhere decent for that. I pay slightly less rent and spend the same again on bills and groceries, but it's just me, 2-bed apartment and no pool or kids etc.

Hopefully a poster with a family will answer!

Phil K

Thanks for you help, we are 2 adults & 1 teenager so looking for a 3 bed house but not bothered about a pool although aircon will be needed so i guess that hits the electric cost.

What I really want to know is how much per week or month to cover the normal day to day stuff so if we say 900 a week would that meet the rent food + bills i.e. electric, telephone, broadband, food, etc

Thanks

goldchoccycoin

Hopefully someone from the Sunny Coast might answer - but assuming the teenager eats the same as an adult, I expect $250 - 275 for groceries might be a reasonable estimate. My 'bills' (electric, insurances, car costs [not fuel], medical etc.) are $250 per fortnight so you may need to double that and add a bit, so $300 per week-ish. Then fuel - very individual, mine's about $100 per fortnight. Then there's entertainment, sports, going out.

I would think $900 per week should be ok if you're not extravagant and watch your electric use, fuel use etc.

Again, I'm just estimating - hopefully someone who actually lives a similar lifestyle responds.

Phil K

Thankyou that is very very helpfull, We are not extravagant just a normal family & non of us smoke or drink although we like to go out for a meal now and then & a walk and fish n chips.

jad n rich

The sunshine coast is no more expensive than anywhere else in Australia. Similar to Brisbane, Gold coast, Interstate etc

Are you sure people didnt mean the cost of living in AUSTRALIA will shock you, the cost of many things will shock, but a few things are cheaper.

2 teens and 2 adults, we spend around $50 week on electricity, no gas and a pool and AC. Its rare you need heating or cooling, we use it occasional days january and february. Petrol is between 130 and 149c L.

You could easily rent for around $380.

Food, with the 2 teens we spend around $250 a week now, but I really shop around, for eg I know when the supermarket clears meat, bread etc, we fill the freezer, usually half price. Fruit and veg, brilliant markets here, cheap as.

Dinging out, spoilt for choice, real good Indian made $13 each, and its huge, one meal does 2 of us, thai, $10 each, steak and chips $10, good fish and chips similar. No wonder aussies are so fat, plus there must be a fast food joint on every main intersection all over OZ if thats your thing, not mine.

Teens once in a group of kids never seem to be home, son just got a electrical apprenticeship, but there is also TAFE college and University around the Mountain Creek Buderim Areas.

Phil K

Hi Jad n Rich, good to chat with you again

Thanks so much for the information & yes I think it was "Australia" in general that was to be a shock with the cost of some stuff.

We are happy with the fact that some things will be a big outlay like cars but its the general living costs that I really need to have a good idea about.

How do you find the Sunshine Coast as a place to live?

All the best
Phil & Family

shark bait

Hi
I live in Buderim, the rentals are from around 400 a week for something half decent, food bills for 3 i'd say $200 a week, food is expensive but aldi is a bit cheaper. Living here is not cheap, but its a beautiful place.
Jobs are scarce, cars are very very expensive, the choice of supermarkets is crap, but it depends what you want out of life.
Ive lived here for a while been in 4 different rentals before we bought, had a few different jobs, do i regrett coming to OZ? no
if i had me time again would i do it again , NO
cause coming to live here is a good way to drain your life savings! truth!

Phil K

Hi,
Thanks for your help, $200 a week for 3 is not far from what we spend here so thats not bad. I know cars are a big hit on the savings but hopefully not very often.

any idea what your electric a week/month & phone/internet as could really use that info.

Cheers for your time

martin1978

I'm in Sydney but I doubt it's too much different. These are my last bills. 2 bed apartment with 2 adults. Electricity was $230 for the quarter (winter), gas/hot water was $48 for the quarter. Both AGL. Internet and landline is $49 per month, unlimited with calls to the UK costing a maximum $1 each. That's with dodo. Groceries vary depending on what meals the other half decides she is cooking that week but has been as low as $90 and as high as $200.

Graham and Maria

Hi,
We live up in Beerwah (Glasshouse mountains)

Rentals up here are from 300-400/week
Fuel 1.40-1.50/L at the minute
Groceries for 3 = 200-250/week
Eating out approx 20/head but it depends on where obviously
Internet+phone = $70/month
Electricity = $250/quarter (my solar returns approx $380 )
Days out can be as cheap as you want to make it around here, yesterday I was fishing off a gorgeous beach and it cost me $6 in bait, today Im going 4wd'ing in the forestry which will cost me $20 in fuel.

Theres a lot of people selling home grown produce up in the hinterland so I regulary pick up dirt cheap pineapples, maccadamias, honey, eggs, avacados ect. I have also learnt to brew my own beer and make my own bread.

Its hard to compare cost of living, Im from Yorkshire where my wages were in the 'average' category, my wage here at todays rates is over 4x that number but I wouldnt say cost of living has that multiplier.

Wether you think cost of living is high is very dependant on the individual family and what your used to earning, spending, saving and your recreational habits.

johnknight001

you shouldnt look as it as a shock, its all in relation to earnings ect, ill give you an example based on us (2 adults 1 kid) in the uk i earnt about 1500 pounds a month, end of the month it was all gone, here i earn about 1000 bucks a week, get rent assisstance and child benefit ect, about 350 a fortnight, we save 200 bucks a week and life is way better, shop around for food as others have said, dont be afraid to haggle when buying tvs, cars ect, (probably wouldnt try haggling in coles) eating out can be cheap, good luck.

Tockalosh

In caloundra you want to be closer to 500 for something nice with pool and ac

An old petrol land cruiser will hit you around 115 dollars for 400 ams

Insurance on same 5-600 dependent on excess

Food for 2 big and 2 small is around 300 a week but we don't know the cheap places yet

A case of 24 4x is around 34 bucks

We are still on mobile Internet with telstra and that's working around 150 a month as Skype kills it. Dodo soon coming

Davelynd7

Hi there, I agree with above, we live in Peregian Springs on the coast. House rentals here range from 400-600/week petrol is currently $1/45ltr (excl any discount dockets) my OH and I spend about 200/wk on groceries, we dont eat out as find restaurants quite pricy (tourist rates) Food is very expensive out here as others say.. However saying that we calculate that we can generally run a 4bd home here for 2yrs compared to what we paid in Merseyside for 1yr. Dont forget medical insurance is a must (& not cheap) We spend $170/mth $59/mth austar, around 100/mth phone/internet. Hope this helps

poppy14

Hi hope u hav a job to come to , my poor hubby was made redudo from his aircon sales job in April , then quickly gt another job back in the car trade which he did in UK for 25 yrs only to be laid off again july 13th !!!! still outta wrk poor bloke , good luck with it , Id luv to move to Melbourne to b near our sons but hubby wont as sooo used to this weather , boo hoo .