wongstonn

Hi

Just responded to a query on Britvics and thought that as the cost of living subject is a regular concern I'd post the same info here.

As I migrated to Melbourne in 2005 I ask readers to understand that like other migrants I've simply 'got used to' the prices here and have increasingly little feel for how they compare to the UK equivalent. So I'll try to stick to facts and let you take your own view on them. For budgeting purposes I keep keep records of my non-grocery bills. We are a family of three living in an outer 'burb of Melbourne.

Bills summed over 2009

Gas: $1018
Water: $676
Elec: $707
Land phone: $717 (and really not happy about this, we are low users being ripped off by Optus!!)
Broadband: $654
Home Insurance (building and contents, fairly high excess): $351
Car Insurance ($905 fully comp, covering two cars with two drivers, one inexperienced). Being insured for a car is not a legal requirement.
Private Medical Insurance: $2988 (Medibank middle level cover with extras)
Public travel tickets: $1859 covering Zones 1 & 2 ($167 per month)
Car Rego: $567 per car
Council Rates: $1098

After and before school care; $5238 before government rebate

Average cost of Melbourne property is now $500k. You can get a three bed house in an outer burb for $250k, but will defer to other Britvic members for the traditional furious debate about whether you'd want to live in the cheaper ones .

soulrebel

Very helpful Thanks

joho

As I migrated to Melbourne in 2005 I ask readers to understand that like other migrants I've simply 'got used to' the prices here and have increasingly little feel for how they compare to the UK equivalent. So I'll try to stick to facts and let you take your own view on them. For budgeting purposes I keep keep records of my non-grocery bills. We are a family of three living in an outer 'burb of Melbourne.

Agreed on this point, when I first moved here thought some food was expensive based on a 2.4 exchange rate, now I am used to it and dont notice


Bills summed over 2009 and for us on Central Coast NSW family of 4/5 in a 5 bed house some vast differences

Gas: $1018 No gas
Water: $676 $300
Elec: $707 $1000 2 air cons and a pool
Land phone: $717 (and really not happy about this, we are low users being ripped off by Optus!!) $1200 combined phone and internet
Broadband: $654
Home Insurance (building and contents, fairly high excess): $351 $1000 no excess i think
Car Insurance ($905 fully comp, covering two cars with two drivers, one inexperienced). Being insured for a car is not a legal requirement. $1500 2 cars fully
Private Medical Insurance: $2988 (Medibank middle level cover with extras)
Public travel tickets: $1859 covering Zones 1 & 2 ($167 per month) No public transport
Car Rego: $567 per car $350 each car approx
Council Rates: $1098 $1300

2plus3

Headed for Melbourne so this thread has been very helpfl , thanks for posting

Kari

Stu Ward

Good Info here,

However please don't convert into Sterling to compare.

You really need to know what your Salary will be in $Aus and then use these numbers to evaluate what your disposable income is.

Far too many people fall into the habit of converting to pounds, but its a useless exercise, as soon as you are in Aus you are earning Aussie $$

Stu

ABCDiamond

An interesting point with these two expenses.

My electric is almost $2,000 per year, so a lot more than your Electric, however, we have no gas, therefore my Electric is only slightly higher than your Elec & Gas.

Something for people to ponder on, when comparing some other peoples electric bills.

joho

Actully mine is also $2000 I hit the one instead of the 2, whoops. LOL

Jo

DadAgain

My costs (approx) for Brisbane in a 4 bed single story house with ducted ac and pool

Gas: $1018 $90 (3x9kg tanks a year to run cooktop only)
Water: $676 $0 (included in rates)
Elec: $707 $2000 - (includes ducted a/c and pool pump)
Land phone: $717 (and really not happy about this, we are low users being ripped off by Optus!!) $60 (VOIP only via mynetfone)
Broadband: $654 $1080 (tax deductable)
Home Insurance (building and contents, fairly high excess): $351 $900 (high levels of cover)
Car Insurance ($905 fully comp, covering two cars with two drivers, one inexperienced). Being insured for a car is not a legal requirement. $800 (2 cars) + $700 (636cc sportsbike)
Private Medical Insurance: $2988 (Medibank middle level cover with extras) $2400 (high level, family cover with HCF on a plan that doesnt exist any more!)
Public travel tickets: $1859 covering Zones 1 & 2 ($167 per month) $0 (tried it - it FAILED - hence my now riding a bike)
Car Rego: $567 per car $630 for 4cyl car $790 6 cyl car, ~$400 bike?
Council Rates: $1098 $2000 (including water)

After and before school care; $5238 before government rebate $2500 (after rebates for 2 days a week 1 child daycare)

Satch_Boogie

These figures are excellent. Many thanks to everyone sharing.

DoubleCabbage

Thanks wongstonn and DadAgain. These number help much more than the abstractness of discussions (and accompanying flames) in other threads.
A few questions:
1) Is gas piped or packaged (in cylinders, tanks)? Is it available in all areas, or only certain neighborhoods or communities?
2) Is the telephone rate for basic services, or are you including long distance calls too? Seems on the high side.
3) School fees are not included in your post. I am assuming this is public schooling, and if so, is it totally free, or are there costs like busing, books...
4) After school care: Am I correct in assuming this is optional and privately provided? But it looks like there is some government funding, rebate or subsidy.
Thanks!!!!

wongstonn

Hi

Gas: Well, I live in the outermost suburbs of Melbourne and gas is piped. I would imagine in some very rural or remote regions gas would be in cyclinders. I see quite a few farms/semi rural large blocks near Melbourne with gas tanks so I guess it isn't uncommon. I would have thought most towns would be piped and most villages near big towns.

Telephones: Well, yes, I think it is expensive!! Can't speak for all Aussie cities, but for Melbourne there is a wide choice of telephony & internet providers up to a certain distance from the CBD (30km-ish), and those people benefit from a fair degree of price competition. Further out and competition is much more limited, with Telstra dominating and Optus in second place. Telstra has far superior mobile coverage beyond the cities, and knows it, and charges accordingly. Competition on land lines & broadband is similarly limited. All telephony companies offer a range of packages, some with unlimited national calls. Mine is an Optus l'ow usage' package, which I find very expensive. I'd go naked DSL if I could find a price competitive offering....but can't where I live.

Schools: As of this year my daughter does go to a private school having been in a great state school for the previous three. She's still in junior school so I cannot comment on later schooling stages with any authority. At a state junior school you'll have to pay for stationary (about $100 p.a.) and uniform, and school meals if they are wanted. These schools have the occassional day trip, or links into private swimming programmes for which there are fairly small charges. Private school - well, fees vary greatly as a rule of thumb think of a junior schooling in the region of $5k-$8k p.a. and rising each academic year to something in the region of $18-25k p.a. by the end of year 12, plus uniforms, books, trips, blah, blah, blah. private school fees are non-tax deductible.

After school care: correct, it is optional and privately provided. The federal government is keen to encourage people to go to work so provides a partial rebate. Can't remember how much, but it is somewhere in the region of 30-50% of the fees paid quarterly in areas.

Neil

hwilson

Really useful information. Thanks to all. I can see the sense for most, to stop converting $/£ once you are in Australia, but the pound to dollar exchange rate will be a major factor though, for those of us heading to Australia on a CPV with sole income from UK pensions, so here's hoping.

ABCDiamond

My phone and internet connection costs:

$20.95 pm Telstra landline home line budget. (used for all incoming calls)
$55.90 pm Internet
$19.95 pm 2nd telephone line using VOIP giving free calls in Australia and UK, USA etc.

Total cost $1,162.60 per year (for two phone lines) + the extra costs for calls to mobiles which are not included in my plan.

DoubleCabbage

I don't fully understand the VOIP functioning, so pardon my ignorance; but why do you have the Telstra line if the voice over Internet provides free calls within Aus (and outside too)? Is it just to have 2 landlines?

caliburn

Could anyone share the costs for Sydney please?