Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

The "Northern Suburbs Lettuce Growers' Association" for one :lol:

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Oh...i still don't care.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

The "Southern Lettuce Antipodean Growers" were less impressed .. maybe they didn't like being SLAGS.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

And why does the UK not have Myer or David Jones???!! That's easy!!! Cos they're crap compared to the equivalents in the UK.[/QUOTE]

You obviously haven't visted Debenhams.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

You obviously haven't visted Debenhams.[/QUOTE]

I agree actually, Debenhams is poo!

Most department stores are all a pile of the wet stuff.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Agree with this from my time in California. I never go into Walmart so can't really comment on that, but what I have noticed is that the cheap Chinese clothes and shoes there seems to be of a higher quality than the less cheap Chinese equivalents in OZ. I saw another post referencing quality grades, maybe there's something in that?

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Debenhams stocks far higher quality items and at better prices than Myer and DJ!!

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

I honestly found almost everything cheaper than England, but then we weren't in Sydney, where the prices are probably bit like London - more expensive for everything compared to the rest of the country.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

When you buy a quality good from say David Jones, say a Ralph Polo top from their stand there, are you also getting a downgraded item? A 'friend' wants to know.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Hi all..........newbie to the site (well posting....have been lurking and reading for a while).

I am in the early stages of researching a possible move to Aus, and the old cost of living UK vs AUS is an obvious comparison to look into.

Cost of living in the UK (in my opinion) can vary a hell of a lot from location to location and also based on lifestyle choice - is this similar in Australia or are property / grocery prices more even around the country?

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Of course you are.... they don't even bother to put the hole in the mints !!

Actually stuff like Ralph Lauren is amongst the stuff that is really really overpriced here. Take a look on ebay.com at the cost of the same stuff in the States.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Hello BobJohn, welcome.

There are loads of threads on here about the cost of living but it can be confusing reading them from the UK as they give conflicting advice. I would just accept that some things are more expensive and some things are cheaper but on the whole its very similar to UK when you look at it as a whole (lower fuel but higher food and clothing prices etc).

Sorry I can't be more specific.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Yes, I think it does vary, as you say 'from location to location and also based on lifestyle choice'

Property prices also vary a lot depending on the location in the country.

Both countries also seem to be more expensive when you are a new arrival, and haven't found your way around yet.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

I would have to disagree with the food prices. For example the meat was very good value for money compared to England, bigger portions, less water coming out etc. We found takeaways and eating out cheaper too.

House prices - cheaper (not in the middle of sydney of course)

Total cost of tax (rego) plus insurance for car - cheaper.

Bills - cheaper.

Fuel - half the cost.

The only thing on I noticed was a gap in the clothes market. Very little between cheap nasty and expensive.

And we were on more money than here.

Re: Why Australia is Expensive?
 

Hi RenShen, thanks for the reply.

I have done a bit of searching through old threads already and found lots of useful info, although as you say it can be conflicting.

My question was not so much comparing UK to AUS, but different cities / regions in AUS. I live in the north of England and occasionally work in Scotland and London and experience a big difference in cost of living just within the UK (In Manchester City Centre alone I can walk two minutes from pub to pub and pay double price for a beer in one compared to the next)- Is this the same in AUS?