ABCDiamond

You must try to read things better, I never said that not rating Victoria Bitter highly means not liking Australia, did I..... so where did you get that from ?

I did say that I don't like VB, but you also know that I like Australia, so how did you work out what you appear to think I said ?

What I did effectively say was that if people look to insult others, and try to find faults all the time, they will find it very difficult to acclimatise here.
A big difference to what you think I said....

Amazulu

A lot of Bogans are top blokes.

woodiesinaus

The UK and USA banks collapsed because they tried to be too clever when making their fortune.
Aussie banks make their fortune by milking the locals. They don't need to be clever

Amazulu

By milking the locals!

markandkell

hi im moving to queensland emerald in may my wages will be 70,000 a year i have 3 kids and am now begining to worry, will i be able to live on this wages

kporte

Yes but not easy.

Beedubya

[QUOTE=jad n rich;8264037]Anyone who has been to the UK in the past month, or visited OZ after living in the UK would have to be wearing a blindfold if they couldnt see the UK was now significantly cheaper in many ways.

The competition between shops is something the aussie consumer simply does not have. We found many items up to 3 times the price in OZ and the kids constantly found most stuff in UK more advanced as well. The choice is mindblowing, say book shops, travel, even food.

I had to shop this week in OZ for extended family, a wedding anniversary party, trawling round k mart and big w was like being in a chinese rubbish store, and d jones and myer nearly give you a flaming heart attack with the price of stuff. Walking into myer was a joke, almost identical underwear bought for 4 quid in teh UK was proudly displayed at $30 a pair. A bottle of shampoo we bought in UK for 69p identical item here is $5.99. Even when oz has offeres and specials they are crap, I mean really buy two packs of cheese and save 50c in the uk the specials were get one free.

Qantas in the UK was adverstising return fares for 600 pound, notice the same ticket/period advertised in OZ is just over $2000, even vegimite was cheaper in the UK.[/QUOTE]

I know this for sure as I have been checking out the QF website earlier, think it's going to be cheaper for me to buy a return ticket from UK to Aus, rather than buy a one way from Aus back here and ditch the other half of my return from last year. That fare cost me $2800.00 return in April 2009

Beedubya

I commuted for 4 hours plus per day in Australia, but of course that was my choice because of where I lived. Wollongong to Mascot every day took it's toll, but not many jobs in the 'gong paying a decent wage..........

big_matt

I think everyone's circumstances are different and therefore you cant really say that for everyone australia is expensive or 'definately higher prices than uk'. Depends what you enjoy doing, what you buy, where you live etc.

In terms of lifestyle, I feel that the comparison is often made between London or other huge UK urban areas and Australia. My parents live in the highlands in Scotland and they have just as relaxing/slow paced/cheap a lifestyle as anywhere here in Australia.

Although there is a lot of debate on this thread, I think most would agree that Australia is at least roughly the cost of the UK now. Compare this to moving to Australia 10 years ago where you would be mad if you said that Australia cost more than the UK, or even close.

Even 5 years ago when we moved here we bought a really nice flat in St Kilda for 200k. Now for a similar flat you are looking at close to 400k. It's a huge difference. We also stayed in a flat in brisbane that my work rented for us that is valued at 780k. The owner bought it 6 years ago for just over 400.

I think if prices in Australia continue at this pace then in 5 years time there will be no thread like this one - it will just be accepted that Oz is considerably more expensive than the UK.

If you love the lifestyle here and can afford it, then the fact that a loaf of bread or a t-shirt costs less in the UK shouldn't be an issue. However if you are really struggling with the costs here and cant enjoy yourself because of it then it is an issue. Its a personal thing.

My problem is the things that interest me aint cheap in oz. I'm a snowboarder, and a trip to a crappy local resort in Vic costs $70 for a lift ticket. I could snowboard at Whistler for less. However I see that as more my problem than Australias. If I was a surfer, for example, I'd probably get a cheaper board than in the UK and better access to good waves.

Another issue is that I think the lifestyle gap between the two countries is slowly closing. Australia for many people is now huge commutes on packed trains, frantic pace in the CBD, financial struggles to raise family etc. It's not like for just a little bit more than the cost of living in the UK you can live right on the beach here with a short stroll to work. For a massive lifestyle difference from the UK you need big money now in Oz IMO.

iamthecreaturefromuranus

Good post. Well balanced with none the mad rants in favour of one or the other that these sort of threads seem to attract.

mono

If you say so.

mono

Very much agree. The people who swear blind that the UK is ''horrendously'' expensive compared to Australia baffle me - I simply do not know what they are basing that on.

I also agree that people tend to make a comparison between their rural life in country Victoria or NSW or an outer suburb with their life in a major UK urban area, as you say.

I have a friend in Northumberland - he has a life that is far more peaceful and calm than mine here in Australia.

People do not compare like for like. The tendency is always to choose a comparison that makes the UK look bad and Australia wonderful, for some reason.

Amazulu

I do. So are you saying that no Bogan is a nice person?

bcworld

There's nothing wrong with Bogans. A Bogan is just someone who is a bit rough around the edges and perhaps lacks certain social airs and graces. A bogan isn't the same as a Chav as some people sometimes say.

Amazulu

I agree. The cashed up Bogan is a great thing IMO. He's like using a chainsaw on the establishment!