Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Trevski claimed the cost of living was way more expensive in Australia compared to the UK and I disagreed. We then both listed items for reference.

Up to that point you could say we were both generalising but you only deem it necessary to question the statements on one side. Is that democratic or because your own generalisations don’t fit with mine?


There is a major difference in our approach to the debate though, in that you are effectively calling me a bloody liar, yet you know nothing of my lifestyle, you didn’t pay my bills in the UK and you don’t pay my bills in Australia.

I know the things I listed are cheaper in Australia for me. Can I provide documentary evidence to conclusively prove them all? Some, but not all. I do actually have figures on rates and energy costs but only as they applied to me and my life and there is no doubt I am better off here. I disagree with Trevski and you because you both overlook the fact these things are different for every individual. The affect will depend on what they came from, to what they moved to, and their own lifestyles. Already people on this thread have expressed differences in opinion on the cost of items. Those viewpoints may be generalisations or based on personal factual experience. All may be accurate.

It is therefore unhelpful for a prospective migrant to read “Everything is way more expensive”. They need to research for themselves in accordance with where they are going and how they live.

FWIW my overall feeling is that there is very little difference in the cost of living between the two countries. Forget exchange rates. The important bit is how much a pound will buy when you live in the UK and how much a dollar will buy when you live in Australia.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

I think you need to pull your kneck in.
You to dont know where i lived in the uk and still have a house and you dont know my situation now, you should also read my origional post
Welcome to Australia (its getting a very expensive place to live) around us (brisbane)
above stated where i live not you:p

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

You to dont know where i lived in the uk and still have a house and you dont know my situation now
That was why I posted.....doh. The whole point being that the world does not revolve around Trevski or Chris955 and that individual circumstances rule.


you should also read my origional post Welcome to Australia (its getting a very expensive place to live) around us (brisbane)
Ah yes, like your statement on rental costs? A point that has been questioned or disputed in some way by Spartacus, Amazulu, Fish01, and Jensandco. Looks like comparing oranges with apples don't fool people.


I think you need to pull your kneck in.
Personal insults are tolerated and heeded.
I think on this thread there are two people who are pretty closed to debate and don't want to hear anything that disagrees with their very fixed and personal views of Aus. Neither of you want to consider that things may be different for others. Sorry but "This is how I find it so it's like that for everybody" doesn't wash.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Ooh I love a cost of living thread! When can we start talking about lettuces??

So, I'm a serial ping-ponger and 6 weeks ago we moved from Bayside, Melbourne to Esher, Surrey. Based on these 2 areas here's my 2c/2p worth....

1. Renting - definitely cheaper in Melbourne and far more favourable to the tenant. Having to pay council tax here makes a big difference (ours is £195 per month, total bloody rip off bearing in mind this is for a 2 bed cottage!!).
2. Utilities - although they have definitely gone up in the UK (including mobile phone tariffs) I think they work out to be roughly the same as Melbourne. Friends tell me we will see a big difference in winter, heating is extortionate apparently but we used to pay a lot in Melbourne as well. Council only collect rubbish fortnightly (one week recycling, the other week general) which I find annoying. Internet is cheaper in UK and even if it wasn't it would still be worth every penny, goes at warp speed compared to Melbourne!
3. Food (based on shopping at Waitrose & Sainsbury's vs Coles) - cleaning stuff, general pantry items and crisps/biscuits etc all cheaper in the UK by miles. Fruit/veg and meat have all gone up though apart from sausages. The fruit and veg all seem very small and lots of it is prepacked instead of loose. Bread also gone up, I would say an average is £1.50 for a loaf of Kingsmill. I miss the fruit and veg in Melbourne. I don't miss the Coles ads though. With the exception of steak I would say that meat, fish and chicken are all cheaper in the UK.
4. Petrol - average £1.35, it was $1.40 when we left Melbourne so miles cheaper.
5. Eating out - about the same, apart from Thai/Asian which is much nicer and cheaper in Melbourne but this is cancelled out by the curry!! As with most things you just need to know where to go. Takeaways/fast food - cheaper in Melbourne. Coffee also cheaper and nicer in Melbourne.
6. Mortgages - it's almost laughable when we think of what we are paying in Melbourne (laughing on the outside, crying on the inside!!!) compared to the UK in terms of % rates, arrangement fees etc. UK wins hands down for me.
7. House prices to buy - In all honesty I could say that comparing an affluent London suburb to an affluent one in Melbourne then I think they are fairly equal, perhaps Melbourne still slightly cheaper but only by a smidgen.
8. Cars - luxury European cheaper by a long shot but then you would expect them to be. Some models don't exist here - Audi Q9 for example. Surprised at how expensive some non-European makes/models are - Honda CRV for one and the Nissan Dualis are both popular and more expensive than in Melbourne I think.

One thing that I have noticed is that people over here are definitely watching their wallets more. Even in Waitrose you will see a bit of a scrum situation in front of the chiller cabinet where the discounted/out of date food is. And lots of people using the little calculator thingies to keep track of how much they're putting in their trolley. And this is in a posh area.

Obviously all of the above is just based on my own recent experiences and observations so if anyone has any plans to bust in with a graph or any kind of factual evidence I may just have to shoot you. For the record - iceberg lettuces are £1 in Waitrose this morning.

Over and out for now.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Excellent come back:rofl:,you have said it all:thumbup: each place has its pros and cons and "Home is where the heart is" where ever that may be for different people:)

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Exactly right, good and bad, pros and cons everywhere. Home is indeed where the heart is not where the sun shines.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Its not about the cost of living its where we want to live.

People who go on and on and on about how much cheaper it is are just having a niggling worry inside that they are doing the wrong thing by moving in my view.

When we migrated we never thought about the price of bread or petrol or cars,rent we just moved because we wanted to hence we are happy because we just go with the flow.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Home is indeed where the heart is and where the sun shines

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

That's exactly right, for us the relative cheapness of the UK is seen as a bonus and by no means a reason to move.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Erm, I think it's one of those DOH moments again. :blink:

It was me saying things can be different for everyone and you two who had tunnel vision.

Anyway, admitting everywhere has pros and cons is a good starting point in your recovery. No doubt it's painful for you.

You just need to admit that Aus is not "way more expensive" now and the rehabilitation will be well on it's way to completion.

Peepsters post is excellent and emphasises some things are cheaper and some more expensive. They can vary by area and are certainly influnced by what an individual selects and how they live.

Interesting you both use the phrase "home is where the heart is" as from my experience on here it is often used by posters who want to leave Australia. Are you leaving?

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Ah, you answered my question while I was typing.

So you are moving to the UK.

Explains everything.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

I'm glad it's all clear for you now :thumbup:

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

There is really only one way to compare CoL between places, and that is to look at major expenses (housing, food, energy, clothing, etc) as a percentage of your after-tax income. So if mortgage or rent took 30% of your net income in the UK and in Australia it takes 28%, the housing part of CoL is cheaper in Australia (assuming you are in a similar job).

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Exactly. So for me in the UK taxes plus NI and spending a large part of what's left on fuel meant I was permanently skint in the UK. Here, I feel better off. But like many have said it's not all about the money. Certainly isn't for me, but in the UK I felt ripped off at every turn, work, work, work and still in debt. Here, I'm working for me not for the man.

Re: Why is rent so high??
 

Exactly, everybodies situation is different. We never felt ripped off at every turn in the UK and we don't here either. We pay about the same for electricity, rates, etc but less here for petrol but more for insurance. Swings and roundabouts BUT the COL here has increased dramatically over the last 5 or 6 years especially which is why we are seeing more families struggling.