That's because they use REAL sugar in the Coke in Oz. They use High Fructose Corn Syrup here and the corn industry in the US is heavily govt. subsidised. I try to avoid HFCS so buy the more expensive Mexican Coke every now and again.

But, seriously I've yet to find anything that is cheaper in Oz than the USA. Even imported Aussie beer is cheaper here!! So when I realised that my wage would be around 20-30% lower and the COL around 40% higher it was a no- brainer for me to come to the US. That's before even considering property prices in Oz

I would say some quality food prices (e.g. meat, veg) are a bit cheaper in Aus than in the US, but you need to know where to go. But you're right very little else.

The standard of living in the US still takes some beating (as long as you have a job). Problem is, its probably not going to be sustained long-term, but we're probably talking 20-30 yrs yet.

Try healthcare?

Pollyana..great point.

So I pay approximately 5% of my take home per month in my contribution to health care costs (which is 20% of the total cost of health care per month; employer pays 80%) For families it climbs to 10% on your average take home. This is just coverage. You can almost sell yourself if you need to undergo surgery or a procedure.

In almost USD 400-600 per month I can save/buy quite a lot.

Dont get me wrong here...after living here for 10 yrs..I truly enjoy numerous thing that are a part of life..but being closer to family, health coverage, a more grounded life, no gun culture are things I desire now.

I have been fortunate enough to have very good employer paid healthcare here, as do most IT professionals. Good point though, although I hear my Aussie friends complaining about health care costs a lot these days too!

This is true for most people, however my employer pays 100% of premiums and I have $0 copays. You'll more pay that $400-600 in income tax and higher col in Australia. Obviously you are not moving there for financial reasons, but don't kid yourself: Australia WILL be much more expensive for you.

Yes..very true..it will be expensive..I am sure about that.

Btw...we are in the process of packing with a ship date of Feb 7...any recommendations around what should we buy from here and take?

We are not taking any electronics except our 32"LCD and 46" LED TV. We are planning to buy a PAL to NTSC converter for them.

I am stocking up on work shirts and pants

Anything else you can think of?

Anything you can fit into the container!

Not sure if it applies to you, but baby and kid stuff is particularly cheap in the USA vs. Oz.

I think some of the newer TVs can be switched between PAL and NTSC anyway, but best to have a converter just in case. Get at least one step up/step down power transformer in the US before you leave so you can run your US gadgets in Oz.

Any light stands etc you like you should take, you can just change the plug and the bulb.

ok...nah we dont have any kids ...yet


So does it mean that the regular lamps can work in australia? I was thinking that you could not use a US lamp in Australia.


If I put a Australia Adaptor in front of the US plug and buy a bulb in Australia it will work? As the size of the bulbs that fit in the lamp same here and Oz?

Well, My question still remains unanswered. can someone please brief me about the factors that matter for the pay package offer?

Excellent verifiable references from previous employers
Excellent soft skills (sorely lacking in so many tecchies)
A good attitude
Proven results/experience from previous roles.
Relevant professional qualifications.

Basically, the same as everywhere else!

Yes.

More than anywhere else I've seen, Australian employers like to see a piece of paper. Experience is good, but for some reason if you dont have the right piece of paper saying you can do something, then you will be aired with suspicion.

Thank you all for your inputs. DadAgain - what exactly do you mean by peice of paper? is it a professional qualifications?