bearskin

We've just been getting a few new staff in the office, and I know for a fact that the salaries on offer were HALF of that $95K. So we are paying HALF what someone needs to be getting paid to be on a decent wage in Auckland?

bearskin

A primary school teacher, who has a degree, plus one year's teacher training (defined as an entry level 3+) - start on $47,300. That's someone who has been in 4 years of further eduction after school. So, the government is paying those people about half of a decent wage?

I'm sure I could find a hundred other examples.

It's just not correct.

If your question however is: can a family who's total income is $95K a year (but are first time buyers (for example) afford to buy a ('nice', in a 'nice' area) house in Auckland... then the answer is No.

But that's not the question being asked.

bourbon-biscuit

Because the OP signed off as himself, wife, and family I assumed it was 95k 'family income'. You are right that the median individual income is actually lower than 95k but I think the median family income is about that or a little more - and of course Auckland is the priciest place in NZ to manage on that.

Bo-Jangles

I beg to differ - the cost of many things still works on the old 3:1 ratio and there are many hundreds and hundreds of examples of this beyond the basic weekly supermarket shop. I'm doing most of my shopping online these days to make the most of the exchange rate bargains and free international delivery - it's been very liberating and quite a revelation for me to be able to afford luxuries again and I have been making the most of it in spades.

I can indulge myself with lovely things such as Kerastase Shampoo and Conditioner currenty £22 delivered for free and regularly on offer with 20% off or free gifts with purchase

The cheapest you can get this is $64.99 at the new Warehouse's ILoveBeauty site, which has in itself been a quite a revelation for girly retail therapy in NZ. But still you usually have to pay for delivery.

jmh

I was just thinking Stephen, I would expect someone in your sector and with your level of experience to be earning a bit more than that. If it's not too late, see if you can negotiate. If you don't feel able to, you may be able to pick up a better paying job once you are here and have met all the relevant immigration criteria. I would keep your plans open. If you find it a struggle you may be able to get a higher salary, or you may wish to try somewhere else in NZ. I work with a lot of migrants and most skilled migrants move into higher paying jobs within a couple of years.

In my own case my salary is about the same as in the UK and my grocery shop is the same too. The biggest difference for many is accommodation costs especially if they are moving from outside of London. Of course if you are living in one of those 6+ bedroom detached houses with a large garden less than hour commute from London, which I am told are available for around GBP300,000 then I'm afraid you are going to downsize to a 3 bedroom detached house.

garethwm

For some reason I thought the median household income was about 70k but I see from google it is 85k as of Nov 2013. So perhaps my 90% figure of young Auckland families living off less than 95k might be too high. Perhaps 80%? Its a lot anyway.

Stephen Jones

Good idea.
I wish I had thought of that sooner.

Thanks

Stephen Jones

The salary would actually be mine alone but as a sole wage earner.

davros1984

Bourbon-biscuit you are the one using bad form.i am reporting the facts, i fed myself on 14.50 a week. Granted, not a lavish lifestyle, but until i get a job, i am sticking to a budget.

It is clear several of you on here are in complete denial of the facts of those of us who have returned and what we have found. Again,with the exception of petrol, i am finding most things 2-4 times cheaper in the UK than I did in NZ. low sugar orange squash, 59p! Low sugar cordial in nz, $4.50ish (if you are lucky). Sandwich meat $2 in uk, $ 6-7 in nz for same quantity and quality. Not justme,but pippalonghorn, assanah and others are showing what value you get in the Uk. Note: car insurance is a tricky one. My insurance for the 1.6 corolla is the same as i paid in nz for my 1.4 barina, but thats not apples with apples, so undecided on that.

I will make a better reply when i have a full keyboard.

Purrball

Are you still using your expensive New Zealand keyboard that only has one-third of the keys?

jmh

People who leave tend to focus on the negative and those who stay focus on the positive. It's not a big surprise that your support team have all gone home. It's pretty easy for people to do their own research and they probably should rather than rely on comments on forums. I was there for a month last year and the only things significantly cheaper were produce from Europe, ie. if you buy Italian salami, you'll find it cheaper in England than New Zealand. Other things are cheaper here. The difference in the overall shop is not 200% though. That type of exaggeration is not helpful to anyone.

davros1984

even I have to laugh at that - see where you are coming from.

Pbtech helped with tech stuff enormously in nz, so no i got a great kb in nz for a good price. Only have a tablet with me so long replies take ages.

Anyway, i have no issue with the cost of those items in NZ, is is what it is and i got used to the cost of items when i was there. It is possibly for that reason that i have found prices on equivalent items here so shocking. I can understand others may not want to hear or accept it, but in this thread, i believe it to be relevant information.

davros1984

1) I only have positive memories and a positive feeling from living in NZ. My only beef was the sad reality that I could not afford to buy and settle there (housing, not the cost of food or anything else). Hence my view that a 95k salary is not sufficient to emigrate and settle with in auckland. Rather than sit around and do nothing about it, I took positive action to change my life so that I have a realistic chance of settling somewhere where I have a fair crack at achieving what I'm after and being happy - that is a different answer for everyone.
2) I have never relied on or had a 'support team'.
3) I gave examples of the price differences, they were not exaggerations.

bourbon-biscuit

Neither 'squash' nor sandwich meat are food, imo. I agree that groceries are cheaper in the UK; I disagree that it is many multiples cheaper or that fifteen quid is a realistic figure for a week's food.

Some things are many multiples cheaper - like buffalo mozzarella. We had baked pasta heaps when we lived in the uk because you could buy passable cooking buffalo mozzarella for £1 a ball but here it is $8-9 so we never eat it. I also miss proper ripe Brie! And Stilton! So I'm not in denial that some things are much cheaper, but I disagree that most things are. Car insurance is one but also parking costs - we had to pay to park wherever we went. Cinema trips are much dearer for a much crapper experience. Uni fees in the UK are many times the cost of uni fees in NZ. Someone wise on these forums once said that in the end most the cost of living in most Western economies broadly evens out, which I kind of agree with. The trick is to adjust your lifestyle to incorporate whatever is cheaper in the country you live in. In the uk I ate Italian baked pasta and went to the theatre; in NZ I eat seasonally and go to uni.

I hope you get a job soon: low sugar squash, sandwich meat, and pork pies are not very nourishing

bourbon-biscuit

Ergo, family income?