John Ferrett

Hi All!
We are looking into migration, but am not sure about the cost of living! Is it better than the UK? and how about house prices? Do you need to have a huge amount of money to take with you on migrating??

asiatic

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/nzopp...mparecosts.htm

This weblink is a good guide to living costs.
(its a bit out of date eg: petrol $1.66 per litre)

Also: http://www.fourcorners.co.nz/new-zea...urrency-costs/

Plus, there is a chain of Warehouse stores, which offers household goods at very reasonable prices.

Houses are generally cheaper than in the UK, as are Cars.

Good hunting

ukkiwi

Depends on where in the UK you are from and where you go in NZ - its not a simple comparison.

mumomonty

The cost of living here is roughtly the same as the UK but on half the wages. Beware.
The dream is not free.
It is a lovely country but the clilmate is very much like th eUK so would you consider moving out to your garden shed in November? No thought not.
However, in preparation for kiwis living please do this andyou will see how warm the houses are (not).

Biddy

Also beware of sweeping generalisations.

Batty

If on the other hand you realise that you must heat your house yourself and budget accordingly when you get here - you will be grand.

For anyone wondering if they could survive financially here can I suggest that you go on holiday to Dublin for a couple of weeks. Rent a house, live on the amount of money that you would have here and see what you can do for free and if you can, try to get sick. Dublin is an hour from the UK but might as well be an hour from Auckland - the prices are the same - Euro for Dollar and much more expensive than the UK - f e c k all is free and the weather is worse than the South of England Of course most places have central heating but then you need it for 10 months of the year instead of 4/5 (3 last year - I'm erring on the cautious side this year). Also, the exchange rate is crap compared to Sterling and you have to pay for doctors (50/55 Euro - same for children as adults) and instead of paying $15 (most things) for a prescription like you do here they let you off after you've paid 70 Euro in a month EVERY month. Most Europeans are used to these charges - I'd rather have it that way than have to wait a week for an NHS appointment - thanks, I'll be dead by then!

Nobody is on this site if they're in love with the way things are done in their home country. So they decide to move to the far side of the world in the hope (and expectation) that their wish list will be satisfied. It costs. In every way you can imagine. Most people bend and sway and find their place. And realise that the cost is not that great after all. The minority (and let's not forget that it IS the minority) just can't accept the change even though they thought that was what they wanted and they're the ones who are the most vocal - in the infamous words of Penelope Keith "we are the silent majority"

I can honestly say that I only know one expat who has their wish list 100% fulfilled and that's not me but 95% is a hell of a lot better than the 45% I had in Ireland. It's a pity that not more people in NZ actually post on here - a balance is a good thing to have.

Woodlea

Good one Batty, I'm fed up with all the whining about cold homes in NZ. I moved to Scotland in '93 to a rented wee but'n'ben with nothing but electric heaters and open coal fires which cost us a £100 a month to run and we were still cold! The first house we bought had storage heating and that was the same expensive and still cold (no insulation!!), the second house we bought - only built in '93 - was well insulated but warmed with storage heating so over £150 a month to heat and still cold. Needless to say I installed oil fired central heating on both occasions and we were cosy for £300 a year. You need your heating 11 months of the year in the north of Scotland. The first thing I'm gonna do when we buy a place in NZ is install central heating its not cheap - but its not cheap here (UK) either.
Its good to hear about the bad side of things in NZ - but if the worst thing is cold houses (as it appears to me) then heat them!

poppets

i go to bed with PJs, bedsocks, jumper, duvet & blanket, not sexy i know but i'm warm & HAPPY

cyndi

We must be one of the lucky ones who have managed to rent a beautifully warm house. We've only been here 5 months now & are happy with our move so far. I can't really compare cost of living to the UK as I left the UK in 1984 & apart from holidays back home every couple of years to see family have spent the last 22 years in Saudi Arabia & the States. When we've gone back to the Uk & stayed with my Mum we've found it really expensive & that's in the North East. We were back there last September, everyone always seemed to be handing over 20 pound notes for everything (couldn't believe how much a night out cost these days )

As for here, well I'm probably still over spending a bit but we expected this to happen for the first year. Having lived in the States we couldn't bring any of our electrical stuff over so have had to renew everything like that. You guys don't know how lucky you are being able to ship your whiteware from the UK . Still we allowed for that & are slowly replacing the things we need. Prices are comparable to the States so haven't suffered from any shocks there. Petrol/diesel to us is expensive, but there again I don't have to drive a million miles just to buy a carton of milk these days so we are actually spending less there.

We pay $150/wk rent for a 3 bedroomed home 11kms outside of town, & we love it. It was built in the 70's, is insulated throughout & not at all like a so called shed. The heating consists of a log burner, the type that is built in to the wall & we do have one of those oil radiator type thingies in the hallway by the bedrooms, just in case we need it. I think we've only switched it on about 4 times so far.I am totally sold on log burners & so impressed at how they heat the whole house, unlike my Mum's house back in the UK with radiators in every room, or the forced air heating we had in every room in our house in the States. When it comes to us buying a place the only difference will be that the log burner will be a freestanding one. Could have done with one like that after the big snowfall when we lost power for 3 1/2 days. Still thank goodness for the BBQ & a borrowed generator. I've made a couple of good friends here so far, ones a Scot, the other is a kiwi & they also have warm houses.

I don't mind paying to go to the Dr's either, got used to having to do that in the US. At least here it doesn't cost you an arm & a leg. Everyone finds the move different, for us it's been great, & we're just on your average wage here. We didn't come here to live whatever this so called dream is, we did it because we fancied a change (didn't hate the US or the UK) & going back to the Middle East was no longer an option. Hopefully this move will be the permanent one.

asiatic

You know they have electric blankets in NZ.
Briscoes are having a 'Massive Mid-Winter' sale on at mo.
ps: I don't work...for Briscoes, and other shops sell electric blankets.

nickcharliepark

Hi

Just out of interest, when will it start warming up? We are coming soon.... it would be nice if Winter was done with for one year!

nick

poppets

Yes but i have my hubby to keep me warm, & trust me he's a) hot & b) cheap !!!!

thebears

Yes agreed some people will winge walking around the house in a T shirt that its too cold. Put another shirt on or another log on the fire. NZ is not UK so take it or leave it.

I remember playing football barefoot in winter and not complaining or suffering from it. Never had or heard about central heating until I travelled to UK. Not sure what the big fuss is really - suggest people should toughen up more - next thing the wingers will be wanting the govt to wipe their arse.

Kiwi

poppets

can't be that cold if the kiwis walk round in shorts & bare feet. Personally i don't need an excuse to snuggle up on the sofa with a hot chocolate & blanket - usually end up asleep though!

mumomonty

It very much reminds me of Scotland here in so many ways. The older homes are like something a granny would prize. Doylies, net curtains and depressing timber panelling. YUK.
Wait until you get here wtih your family and try and heat them and it's costing you half your wage each month and you still have to run the car, feed the kids etc.
You'll appreciate the UK then.
I've seen people become suddenly materialistic here. They think it's nice to turn the clock back 30 years. Pity the prices are 2006 prices.