Cost of living.
 

Hi

I know this is a bit of a 'how long is a piece of string' question but I am trying to do a rough comparison of food costs for a family of four. Currently thinking of keeping a note of every single thing we buy for a month or six weeks and then trawling NZ supermarket websites etc to try and get and idea as to to how things compare. This seems a bit long-winded so wondered if anyone can offer advice either from direct experience or a link to a price comparison type website.

All help greatly appreciated and thanks in advance.

PS. £6-7,000 to transport two dogs to NZ from UK. Presumably they are sipping Krug in first class!:confused:

Re: Cost of living.
 

There's only one supermarket with online shopping:

http://www.countdown.co.nz/

Re: Cost of living.
 

Hi, I just spent nearly $4000 bringing my small dog back from NZ to UK. Not sure how big your dogs are but it is expensive.

Re: Cost of living.
 

I posted my shopping comparison on another thread last week, it's not much to go on but gives you a bit of an idea...

Basic wholemeal loaf $2.19 - Tesco wholemeal loaf = 79p ($1.48)
Free range chicken breast x3 $12.29 - Tesco willow farm x4 = £5.54 ($10.44)
Mainland butter $4.99 - Tesco Anchor £1.40 ($2.63)
Kellogs Bran Flakes 330g $3.79 - Tesco Kellogs Bran flakes 500g £2.09 ($3.94)
Corona x12 $26.99 - Tesco Coronax12 £14.49 ($27)

Re: Cost of living.
 

I know I sound like a repeating record here but a UK to NZ comparison isn't much cop & will mean little once you are here and earning for a year or so.


You need to do a UK net income to UK expenditure and be brutal with that .
Then you need to apply the exact same to what you think your NZ net income will be and do your NZ expenditure with the same brutality.

Comparing UK to NZ prices means nothing at all as you won't be earning UK money.

Once you have done both, then you can compare things like disposable income at the end of a week etc.

You also need to factor in things like doctors, vehicles, vets, school fees etc.

Re: Cost of living.
 

Thanks for this. I realise that ideally I would just earn loads (sorry heaps...using the local lingo already) of NZD then all would be sweet (oops just can't help it!). Luckily we have investment income from the UK and just trying to work out how far that could go...ie how much time could be spent on a beach rather than in an office:)

Re: Cost of living.
 

I don't know if you read my reports on our holiday but I always put how much things had cost in general. Not food but you do have to buy other things as well.

Re: Cost of living.
 

Ideally me and him would also be earning loads or have a big wad somewhere. We do have a bit of a smallish wad but that's for retirement .

Is it just the 2 of you? Which area are you thinking about. It makes a difference.

Re: Cost of living.
 

There are four of us in all. Two children aged 9 and 5. Planning on settling in Tauranga area mainly due to the climate.

Re: Cost of living.
 

You have to bear in mind that produce is very seasonal here. Tomatoes are a good example, currently $2.50/kg at my green grocer, as much as $14.99/kg in the middle of winter.

There is no poor expolited African famer growing strawberries to be flown into every Tesco's in the country all year round.

Food here is more expensive on the whole, but in my opinion the quaility is much better, if you like cooking from scratch. If you live on microwave meals, then you are going to be in trouble!

Re: Cost of living.
 

Agree food is generally more, but it all depends on how you shop and how you eat. Somethings come up surprisingly cheaper, particularly if the 'specials' are suitable. A direct comparison isnt going to work and as Catchafire says fruit and veg are very seasonal. The quality and choice for fruit and veg personally I think is much better though.

Re: Cost of living.
 

I think things have improved since last time I was here on 2002 and trying to buy some heaters in December. Not available as it was "summer" despite the Wellington weather which was as it is normally is (not like now).

Choice is getting better but ready meals are a no no because of price and quality. But work life balance means there's more time cooking!

Re: Cost of living.
 

Just the beans and peas that come from Kenya into NZ then, is it? I think NZ is less than up front with country of origin labelling. No worries about the Phillipines nanas and pineaapples, the chinese garlic, USA grapes and nectarines, Aussie melons etc.

Re: Cost of living.
 

Have just spent 4 weeks back in the UK and as always am stunned at how cheap the food is there (along with the mid boggling choice) compared to NZ.
Back in 2004 when we first moved here I did a comparison not based on price but on percentage of my income. So for example if a loaf of bread costs 0.005% of my income in he UK what does it cost in NZ. I saved it all on a spreadsheet for a couple of months and I have to tell you it made me want to weep. As a school teacher in an equivalent job I found day to day goods to be on average taking 20% more of my wages than in the UK. Once you add in the cost of travel, well actually don't bother, it will only make you mad!

Re: Cost of living.
 

Oh, please, this is New Zealand - in paradise nobody is exploited. No poor African children work on farms that produce coffee for New Zealanders! No poor Pakistani children work in a factory to produce clothes for New Zealand!