Cost of Living

Old Apr 20th 2014, 8:36 am
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Default Cost of Living

Hi all

I am reading many posts regarding cost of living and many people are saying that NZ is expensive but what are people comparing prices to, the UK?

NZ looks cheap compared to prices here where my oil heating bills have been €600 - €700 per month over the winter, electric is around €300 - €400 per month, water is around €40 per month, phone and internet €135 per month, rents are €1000+ for a 2 bed apartment outside the city, shopping is around €1000+ per month, school fees are €1000 per month and so on.

My take home salary in Europe is probably greater than NZ but I am 100% sure we would be better off in NZ with a lesser salary but still earning more than NZ $110k including car, fuel etc.

Thanks

Graham
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Old Apr 20th 2014, 9:12 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Hello, here's quite a long thread about it:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...highlight=cost
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 6:13 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Originally Posted by GSAI
Hi all

I am reading many posts regarding cost of living and many people are saying that NZ is expensive but what are people comparing prices to, the UK?

No. Absolutely not. That is a futile exercise.

It is our % net income to outgoings that dictates that we find NZ an expensive place to live. In the ten years we have lived here, it has become more costly.

Just be brutal with your own figures. Net income to expected outgoings.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 6:29 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Based on current salary and expenditure in Europe and what I see on this forum, I believe that I would personally be better off.

In NZ I can expect a take home salary of NZ$7,000 to $8,000.

I suppose all will depend upon where we decide to live in NZ.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 6:43 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

My income is roughly equivalent to what it was in the UK and my living expenses are about the same - some things more, some less but for me it balances out. I haven't had to spend a lot on setting up a home though which can be pricey.

Prices have gone up a lot here but they have in the UK too, so it's hard to compare once you've been away a while.

One thing I do notice is that Brits don't know how to shop like kiwis. You have to do a bit more work to hunt out bargains and re-learn the best shops/outlets. Mark-ups are high here but that means that sales often offer significant savings so it's worth doing without while you wait for bargains.

Prices vary quite a lot depending on where you live.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 7:06 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Originally Posted by jmh
You have to do a bit more work to hunt out bargains and re-learn the best shops/outlets. Mark-ups are high here but that means that sales often offer significant savings so it's worth doing without while you wait for bargains.
From time to time, the supermarket where I do my shopping every week will have Veuve Clicquot NV Champagne on offer for $65 a bottle.

At that price, it is cheaper than Tesco!

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Old Apr 21st 2014, 9:10 pm
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Default Re: Cost of Living

[quote=GSAI;11227281]Based on current salary and expenditure in Europe and what I see on this forum, I believe that I would personally be better off.


There you go then. You'll be fine.
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Old Apr 22nd 2014, 5:11 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

A question I get asked a lot, so I did a like for like comparison table, correct as of 2013 - the year we moved here. http://ryding2nz.com/useful-links/co...ng-comparison/
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Old Apr 22nd 2014, 6:47 pm
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we returned to uk after a few years in nz.
upon returning we have found uk extremely cheap for groceries - things such as camembert and brie which are 99p were just far to expensive in NZ for us to afford.
we even found milk there expensive and bread.
however property is cheaper, petrol and insurance are cheaper and if you get the exchange rate right you can get a good deal.
salaries tend to be higher in nz. that is if you can get a good job or a job at all.
cars in nz are expensive. would stress only go on medical insurance, the government health system is slow which is not ideal if you are ill. we were shocked at people raising money for medical treatment as the waiting list too long.
views scenery and outdoor lifestyle are great. however travel to europe, uk, etc v expensive.
i would go out on a 2yr visa and see if you can afford it. we found we went there with savings and came back with none. having to start all over again with a sketchy work history in nz at an older age is very tough.
leaving family behind in uk and not seeing them for ages as too far away and expensive was tough.
all in all wish we had just gone out on holiday.
think it through carefully.

not meaning to sound negative or put you off, but moving there can affect the rest of your life financially

Last edited by BEVS; Apr 22nd 2014 at 9:37 pm. Reason: merge
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Old Apr 22nd 2014, 8:45 pm
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Oh dear - well come out here and you'll soon see. Personally having been back to the UK in the last 5 months, totally shocked by how much cheaper the majority appear to be.

1) Clothing
2) Cars
3) Alcohol
4) Food/Bread/Milk/ A jar of instant coffee... and its not just the price, its the choice.
5) Tea Bags
6) Satsumas
7) Houses / Mortgage Repayments

Our rent will be half of what we pay now when we go home and thats for a place double the size of what we currently have. Appreciate that is different for everyone, but for us - its a big difference.

The only things that I find cheaper in NZ is petrol and parking
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Old Apr 22nd 2014, 10:37 pm
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Originally Posted by rosequ
we returned to uk after a few years in nz.
upon returning we have found uk extremely cheap for groceries - things such as camembert and brie which are 99p were just far to expensive in NZ for us to afford.
we even found milk there expensive and bread.
however property is cheaper, petrol and insurance are cheaper and if you get the exchange rate right you can get a good deal.
salaries tend to be higher in nz. that is if you can get a good job or a job at all.
cars in nz are expensive. would stress only go on medical insurance, the government health system is slow which is not ideal if you are ill. we were shocked at people raising money for medical treatment as the waiting list too long.
views scenery and outdoor lifestyle are great. however travel to europe, uk, etc v expensive.
i would go out on a 2yr visa and see if you can afford it. we found we went there with savings and came back with none. having to start all over again with a sketchy work history in nz at an older age is very tough.
leaving family behind in uk and not seeing them for ages as too far away and expensive was tough.
all in all wish we had just gone out on holiday.
think it through carefully.

not meaning to sound negative or put you off, but moving there can affect the rest of your life financially
Hi and welcome to BE. You say you've moved back to the UK? Are you looking to move abroad again then?
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 12:33 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Originally Posted by rosequ
we returned to uk after a few years in nz.
upon returning we have found uk extremely cheap for groceries - things such as camembert and brie which are 99p were just far to expensive in NZ for us to afford.

we even found milk there expensive and bread.
Cheese, bread and milk are more pricey in NZ - but not insanely so. Unless you have a serious dairy addiction neither is likely to bankrupt you.

The same applies in NZ that applies anywhere, if the price isn't right for you don't buy it, no one is demanding you purchase it.



With food, bills, mortgage, insurances it costs us between $4,000 to $4,500 a month to live in our two bed room apartment with me, my OH and our 3 year old. $1,900 of that is mortgage. With that in mind therefore we spend $2,100 to $2,600 a month on the rest of it.

Of course the rest of it largely depends on your income.

Those of you familiar with my story will know there is inheritance cash floating around, you should therefore know that all of this money has either been invested or has been earmarked for investment, so we haven't chosen to use this money for anything else.

For instance the return flights back to the UK in October for me and the kid have been paid for out of savings that have been generated since starting work here.

As were the recent emergency payments for a plumber, then a new dishwasher, a change of locks, a burglar alarm service and the purchase of a new laptop after our existing one went missing ... (the detectives among you may choose to piece that last three together).

To that end, living in Auckland we have a household income of around $125k, but also a company car with comes inclusive of fuel, WOF, insurance, etc which of course helps - so apportion your own values around owning a car accordingly.


With our lifestyle, income and expenditure I find that saving money and having money free for emergencies and good times (meals out, entertainment, sporting pursuits, etc ... ) hasn't been a problem thus far.

Day to day products, particularly food shopping are more expensive in NZ, but it's not by much in our basket - if GST existed (or didn't exist) on food here, like VAT doesn't in the UK is would be close to being the same.



However, I recently met for a beer with a fellow BE poster who made a very thought provoking point about perceptions of how much NZ can cost.

The point was that if you had most recently lived in the SE of England (higher income, but also higher living costs), undoubtedly the most expensive area to live in the UK by region, then you might not find NZ quite so unpalatable in terms of expense.

If you came from a lifestyle in the UK where the area you lived in was lower on the living cost front, but you still had a good income relative to that area, you might struggle to get to grips with NZ's general higher cost of living.


I think you definitely need to consider what sort of lifestyle you are coming from in the UK and what lifestyle you are going to in NZ.

For me for example, playing sport is much cheaper in NZ than it is in the UK. It costs me roughly $10 a game to play Cricket here, including the getting there. That $10 wouldn't have even covered my travel to go and play Cricket in the UK, let alone the costs associated with playing in the match its self; match fees, membership, food.

Another massive example for us is childcare where we paid 250 GBP a week for irrespective of public holidays in the UK, we pay $208 a week here on a regular week and don't pay on public holidays. This 3 day Easter/ANZAC week is costing $87.

Although we now qualify for 20 free hours as your child is over the age of 3. But as I understand it, not all childcare centres necessarily offer this.


You really need to take stock of what your lifestyle might be like in NZ and where you'll look to spend disposable income.


As the previous poster says, a couple of years out here will give you the best idea, but this relies on you having the financial clout to move back or elsewhere if it doesn't work out, this might not be an option.


We sat down and budgeted everything and very conservatively I might add and then rounded up to the nearest $10 and adding another $10!!

This process gave us huge piece of mind and made us realise that there are things that are more expensive in NZ, but then there are things that are much cheaper, given the lifestyle that we lead.

If one converts our household income from GBPs to NZDs we are earning less. But this doesn't appear to have impinged on our lifestyle, all whilst being able to putting some $$$'s in savings in order to enjoy ourselves from time to time.

Last edited by TommyLuck; Apr 23rd 2014 at 12:37 am.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 12:39 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Originally Posted by BEVS
As were the recent emergency payments for a plumber, then a new dishwasher, a change of locks, a burglar alarm service and the purchase of a new laptop after our existing one went missing ... (the detectives among you may choose to piece that last three together).


I bought me own laptop ...honest. Mr BEVS never brings anything remotely useful home

FWIW , when hiring a plumber or gasfitter , please check with PGDB public register and ask for the ID card which should be carried at all times.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 12:41 am
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Originally Posted by BEVS
FWIW , when hiring a plumber or gasfitter , please check with PGDB public register and ask for the ID card which should be carried at all times.
Noted.
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Old Apr 23rd 2014, 12:41 am
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Default Re: Cost of Living

Hi Tommy

Thanks for the insight, most useful.

I am comparing prices with southern Europe and as you see from my original post, prices here are far greater than the UK which is why I feel that we would be ok in NZ.

I am already paying over inflated prices on rent, food, bills etc.
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