Bo-Jangles

I guess you'll manage but $75k is definitely going to feel like a big comedown from £38k - you'll have to try and push them upto the max.

Another $5k probably doesn't seem a lot from your end of the world but really I think you'll come to realise it's immense in terms of affording / not affording some fairly basic niceties in your life here.

Persephone

No, we don't have to pay for bins in Chch.
Three decent sized bins provided on the rates- one for recycling, one for garden and food and one for general waste.

dubstar

Rent about 450-600 per week
Electric 300 per month
Cell phne 50 per month
Food family of 4 250-300 per week yes i know thats not frugal
Insurance contents 60 per month
Meal out casual not maccas 100 dollars
Price of a pint in a bar 9 dollars glass wine 9 dollars
Internet and phone 120 per month
Sky tv 110 per month
Transport varies cars expensive

sr71

Except Sydney is far more expensive. Similar mentality to renters though, often not particularly well-maintained and newly modern places cost a premium unless you rent in new developments 25-50km+ from the city.

davros1984

A colleague who I worked with here in Auckland until March of this year - same team, has moved to Sydney, taken a new job and he finds himself significantly better off. i.e. He can live 30-45 mins outside of Sydney CBD and commute in via public transport. He can even afford to buy a house there. I guess its different for everyone.

CarolineSwan

One of my closest friends is a high school teacher and earns roughly 70K, they have a home they built along with 4 kids under 12. I honestly do not know how they live. When I work out what I spend each week on 3 of us I just do not know how they manage.

moonie2011

Hi my hubby earns $78k, we also have a british pension of around $20k a year. There are four of us and we paid rent of $500 a week. Sorry to say we barely make ends meet, we are left with just a few dollars each pay day. We only run one car, had 3 and a m/bike un UK, we do have take aways, the odd meal out and we try to do stuff at the weekend. We don't have enough to save
I don't work, and yes I can get a job, but by the time I pay for child care, travel into the city etc it wouldn't leave us much better off
I have never been so worried about money I'm afraid, we are not poor but it's unsettling and causes lots of 'back in England' conversations

BEVS

No practical help at all but you have a big cyber hug from me. Money worries are the absolute pits and can put a huge strain on a relationship & family. We all need to feel we can save a little for that rainy day or sudden unexpected bill. We all need to feel we can perhaps have a little money to do something fun or special with too.
A good budget is a great thing when on a certain amount of income but when that comes to shoving just a few dollars around to make ends meet, then that's when the joy can go out of a life & the grind set in.

Big hug to you .

kitti

I find the cost of living high, but it's all relative. My husband doesn't earn megabucks, but it's in the 70's, so not too bad for NZ. We didn't buy a terribly expensive house, but it's still so much bigger than anything we could have had in the UK in a much nicer area.

I just cook most things from scratch, don't go out much and have forgotten what a takeaway is! I console myself with the happy children with space to play, the stars, the countryside and the sea. Which is, after all, what I came here for. I make sure I save in the Christmas club!

Everyone is on a budget here, and if they say they're not, they're telling porkie pies!

Moses2013

Is it really so expensive, or what are people spending there money on? If people can't manage even earning 70K, something must be wrong. I mean that's 44K in Euro and you'd be classed as wealthy with that sort of money.

BEVS

People are spending their money on their everyday bills & essentials. As is being stated by many that come here with families, they make ends meet with little if anything left over. NZ is not a cheap place to live as many folk still seem to think it is. Those days are long gone. Given the state of many of the Eurozone countries it may well be that an NZ income would stretch far further in some of those countries. As Kitti states. For her and her family it is expensive. but she feels there is a positive trade off for her children in their everyday lives.

bourbon-biscuit

Maybe if you earned your $70k in NZ but exchanged it into Euros to spend there it might seem a lot. However, if you're earning $70k in NZ to support your family here on, it's not a lot. Median household income in NZ is a bit over $85k. Median is more useful here because it tells you that on $70k your household is in the less well off 50% of households... not exactly "wealthy".

kitti

I lied about my income. It's in the fifties, I checked with my better half. lol I still feel it's a good trade-off. It's a reasonable wage in the UK or Eurozone, it's pretty good for NZ, and we manage. I just think anyone moving here has to be prepared to learn how to budget well, cook more, and realise it's not about the money.

kitti

(sorry to spam) but also wanted to add I've got four children in school. Once you add up the lunches, school fees, stationery and after-school clubs it can get a bit tight. Food is the worst thing, especially if you don't want to live on rice. And they expect a balanced diet and fresh fruit!

I still think it's worth it though. If you're after good wages and cheaper living, Australia's the way to go, but their wildlife will kill you.

bourbon-biscuit

Kitti, not meaning to get personal but did you bring over some money so that you have just a small mortgage? It's just that I am a fairly frugal person but with two kids and a no frills lifestyle we burn through a mid-80s income with not a cent left over nor saved. But we pay rent of $400 per week. A friend of mine on a similar income is much, much better off than us but they have no rent/mortgage and I think she often forgets what a difference that extra $400 per week makes.