barnsleymat

Almost everything is much more expensive, in many cases 2,3,4 times the price you pay in the UK from eggs, milk, beer, baked beans, medication, paint, secondhand cars, fresh food, broadband and so on and so on, so day to day living costs are much higher. So while you might think wages look pretty good by UK standards the money you have doesn't go anywhere near as far. Which does mean you have mush less money to spend on enjoying yourself. Being able to walk on a beach everyday wears thin after a while, we used to have a great social life in the UK but we simply can't afford it here. Would you be able to afford nearly 5 quid for two thirds of a pint of lager in the pub? I certainly can't, but that's the going rate in Dunedin. Away from the main centres NZ cities are a bit boring, people like to pretend Dunedin is a thriving bustling arty city but it's not really, and we are that far away from anywhere else within a 3 hour drive of here is just hills and beaches, and we have enough hills and beaches in the city to look at already.

The one thing that is cheaper is running a car, but the likelyhood of you owning more cars is significantly higher, car ownership is very high, it seems every kid, adult and pensioner has their own wheels. It's very very difficult to get by on one car, we managed it fine in the UK, it was a bit of a struggle in Auckland but it's impossible here in Dunedin.

After 5 years NZ is really getting to us as you can probably pick up on, we miss seeing a bit of life, being able to go visit different places and having the freedom to go out and do things. I'd love to book a holiday to Aussie or the pacific islands but we're too busy spending our money on $6 cucumbers.

Genesis

I am almost 60 and about to be offered a job, on a full shift system, as a trainee for around $50k. I consider this very good pay in a small town like mine, inspite of including a full shift allowance. The top end of my pay scale will be about $61k.

However, due to my age I am mortgage free and have savings, so a salary of $50k, whilst not big by any standard means I will have about $800 (after tax) to spend each week.

In NZ you get charged tax from the 1st cent you earn. Here are the NZ tax rates. https://www.google.co.nz/webhp?sourc...x%20rates%20nz

Genesis

We did not have a back up plan. Failure was NOT an option!!! He/she who dares!!!

garethwm

I looked up the first 4 items on Matts list at Countdown NZ and Tesco UK, taking the cheapest price from each, then converting NZ dollars to pounds at todays exchange rate. Dozen eggs £1.82 NZ £1.75 UK, Milk per litre £0.82 NZ £0.44 UK, Can Heinz baked beans £1.03 NZ £0.75 UK, 24 330ml cans Heineken £20.8 NZ £18 UK. Remembering that the pound has tanked 20% since Brexit. 2 weeks ago the total prices of these goods would be even stevens.

barnsleymat

Free Range Eggs - Countdown 0.75c each - Asda 14p Each (3x the price)
Baked Beans - Countdown Watties $2 - Asda Heinz 75p (1.5x times the price)
Milk - Countdown Asda 38p per litre - Countdown $1.38 per litre (double the price)

I was talking about beer in the pubs, not the supermarkets, I don't buy beer to drink at home. The pubs are about twice as expensive (probably more considering the small measures here), you can still get a pint for under 2 quid back home in town.

My friend moved home to the UK from Dunedin a few weeks ago, he messaged me the other day all excited saying his weekly shop had reduced to 50 quid and that included some beer and cider too, less than half what he was spending here in Dunedin.

Bo-Jangles

Again I agree with Matt, from my real life honest experience even the cheapest free range eggs in Pak n Save con't compare with what Sainsburys have as their everyday normal price.

Yesterday Pak n Save had eggs on special offer at $5.49 - bearing in mind these were shortdated (use by 30th July) and ungraded (read hit an miss random sizes) at the other end of the spectrum without even trying to save money or dumbing down to basement bargain level you can get 12 large free range eggs in Sainsburys for GBP 2.25 the cheapest in Countdown today is $6.80

Stormer999

Why why when someone comes onto this forum to ask for info do we always seem to get down to arguing about the price of blood cucumbers. If they are investigating a major move to NZ then I give them the credit of being able to google the price of vegetables.....

barnsleymat

I think it's important to highlight the difference. I bet we spend at the very minimum $120 more a week on groceries here, over a year that's more than $6000, about the price of a trip for the 3 of us back to the UK to see family.

I'm going to call it the Cucumber Effect.

garethwm

Countdown eggs cheapest 3.50 per dozen or 0.29 each. Free range cheapest $6 dozen or 50c each. Not 90c. Just being real. Usually cheaper at fruit and veg stores.

Kotare

Unpolluted by people and much more more freedom in all areas, but this also includes the right to fall off mountains, drown in beach rips and get lost in the untracked bush (I think Kiwis consider this 'evolution in action).

Want a lifestyle block with animals, grow your own fruit veg? Want to go fishing (incl trout/salmon), skiing, boating, hunting (all very expensive in Europe). Into sport? NZ is for you.

Good restaurants, but no pub or nightlife outside the cities and Kiwis don't seem to do things like dinner parties (very family centred). Backyard BBQ's seem to be the main activity but then I don't remember my neighbours in UK being that sociable.

It could be considered dull if you don't make your own entertainment and can't afford to get offshore at least every other year. I agree you become blase about the stunning scenery (unless you are a photographer) very quickly.

The main factor is NZ is a foreign country where the locals speak English!

garethwm

Its easy to check Matt. Just do a typical shop at Countdown.co.nz and the same items at a UK supermarket. Multiply the NZ shop by 0.52 and there you have the comparative spend. Be worth it if sparklyfrog wants factual stuff to go on.

BEVS

Whatever the heck is posted on this thread about all sorts of stuff ...no matter what... do not mention

MrsFychan

kapiti Coast is beach and not far from Wellington

garethwm

But youre always saying its very windy there? If sparkly wants a beach lifestyle there are better beach towns and cities where you can sit on a calm beach and have a picnic.

Stormer999

I think I did say expensive on post #2 and OP read the post hence answer post #3 without having to go on endlessly about different food costs. High cost comes with low population density FACT ! that is why NZ post introduced YouShop !