Cheesehead

I read on one of the threads about some sort of document that enabled you to have a play about with your finances - calculate the cost of living in NZ vs current situation. Of course, I now have no clue where to look for said document. Any ideas?

Genesis

Hi CH, on the search tool pu in 'spread sheet,..about 9-10 threads down there is a cost of living in NZ..there are 4 or so pages have a look in there I think you may find what you are looking for.

Money is a worry innit? The world's gone bloody MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheesehead

It is the biggest worry about the move. Our combined family income will be in the region of 140 NZD. Are we going to starve? Or is this a good wage. I just don't know anymore...

Batty

$140,000? Where are you going to? Even in Auckland you'll be grand on that.

Maz

You'll be fine on that. Unless you buy a million-dollar house, of course.

Genesis

$140k, hmmm. Its just about 4 times the median salary!!!!

Only 5% of the pop. earn over $105k!!!

That is very good money.

Will you have a big mortgage?

Being skint is the last thing you need when you emigrate.

We would not have come here if we had to just 'get by'

NZ is good, but its not that good to suffer penury.

We came here because we worked out we would be better off here (and not in solely fiscal terms) than in the UK. We are. That's good. Innit?

teambwr47

That salary should see you be fairly comfy here in Auckland. Depends on your lifestyle and wants but a higher end rental and running two cars will be relatively easy to achieve just off the take home wages.

Yotty

Is that 140$ a week?

JillDave

hi. I have been told that there are jobs in n/z for telecomunication engineers and am waiting for a reply from a british BT engineer who as gone over to n/z and as been sponsered by a n/z company,MY wife,s worries is what,s the cost of living like?.What is the age limit?.I am 43 this year.regards Dave.

Nerine

Our income was more than $140k. Depending on what your mortgage is like (the biggest drain on many peoples finances there) how much petrol you get through, where you live, how many kids you have and the things you like to do it may be enough for you in AKL, it may be not.

Depends also on what your lifestyle is like in the UK and if you want to maintain it at that level when you get to NZ.

Cheesehead

We are not super extravagant in the UK but we certainly don't want to have to budget to any great extent. This is a huge salary cut for us so I am petrified that we are going from a very comfortable life to a more uncomfortable one. Obviously financial gain has not been part of our decision to move to NZ and we are more than willing to sacrifice some things for for what we believe might be a better life for us and the kids. Looking at renting for a year or so before hopefully finding a plot of land to build a house. Mortgage will not be more than $150,000.

Auckland is not even on our radar. In fact, I certainly can't see ourselves moving from semi-rural South Wales to Auckland - if that was the only option job wise then we just wouldn't go. It is looking increasingly like Christchurch or Nelson area.

It's really hard to know if you are making the right choice for the family isn't it?

Nerine

If you don't mind me asking.....why are you taking a huge salary cut and then saying you don't want to budget to any extent? Cost of living in NZ is as expensive as it is in the UK, and on the increase

I just wonder if you're really aware of just what you may be sacrificing and what you'll get in return for it. A lot of people are leaving NZ because the sacrifices are outweighing the returns.

At the end of the day money can't buy you happiness but then neither can the lack of it.

Avid

True. But large swathes of the population out here live in semi-poverty, so it's hardly an indication of how the OP is going to settle in.

I'd say the OP will be able to live a normal life on $140,000. After tax he'll have about $96,000. His yearly mortgage (if on $150,000) will take away around another $20,000 of that leaving him with about $6,000/month cash in hand.

That's enough to live a normal life without having to worry about every dollar, but it hardly makes him King Midas.

But, as has already been said, people who think money is important shouldn't be considering New Zealand.

Genesis

[QUOTE=Avid;6271646]True. But large swathes of the population out here live in semi-poverty, so it's hardly an indication of how the OP is going to settle in.

The OP wasn't asking about how they might settle in they specifically noted that their BIGGEST worry was money..ergo was $140k going to get them by.

I don't think anyone on $140k is living in semi poverty..what do you think?

mcuddy1

You could take the bull by the horns, come over and apply from here where you will stand a better chance of success.
As for the wages they are not good but if you have no mortgage you would be fine. There are quite a few ex BT Engineers working on External plant in Chc.