AndyEvs

The latest edition of North & South magazine has a very detailed and wide ranging article on the cost of living here. Makes for depressing reading and provides all the evidence needed to demonstrate the NZ is a very expensive country to live in.

GoingIn2011

There is that. But the UK was never that cheap either. One's subjective experiences are different to those subjective comparisons made in magazine articles such as this one. In fact, I seem to recall there were different results depending on what income stratum you're in. All I know is that I am better off here...

Besides which watching Question Time brings home to me how economically depressing it really is over there right now... Never again!!!!

gcr

When it's cheaper to buy decent steak than it is to buy pizza, the cost of living seems OK to me!

Charismatic

Must be bad if people buying North and South are worrying about the price of living.

GoingIn2011

Lol, lol

BEVS

However

It is becoming more and more expensive to live here in NZ which is a worry to us. Our wages stay the same the past 6 years but everything goes up.

As I am not in the UK , their COL isn't a current concern of mine. If I would wish to discuss that, I would go to the MBTTUK forum where it would be relevant.

GoingIn2011

Indeed, but as a footnote, the same is true in the UK. It would be incorrect in my view to see this as a uniquely NZ problem. I never got a payrise in 8 years in the UK, in which time the price of petrol increased by about 70% etc.

AndyEvs

Interesting responses, BEV would I be able to post a link to a scan of the article? Would be useful for those coming? Those with their heads firmly buried in the sand won't be able to read it from that position anyway.

GoingIn2011

I dont think I have my head buried in the sand, and if it is the same article I read (comparing Oz to NZ), I'm not sure it's actually that meaningful on an individual level. It's not even comparing to the UK. Just my two cents.

AndyEvs

No I don't think it's the same article, it makes comparisons with a number of countries as well as looking at percentage increases in a number of items and services (such as energy) as well as looking at the online retail costs and availability. As I said it is wide ranging and doesn't simply do a like for like comparison. I have said a million times it's not about a direct currency conversion it is about the percentage of your income that goes on items/services/food etc. Focussing on the relative cost of one item only is a waste of everybody's time which is why the article makes such interesting reading.

BEVS

Of course.

You can link to the article and also quote the first 4/6 lines of the opening paragraph.

edit..
Ah ! I was going to do the link thing but see one can't.

Yes please. Scan it and then link.

BEVS

No-one is stating this to be a 'uniquely NZ problem'. Cost of living threads exist on many of the assorted countries open forums.

Years ago NZ was seen as a country where the overall cost of living was cheap. "Living off the smell of an oily rag' and all that. That myth tends to still cling on overseas & it simply isn't so anymore.

The point of this thread is that this is a rising issue in New Zealand for many New Zealanders. The OP is free to correct me if I am wrong.

passthevalium

You're not wrong, in my humble opinion. Anyone can search for COL in NZ, and there are quite a few Newspaper sites in NZ where Kiwis are talking about the rising COL. It is expensive to live here, not only for the basics but for travel, entertainment, etc; We've been here 2 years and are surprised at how expensive it really is.

GoingIn2011

That's fine. I am not in favour of censorship in any way either by the way - which I feared may have been interpreted after I wrote my last post.

All I am saying is that the UK is hardly a free lunch either so the differences may be slight for many people. Put it this way, studies like this only allude to the average case. They elicit trends. So you are right regarding the trend for NZ. Trends however should not in themselves be sufficient to put people off. People's individual circumstances may well buck said trends. That is the sum total of my point. I do get concerned that articles like this can, if taken at face value, put people off investigating the possibilities re NZ; where, in fact, if they went further they may end up being one of those "trend buckers".

My only concern as ever is balance...

GoingIn2011

It is also expensive to live in the UK for many people, FACT