nigelb

Hi all,

I have just read on the last page of the visa application, near where you sign. It says
"the cost of living in Australia, compared to many other countries is high.As a guide, it is estimated that in 1999, households of migrants who lived in Australia for less than 2 years spent an average of AUS930 per week supporting 3 people. The average household size for recent migrants is 2 to 3 people"
My question is is that a realistic figure now in 2007? I understand this is a Australia wide survey, and there are highs and lows.

cheers

JustBecause

Just read that the other day too. Along with the one for employee-sponsorship that says you agree to take this job for at least 3 yrs
Can't help but interested in any replies on this.

Dorothy

There are 4 of us in our family; Me, my husband, 2 children aged 12 & 10. We're in Adelaide, which is one of the less expensive cities and we rent. My husband has not worked for the 8 months we've been here, so we've been living on my wages. I currently bring home about $550 per week. We live OK on that for groceries, school fees, petrol, etc. The rent is being paid out of our savings because we cannot afford to pay both bills and rent on what I make per week. Our rent is $280, so that would bring our weekly expenses to about $800. A little breakdown for you...

Take home pay: $550
Groceries: 275
Petrol: 40
Parking: 25
Utilities 50
Son's meds 50 (the part that's not covered by Medicare)
Misc expenses 100 (bus ticket for daughter, lunch out now and then, coffees, etc)

I think it's reasonable to say in the more expensive cities, like Melbourne or Sydney that $970 per week would be about right.

olauf

Hi Dorothy,
Would you consider the cost of living in Perth-Mandurah less than Adelaide.? We are a family fo 3 persones; i.e Hubby, our son (17) and myself..

Besides those weekly expenses, would you be able to tell me roughly what could be the Preliminary expenses takng into account expenses related to payment of a bond for lease of house, connection to utility services like water, electricity, mobile, gas, school admin fees, 2 cars (cheapest ones for the time being), etc...

thanks a lot

Karen

Amazulu

COL here is high. On a par with most of the Western World. A household income of $80k for a family with 2 children. mortgage, cars etc is about the minimum. This figure allows for some retirement saving as well.

Dorothy

Having never lived in either Perth or Mandurah I couldn't answer how much things cost. I do know,however from looking at real estate sites, that the cost of housing whether you rent or buy in WA is much higher than in SA.

steandleigh

Our weekly outgoings (obviously some are paid quarterly/termly/semesterly (sp?) but have divided appropriately) - these are quick ones off the top of my head...

Mortgage: $275
Groceries: $250
Petrol: $60
School fees: $80
Phone/b.band/mobile: $45
Electricity: $50
Ballet/Taikwondo/Music lessons for 2 kids: $70
House insurance: $24
Life insurance:$22
Car insurance: $12
Uni fees: $92
Slab of beer and a couple of bottles of wine: $55

That's the priorities (hehe-heh - beer & wine!!!) and it gets us to $975 and obviously without any of the following:

Birthdays/birthday parties - our own kids and invitations to others/christmas/vacations/mothers day/fathers day/clothing/shoes/treats/c.ds/dvds/weekends away/anything breaking down or needing repairing/car rego/car servicing/dentist/doctors/medical insurance/pensions or retirement plans/kids school uniforms or book lists/going to the hairdresser or barber/gym membership/booklists for uni/materials for uni/after school care fees/stationary and postage/coffee or lunch with friends/work tools/make-up(!)/vets bills/dining out/having friends over/etc/etc/etc

Please note - a lot of these, we don't pay for (I cut ste's hair and he cuts mine /we don't have gym membership/make-up is not a priority/we don't dine out an awful lot - prob a few times a year...) but they are worth bearing in mind, if that is your chosen lifestyle.

Hope this helps.

olauf

Thanks for yur reply Dorothy
I would not have thought Perth is much more expensive than Adelaide. I think i read on another thread you will soon be moving to WA as well. This suggest therefore you will have to have some additional relocation cost. As if this is a never ending story. I suppose a permanent settlement takes time and money...

olauf

Hi Steandleigh
Thanks for those clear details. This really gives me a more or less clear picture of the sort of expenses i must expect to have when i make the move.
Obviously, the rest depends on what one's family is used to.
How would you rate the cost of living in Cairns compared to other cities..
How long have you now been settled in Oz...

Karen

geordiebloke

Is that $80k gross or take home ? Also, what size mortgage (average) would
that be taking into account.

Steve.

cra1gm

groceries - very similar, if not a little more expensive than the UK
petrol - about half the price
Rent (we rent a 1 bed apartment in metro area of brisbane) - very similar to what we paid in Uk for small 2 bed house (£600 a month) though now do not pay any council tax, water bills
second hand cars - quite a bit more than uk. we bought a 1998 toyota starlet paid nearly £2800 (in mint condition with good mileage) dad works for toyota said it would be no more than £2000 in UK
clothes - due to no import quota restriction in oz anything from china cheap as chips. an example a budget store such as jay jays pair of cargo shorts £12, similar quality to top man or some where like that would pay atleast £35
water bills - told it lots cheaper here, but increasing
eating out - chepaer here, steak meal at breakky creak about £12, similar quality in Uk looking at £20
bear!!! - crate of corona in au £18, UK £25??

cant think i spend much on anything else, oh gym membership, cant really compare as all are different, fitness first charge $80 here a month about the same as UK

Dorothy

Actually, I'm not moving to Perth, my husband is. My children and I are staying in Adelaide, at least for the time being. If we were to uproot them now, my daughter will have attended no less than 5 schools since June of 2006. Besides, I have a contract with one of the hospitals that goes until the end of May and they asked me on Thursday if I would like to extend that indefinitely.

Wendy

That's great news Dorothy (about the hospital obviously )

Well done

steandleigh

Hi Karen,

We've lived in Cairns for 2 and a half years. It would be difficult for me to comment on the cost of living in other cities, apart from the obvious things - housing here is cheaper than Sydney, for example! A friend of mine has lived in Cairns just over a year (they moved up from Brisbane) and she says groceries are more expensive in Cairns, as is eating out.

You're right about expenses though - each family spends differently / different priorities etc. I think whatever an individuals earnings, you live according to that and there are others on this forum who earn $40,000 or less even with kids and manage well.

Cheers, Leigh.

TraceyW

Hubby had a mate at work who's just moved to SA from WA and he reckons it's a lot cheaper over there than here.