stanny Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Hi All, I will be moving to Hobart soon with my family on a subclass 457. I will be the only person working in the household initially as my wife will stay at home to look after our youngest son. I will be picking up $5590.50 each month after tax and am wanting to know if this is a good enough wage to have a nice life in Hobart. We will need to rent initially and then will look to buy a house after a few months with money we have saved up. However i would like to know if we are going to be able to afford a nice standard of living when having to take all the bills out of this salary including rent. I look forward to your replies. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Skani, one of the PIO members lives in or near Hobart. Hopefully she will be able to help you. I'm not sure of rental prices in Hobart as I am on the north coast of Tasmania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh182 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hi stanny, I'm a born an bred Tasmanian. That sort of wage would certainly be fine to rent and live quite comfortably here. Myself and my partner earn about 130k before tax between us a year and we live 10 minutes from Hobart in a small 3 bedroom home from the 60's, with a large block. The house cost us 250k, we're able to live very comfortably paying quite a bit extra into our mortgage but we don't have children. So I suppose if you buy a house for around the same amount and live within your means you shouldn't have an issue. Cost of living here should be around the same as your used to but possibly 10% higher. Once/if your wife starts to work then obviously things get much easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanny Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hi stanny, I'm a born an bred Tasmanian. That sort of wage would certainly be fine to rent and live quite comfortably here. Myself and my partner earn about 130k before tax between us a year and we live 10 minutes from Hobart in a small 3 bedroom home from the 60's, with a large block. The house cost us 250k, we're able to live very comfortably paying quite a bit extra into our mortgage but we don't have children. So I suppose if you buy a house for around the same amount and live within your means you shouldn't have an issue. Cost of living here should be around the same as your used to but possibly 10% higher. Once/if your wife starts to work then obviously things get much easier. Thank you for the reply. I was wondering the average cost of electricity/gas/water etc on a standard 3 bed home. We are looking at Kingston or possibly closer to Hobart if possible. If you have any recommendation or advice in general it would all be greatly received. You can never have enough information when it comes to this stuff as moving my family half way round the world is a rather big step. Just to note i am not crazy and doing this blindly as i have visited Hobart a couple of times for work. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh182 Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hi stanny, to give you an idea of the bills we pay, we have electricity for power with no gas, we use an electric wall mounted heat pump and an electric hot water cylinder. We received our rates notice last week and that was $1172 for the year, which we direct debit $65 into a fortnight, our electricity bill per quarter is around $600. We have long showers and leave the heat pump on in winter 24/7. I cant remember what our quarterly water and sewerage bill is right now sorry. Kingston is a nice area with a lot of amenties and shops within the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 We are also planning to move to Hobart by the year end i.e. around 1st week of December. I'd be very interested in this thread. I have a few questions(I understand all these will be estimates): 1) How much would electricity cost per month for a 2 bed room home approximately considering we do not use a refrigerator and air conditioner/heater. All we use is a lights, fans, gas, computer/laptops and phone. 2) What about water charges per month? 3) How much do fresh regional fruits and vegetables cost per kg? What about grains(cereals and pulses) and oilseeds? Or on a global level, how do you think a couple would spend on food per month provides it cooks at home daily? 4) How much does transport cost within the city? For eg. how much would a taxi ride for 5 kms cost? How much would a bus ride for 5 km cost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 Electricity approx $80 per month If renting, I'm not sure if you or the property owner will pay for water charges We don't use supermarkets much - do most shopping at farmers' markets and green grocer, buy fish off the fishing boat and meat at the butcher. Probably spend $450 per month on average. That is for two people. Skani will probably be able to give you costs of public transport/taxis in Hobart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 What about a wired(not wireless) Internet Connection and wired(not wireless) Telephone landline? First of, are these reliable? Secondly, what are the monthly charges? And what are the per call charges? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srh82 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 From our experience: Wired Internet connection with landline will cost about $80-90/month. Groceries will ill cost you about $100-200/week. If you are vegetarians, it will be slightly cheaper I imagine although nuts in particular I find very expensive here. You will need a refrigerator otherwise your food will spoil too quickly - think of it as an investment. Electric allow $120-180/month including heating and hot water - might be more in Tasmania as it has a much more temperate climate than Brisbane! Water charges are typically paid by the landlord as are municipal rates. Hope the above helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 From our experience: Wired Internet connection with landline will cost about $80-90/month. Groceries will ill cost you about $100-200/week. If you are vegetarians, it will be slightly cheaper I imagine although nuts in particular I find very expensive here. You will need a refrigerator otherwise your food will spoil too quickly - think of it as an investment. Electric allow $120-180/month including heating and hot water - might be more in Tasmania as it has a much more temperate climate than Brisbane! Water charges are typically paid by the landlord as are municipal rates. Hope the above helps. Thanks! Are you talking about Brisbane or Hobart? I believe in Hobart due to cooler climate things do not spoil very easily. I do not wish to use a refrigerator for personal issues. Also, is the wired internet connection and landline unlimited in the rate you mentioned? Or are we charged per data or per call? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh182 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 I live in Hobart and couldn't imagine living without a refrigerator, not sure how you plan on storing meat and veg, especially during our very dry and at times very hot summer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srh82 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Local calls unlimited, national calls not sure. International calls you pay for but you can use Skype and call Skype to Skype or Skype to landline and it will be much cheaper. You need a refrigerator - this is how the western world lives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 (edited) Thanks! Are you talking about Brisbane or Hobart? I believe in Hobart due to cooler climate things do not spoil very easily. I do not wish to use a refrigerator for personal issues. Also, is the wired internet connection and landline unlimited in the rate you mentioned? Or are we charged per data or per call? Indianinoz, you really need to start doing your own research instead of relying on people in these forums to answer your questions. There are not many people here from Tasmania and especially from Hobart, and you can find answers to many of your questions yourself. For example, supermarket prices - go to Coles Online, do a pretend order and nominate Sandy Bay as your local store: http://shop.coles.com.au/online/national/info/first-shop-free-delivery?WT.mc_id=MKTG_Banner_FreeDelivery_18122014_Coles-homepage-tile&WT.ic_id=mc_id Tasmanian buses: http://www.metrotas.com.au/ Tasmanian house prices: allhomes.com.au, domain.com.au, realestate.com.au You'll find very few people in Australia who would consider living without a refrigerator, even in Tasmania where it's cooler. Even people who've built an eco-friendly house will have one - for most people in Australia it's unthinkable to live without one. I grew up in a household that didn't have a fridge so I know it's possible, however I don't think you will find anyone nowadays in Australia who has experience of living without one. Edited August 4, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 (edited) We are also planning to move to Hobart by the year end i.e. around 1st week of December. I'd be very interested in this thread. I have a few questions(I understand all these will be estimates):1) How much would electricity cost per month for a 2 bed room home approximately considering we do not use a refrigerator and air conditioner/heater. All we use is a lights, fans, gas, computer/laptops and phone. 2) What about water charges per month? 3) How much do fresh regional fruits and vegetables cost per kg? What about grains(cereals and pulses) and oilseeds? Or on a global level, how do you think a couple would spend on food per month provides it cooks at home daily? 4) How much does transport cost within the city? For eg. how much would a taxi ride for 5 kms cost? How much would a bus ride for 5 km cost? It's years since I used either but I believe a taxi now costs about $20 for that distance - but more in the evening and at weekends - and the bus about $4 (but about $2.60 for a frequent user with a multi pass ticket). It's impossible to say with fresh regional fruits and vegetables because prices vary so much with the season, with how much produce is around - more expensive at the beginning and end, cheaper at the height of the season when there is plenty around - where you buy, in what quantities - 1 kg or 10 kig bag? - and the variety (some varieties are more expensive than others)... and also if you buy when they are on "special" ie a temporarily discounted price. For food generally you can get a broad idea from Woolworths Online - one of the two big supermarkets here - but you will find fruit and vegetables at cheaper prices at smaller stores or markets. I do not know anyone who doesn't have a refrigerator here. On an earlier thread you mentioned milk...you have to keep that at 4 deg. C even if it's boiled. There is no way you could live here without a heater. You might survive the summer OK but by April you will need heating in the evening and, by winter, all day long. Not only would you be miserable without heating but it is unhealthy. Cold air is damp air which leads to the growth of mildew which then produces spores floating in the air which can lead to respiratory problems. Plus it grows on walls, clothing etc. Also, it is impossible to dry washing completely outside for much of the year. You can survive without an electric tumble dryer (which most people have) but you then need general heating to finish drying off your washing. I think Jockintas is doing well with her electricity bill. Our bill is about $100 per month for electricity - but that doesn't include hot water (heated by gas) and the main heating is a slow combustion wood fire which goes 24 hours a day 7 days a week at this time of year. Edited August 5, 2015 by Skani Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 What about a wired(not wireless) Internet Connection and wired(not wireless) Telephone landline? First of, are these reliable? Secondly, what are the monthly charges? And what are the per call charges? Yes, they are reliable. It's impossible to give charges because there are so many variables. To get an idea you can have a look at a comparison site such as Canstar Blue for internet http://www.canstarblue.com.au/telecommunications/broadband/ or for phone and internet bundle http://www.canstarblue.com.au/telecommunications/bundled-communication-plans/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 the main heating is a slow combustion wood fire which goes 24 hours a day 7 days a week at this time of year. This sounds interesting. What is this? You mean there is a machine which does this or you simply bring some wood and make a wood fire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skani Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 This sounds interesting. What is this? You mean there is a machine which does this or you simply bring some wood and make a wood fire? Like this: http://www.osburn-australia.com/en/heaters It's a very common form of heating in Tasmania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
srh82 Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Something tells me @Indianinoz that you are in for a massive culture shock when you arrive in Australia :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indianinoz Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Something tells me @Indianinoz that you are in for a massive culture shock when you arrive in Australia :rolleyes: Haha! No! I'm prepared for the life you're describing. We do have 2 fridges at home here in Mumbai(one is of about 600 litres) here which we use day in and day out. Every single family has a fridge here in Mumbai(except the really really poor ones) who live on streets. But I want to live my life my way now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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