I'm new to this forum and have spent a lot of time reading all your helpful advice and info on life in Oz. I'm 25, and planning to fly out in Sept on the Working Holiday Visa, with the intention of being sponsored (I think I'll be ok with the visas, so I'm not too concerned about that). I must also stress that I'm struggling to control my excitement over this new part of my life. I'm not sure how long I'll stay, but if I'm happy then why come back?! I'm hoping to head to Brisbane becuase there's quite a bit of work in my Transport Engineering, although I'm also looking at Sydney, but I'll decide when I have some interviews and see what's available.
I have a rough idea of my potential salary, and it is surprisingly close to my current UK salary. But given the ridiculous cost of housing, running a car, and drinking in pubs/bars etc in the UK, i think I'll be somewhat better off living in an Oz city without a car and with a different lifestyle.
What I'd really like to know is the cost a few key items which I think would give a good indication as to the real cost of living, becuase I seem to hear quite varied reports on the differences in costs with the UK.
So please could any of you post any info on the costs of the following. Please could you also state your location in Oz, as that will provide a more useful result.
Here is a list of what I think would be good items to judge costs (UK prices in brackets for non-London locations)
1) Regular McDonalds Meal (£3.29)
2) Pint of beer from a standard bar/pub (I know pints aren't common there, but the equivalent would be useful!) (£2.70)
3) 1 litre of petrol (95p)
4) 6 pack of beer from supermarket (£4.99 ish?)
5) Lunch meal deal from most high street shops- Sandwich, bag of crisps, bottle of coke (£2.99)
I know this list might make me look like some sort of beer-guzzling, food monster who's too lazy to walk anywhere, but I think these are the main costs in my life at the mo. Also, everyone usually refers to the cost of housing, weekly shopping, bills etc... which are all so dependent on the family size, lifestyle, location etc! I think the items I have listed are a good measure to use.
So, please can you reply with the costs you have experienced (Oz $ or GBP is cool, whatever is easier for you) and your location in Oz.
Thanks for all your super advice, keep it up! I will add my experiences when I have arrived and settled,
Hiya Rich, Welcome to PIO, sorry can't help with your questions, we did have a McDonalds but OH out and I didn't pay for it, ile ask him when he gets in, or by then you may have your answers!!
but good to see you got all your priorties right!!
Petrol today in West Adelaide was $124.9
Fast food at KFC last week for a meal deal was around $8
Bought a 6 pack of beer for $11.90
1 big glass of beer near us $6
1 Glass of coke near us $3
Location: Molesworth TAS, 1/2hr west of Hobart in the bush surrounded by gum & wattles!
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Hi Mrs TinB:
What's your weather like today? Dull & muggy here in Northumberland. & the only neighbor is driving me nuts with his weedwacker!
Prices I'm interested in are real, full fat, Milk 2 lts, (NOT skimmed or homo - do they have this in SA?!), 500 grms rump steak - or similar, electricity per unit - or how do they charge! Kilo of good , sweet grapes, tasty cheddar & parking in Aldinga Beach or Hallet Cove per HR? Or any quiet beach. Is the ice cream good & is it true I'll never get decent, quality 70% chocolate any more? Our only real treat!
Also 10 fav things about SA & 10 downsides. We are trying to choose between Tass & SA; as a guide, we're not big on heat, or crowds & like a quiet, rural (not necessarily Bush life, NOT Outback!) fairly close to the beach, + gardening & growing fruit & veg - Is this feasible in SA?
Thank you kindly for your time. Does Adelaide feel like home now?
Well our weather yesterday was all over the place. On a night the temp has been dropping to around 2C-5C near us. Then during the day it has been rising to a sunny 15-18C, however yesterday we had really fine showers from around 11.00am. In summer it can get very hot 42ish but it doesn't stay that temp for days and days. When we came it stayed like that for 4 days and broke some kind of record, but don't take those figures as gospel as my memory for everyday facts and figures is not brilliant.
Not sure about the price of 2ltr full cream milk, but I will check next time I go to the shops. Rump steak from our butchers is around $16 a kilo, but there are cheaper and more expensive steak to be had. Grapes at the moment from the fruit shop I use are $4.90 a kilo, I buy Cathedral cheese and it is $5 for 250g but that is one of the more expensive brands. The only beach that you need to pay at around here, as far as I know, is Glenelg, however if you don't mind walking 2minutes there are plently of places to park further along the sea front that you don't pay. They tend to give you timed limits on your parking. Although in the town there are meters everywhere. Ice cream is very nice as there are a lot of Italian restaurants. You can get 70% choc, Haigh's chocolate is very nice.
The life style you want is feasible in SA. Adelaide does feel like home now, although I do still refer to the UK as home but I think that's because my family are all over there. Things I like: the atmosphere, people are friendly, it is a big city but has a small town feel to it, clean, lots to do, child friendly, easy to get around, we live in a beautiful spot, the wildlife is amazing & the sea is beautiful. Things I don't like: the way people drive here, the time difference between here and the UK, very cold at night during the winter and the houses are not very well prepared for the cold, everyday chocolate doesn't taste the same (but you can buy expensive stuff that is very nice), not much competition in the variety of supermarkets, they call football soccer and ozzie rules football, have to get compulsory 3rd party insurance with your car reg (road tax), ants are annoying, sorry can't think of anymore.
Location: Molesworth TAS, 1/2hr west of Hobart in the bush surrounded by gum & wattles!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tinbasher
Hi Herbster
Well our weather yesterday was all over the place. On a night the temp has been dropping to around 2C-5C near us. Then during the day it has been rising to a sunny 15-18C, however yesterday we had really fine showers from around 11.00am. In summer it can get very hot 42ish but it doesn't stay that temp for days and days. When we came it stayed like that for 4 days and broke some kind of record, but don't take those figures as gospel as my memory for everyday facts and figures is not brilliant.
Not sure about the price of 2ltr full cream milk, but I will check next time I go to the shops. Rump steak from our butchers is around $16 a kilo, but there are cheaper and more expensive steak to be had. Grapes at the moment from the fruit shop I use are $4.90 a kilo, I buy Cathedral cheese and it is $5 for 250g but that is one of the more expensive brands. The only beach that you need to pay at around here, as far as I know, is Glenelg, however if you don't mind walking 2minutes there are plently of places to park further along the sea front that you don't pay. They tend to give you timed limits on your parking. Although in the town there are meters everywhere. Ice cream is very nice as there are a lot of Italian restaurants. You can get 70% choc, Haigh's chocolate is very nice.
The life style you want is feasible in SA. Adelaide does feel like home now, although I do still refer to the UK as home but I think that's because my family are all over there. Things I like: the atmosphere, people are friendly, it is a big city but has a small town feel to it, clean, lots to do, child friendly, easy to get around, we live in a beautiful spot, the wildlife is amazing & the sea is beautiful. Things I don't like: the way people drive here, the time difference between here and the UK, very cold at night during the winter and the houses are not very well prepared for the cold, everyday chocolate doesn't taste the same (but you can buy expensive stuff that is very nice), not much competition in the variety of supermarkets, they call football soccer and ozzie rules football, have to get compulsory 3rd party insurance with your car reg (road tax), ants are annoying, sorry can't think of anymore.
Hope that helps a bit!
Mrs TinB
Very Good! Thanks very much Mrs TinBasher:
So with the driving, is it that they drive like maniacs, or too slow or?? Roads are one of our big bug-bears here & drive us nuts, so once you are out of the city are the roads reasonable - although do they have many motorways/dual carriageways - or are they even needed? I have a mate who remembers visiting Adelaide area as a teen, when many of the area roads were still dirt! I lived in USA, where rural gravel & dirt roads were common. Was getting your license painless? Will I have a problem getting an automatic car, having lived in the States for years, that's my preferred drive! Don't Mock!!
Yes, I have heard about the lack of central heat, & am surprised they don't address it as there are some parts of the UK that don't get so cold at night & still enjoy CH! Do they use heat pumps very much, which I used to find ideal for both A/C & heating?
Glad to hear they have decent ice cream & best chocs (I don't like Cadbury's, I'm afraid!) although that'll just be for treats! Some years ago I returned to Jersey, dreaming of the wonderful Jersey ice cream I'd eaten there, only to discover not a single maker of the delicious stuff remained, all had been replaced by horrid Walls everywhere - don't tell me Walls - or whatever it goes by, is in OZ too? They are everywhere in Spain, albeit masquerading under a Spanish identity! I think one of the things I'm hopeful of finding in Oz is decent food, although I cook daily, I am a little worried by the state of some of the kitchens I see when scouring the real estate sites. This isn't a problem if there are decent DIY outlets for replacements, or is it that Ozzies just don't cook indoors that much, or is it that replacements are too Xpensive, or they just don't care?
Was it expensive to bring over your belongings - in retrospect - or did you start from scratch, was glad or have regrets? Our stuff is all pretty new & paid for & again seems nicer than what I've seen, but it is a long way to have stuff shipped & what state does it arrive in?
I know too many Q's! But I like to hear people's experiences & hopefully learn from them, rather than jumping in paws first only to regret such impulsiveness!
Thank you for your valuable insights,
Herbster
