cost of living

Hi my name is Emma and i'm new on here, i was wondering if any one can give me any help with the cost of living in oz,we are in the process of getting our visa still a long way off yet, but i would like a rough guide on how much it would cost to keep a family of 5 in the Brisbane area like rent,utilty bills, food, and tax on ur wages and i've been told that you get charged to get your money out of the bank is that true ? I just want a rough idea how much we would need to survive on as everything seems that bit more expensive

Kind regards Emma:biggrin:

Hi Emma

I don't know about the cost of living in QLD, but I just wanted to say welcome to PIO! Someone living in that area will no doubt be along to answer your question.

I have to say that I find the cost of living comparable to the UK overall. If we had bought a smaller house we'd have a smaller mortgage, and if we'd been prepared to live further from the beach it would have been smaller still. Some things cost more, some less. I find that I shop around more for most things, which takes up more of our time. But if it saves us a bit of cash it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make!

My 'measuring stick', though, may be different from others'. I look at whether we can afford to live on my wages alone (which we could in the UK). My husband works fewer hours here than in the UK, so our total income is less than in Britain. But we're staying afloat! Neither of us drives a brand new car (both are over 5 years old), but our only debt is the mortgage. As long as that remains the case I'm happy!

Good luck with it all.

Sarah

Hi my name is Emma and i'm new on here, i was wondering if any one can give me any help with the cost of living in oz,we are in the process of getting our visa still a long way off yet, but i would like a rough guide on how much it would cost to keep a family of 5 in the Brisbane area like rent,utilty bills, food, and tax on ur wages and i've been told that you get charged to get your money out of the bank is that true ? I just want a rough idea how much we would need to survive on as everything seems that bit more expensive

Kind regards Emma:biggrin:

It’s difficult to answer your questions accurately as costs will depend on where you end up living and that normally depends on where you can find work and if you are wiling to commute to work or live close to work. I live an hour away from Brisbane and pay $235 a week for an 3 bed apartment on the sea front (two units in building). if you want to live close to Brisbane the cost will obviously rise.

Rentals can start as little as $200 a week up to and beyond $500 a week. Shopping will depend on where you decide is best for you to shop, the big two supermarkets (Woolworths & Coles) I find expensive and I tend to use Aldi and the meat and veg markets this keeps costs down and meat can be very cheap if you shop in the right places. last week i brought a side of lamb for $35, in the supermarkets I could pay $20 just for a leg of lamb, so you have to learn to shop in the best places.

Banks here are slowly getting rid of their charges they do not charge to get money out, but if you use another banks ATM you will be charged for that, so its best to find a bank that has plenty of ATM's in the area you decide to settle in, or use cash back in the shops.

When you compare prices remember that because of the poor exchange rate it will always look as if Australia is expensive, just as when there were $2.60 to the £ it looked remarkably cheap. It’s better to compare how much of your income would be spent on food and rent to see how it works out.

My electricity bill for last quarter was $240 but I do not have air con and that can be expensive to run, (just as heating is in the UK winters). Because i live in a rental I do not have to pay "council tax" and my water bill is included in the rent.

I hope some of the information is helpful to you.

Everything costs a fortune it is no way comparible to the uk unless you were a top earner and a top spender there if you were used to going to marks and spencers for your shopping. then it might be comparible..

house prices are through the roof if you can afford to buy here you are looking at 550,000aud 350,000 pounds at least for a house in a semi decent area and a a little less to live inland but a lot more to live right on the coast.. it will cost you about 1600 dollers a month for rent for a decent size house , shopping will take your breath away , and clothes are a luxuary not an essencial especially childrens cllothes , cheap shoes are the only thing i would say were at all on a par with the uk but they are all poorly made crap good shoes cost a fortune ,

wages do not stand up against the cost of living here and most one wage housholds struggle most months, wages are about the only thing that is the same as in the uk , electricity is so expensive and going up all the time they are talking about another 30 percent increase in the near future as goverment subsidies end, we hardly use any as our air con is all gas and our meter runs like a bomb , you dont pay council tax but you pay for water , telephone broadband mobile all a lot more expensive , school fees and uniforms will stick in your craw depending on the school , ours werent that bad about 500 dollers so far for one child.

(forty dollers fo a school bag)..

petrol is cheaper but you travel miles to get anywere so you use more and the older the cars the more they guzzle .. I know your probibly reading this your mouth catching flies , but people have to be prepared for what they are in for when they get here , especially if you have a family ,

a decent bar of chocolate (all tastes like grease)will set you back 4 bucks about 2.50 pounds , so there is one good thing you will give up the chocolate , child care is very expensive also , a lot of mothers dont go back to work with young kids it isnt worth there while.

Australia is a lovely place but it is very expensive at the present dont be fooled...

It is all relevant to what you earn and if you bought a house more than three years ago you would have payed a lot less for it so some people have to pay less for housing but interest rates are going up , , they are about 7.5% at present but increases are iminent , the average morgage has increased 250 dollers a month in the last year and fifty dollers a month with the last increase which was only .25%... this week..

These figures are only general figures as I live in melbourne but most of Australia is the same or more expensive..

Hi my name is Emma and i'm new on here, i was wondering if any one can give me any help with the cost of living in oz,we are in the process of getting our visa still a long way off yet, but i would like a rough guide on how much it would cost to keep a family of 5 in the Brisbane area like rent,utilty bills, food, and tax on ur wages and i've been told that you get charged to get your money out of the bank is that true ? I just want a rough idea how much we would need to survive on as everything seems that bit more expensive

Kind regards Emma:biggrin:

can i also direct you to another thread that is running just now that has many contributers the thread is titled

Australa-expensive???. you might get a few more opinions...

Everything costs a fortune it is no way comparible to the uk unless you were a top earner and a top spender there if you were used to going to marks and spencers for your shopping. then it might be comparible..

house prices are through the roof if you can afford to buy here you are looking at 550,000aud 350,000 pounds at least for a house in a semi decent area and a a little less to live inland but a lot more to live right on the coast.. it will cost you about 1600 dollers a month for rent for a decent size house , shopping will take your breath away , and clothes are a luxuary not an essencial especially childrens cllothes , cheap shoes are the only thing i would say were at all on a par with the uk but they are all poorly made crap good shoes cost a fortune ,

 

wages do not stand up against the cost of living here and most one wage housholds struggle most months, wages are about the only thing that is the same as in the uk , electricity is so expensive and going up all the time they are talking about another 30 percent increase in the near future as goverment subsidies end, we hardly use any as our air con is all gas and our meter runs like a bomb , you dont pay council tax but you pay for water , telephone broadband mobile all a lot more expensive , school fees and uniforms will stick in your craw depending on the school , ours werent that bad about 500 dollers so far for one child.

(forty dollers fo a school bag)..

petrol is cheaper but you travel miles to get anywere so you use more and the older the cars the more they guzzle .. I know your probibly reading this your mouth catching flies , but people have to be prepared for what they are in for when they get here , especially if you have a family ,

a decent bar of chocolate (all tastes like grease)will set you back 4 bucks about 2.50 pounds , so there is one good thing you will give up the chocolate , child care is very expensive also , a lot of mothers dont go back to work with young kids it isnt worth there while.

Australia is a lovely place but it is very expensive at the present dont be fooled...

It is all relevant to what you earn and if you bought a house more than three years ago you would have payed a lot less for it so some people have to pay less for housing but interest rates are going up , , they are about 7.5% at present but increases are iminent , the average morgage has increased 250 dollers a month in the last year and fifty dollers a month with the last increase which was only .25%... this week..

These figures are only general figures as I live in melbourne but most of Australia is the same or more expensive..

What an absolute load of bollocks...er... waffle.:laugh: Having spent 10 years in Qld, 23 years in NSW and 14 years in WA, one has to refute virtually all you have said. Bought a house for $21,000 and sold it for $65,000, in NSW. Built a house in Qld, $100,000 And that included a 12.5% levy for cyclone rating... 2 houses opposite me just sold for $320,000 and 342,000 (both 3 bed)...both within 150 metres of a tropical beach...

My son lives in The Darwin and has a wife and 2 babes and is managing on $46,000, he is renting and gets a Government subsidy and loves the place.

I live in the Qld tropics and have 3 air-con units in my 3 bedroom house, cost for our summer leccy was $365. And I think our overall temps are a bit higher than where you are and more humid.

It is Australia, with different attitudes, different values and different lifestyles...Take it anyway you want.

For those who coming out here, take very little notice of what So Dizzy has said... She really has got a bee in her (expensive) bonnet.:yes:

Cheers, Bobj.

Hi,

You dont pay for water in a rental in Brisbane unless you go over the allocated water allowance...........and we have never had to. We live on a lot less money here than we did back in the UK.

Yvonne

What an absolute load of bollocks...er... waffle.:laugh: Having spent 10 years in Qld, 23 years in NSW and 14 years in WA, one has to refute virtually all you have said. Bought a house for $21,000 and sold it for $65,000, in NSW. Built a house in Qld, $100,000 And that included a 12.5% levy for cyclone rating... 2 houses opposite me just sold for $320,000 and 342,000 (both 3 bed)...both within 150 metres of a tropical beach...

My son lives in The Darwin and has a wife and 2 babes and is managing on $46,000, he is renting and gets a Government subsidy and loves the place.

I live in the Qld tropics and have 3 air-con units in my 3 bedroom house, cost for our summer leccy was $365. And I think our overall temps are a bit higher than where you are and more humid.

It is Australia, with different attitudes, different values and different lifestyles...Take it anyway you want.

 

For those who coming out here, take very little notice of what So Dizzy has said... She really has got a bee in her (expensive) bonnet.:yes:

 

Cheers, Bobj.

Thank you Bobj...............I totally agree with you.

Yvonne

Everything costs a fortune it is no way comparible to the uk unless you were a top earner and a top spender there if you were used to going to marks and spencers for your shopping. then it might be comparible..

house prices are through the roof if you can afford to buy here you are looking at 550,000aud 350,000 pounds at least for a house in a semi decent area and a a little less to live inland but a lot more to live right on the coast.. it will cost you about 1600 dollers a month for rent for a decent size house , shopping will take your breath away , and clothes are a luxuary not an essencial especially childrens cllothes , cheap shoes are the only thing i would say were at all on a par with the uk but they are all poorly made crap good shoes cost a fortune ,

 

wages do not stand up against the cost of living here and most one wage housholds struggle most months, wages are about the only thing that is the same as in the uk , electricity is so expensive and going up all the time they are talking about another 30 percent increase in the near future as goverment subsidies end, we hardly use any as our air con is all gas and our meter runs like a bomb , you dont pay council tax but you pay for water , telephone broadband mobile all a lot more expensive , school fees and uniforms will stick in your craw depending on the school , ours werent that bad about 500 dollers so far for one child.

(forty dollers fo a school bag)..

petrol is cheaper but you travel miles to get anywere so you use more and the older the cars the more they guzzle .. I know your probibly reading this your mouth catching flies , but people have to be prepared for what they are in for when they get here , especially if you have a family ,

a decent bar of chocolate (all tastes like grease)will set you back 4 bucks about 2.50 pounds , so there is one good thing you will give up the chocolate , child care is very expensive also , a lot of mothers dont go back to work with young kids it isnt worth there while.

Australia is a lovely place but it is very expensive at the present dont be fooled...

It is all relevant to what you earn and if you bought a house more than three years ago you would have payed a lot less for it so some people have to pay less for housing but interest rates are going up , , they are about 7.5% at present but increases are iminent , the average morgage has increased 250 dollers a month in the last year and fifty dollers a month with the last increase which was only .25%... this week..

These figures are only general figures as I live in melbourne but most of Australia is the same or more expensive..

Ive never read so much cr*p in my life!!!!!

Yvonne

After living in Melbourne for 29 years my wife and I moved to Brisbane the first couple of years were ok but since then we have come to know it as the ripoff state and don't be fooled it is warm here all the year round our elec cost around $1200 - $1500 a year and thats with only 1 air con going

What are all you people doing ............bloody hell our electric is $150 a quater at the most

Yvonne

Hi my name is Emma and i'm new on here, i was wondering if any one can give me any help with the cost of living in oz,we are in the process of getting our visa still a long way off yet, but i would like a rough guide on how much it would cost to keep a family of 5 in the Brisbane area like rent,utilty bills, food, and tax on ur wages and i've been told that you get charged to get your money out of the bank is that true ? I just want a rough idea how much we would need to survive on as everything seems that bit more expensive

Kind regards Emma:biggrin:

Hi Emma welcome to PIO before people can give you ideas we need to know a little bit more about you, first what skills does your husband have this is important to know what wage bracket he would be in is he ie doctor, accountant or a tradesmen caprenter, sparky, you say you have 3 chidren, what ages are they, are they school age, will you be working, will you need to live near brisbane and if so how may miles away could you cope with all these things are so important to how expensive things will be for you, because with kids, it costs, school, dentist, medicals, childcare, food, and rent depending on where you want to live, price of cars, petrol, do you have a large amount of cash to bring with you. to get a true fact on things people will need to know before giving you advise, because everybodys financial situations are different, for people that have just moved over here ie in the last couple of years with children like yourself, should be able to help, due to the fact they will have a better idea of prices in the uk to what you could expect here now today, if that makes sense.

Not sure where your living in Brisbane but here it is 32 today

Everything costs a fortune it is no way comparible to the uk unless you were a top earner and a top spender there if you were used to going to marks and spencers for your shopping. then it might be comparible..

house prices are through the roof if you can afford to buy here you are looking at 550,000aud 350,000 pounds at least for a house in a semi decent area and a a little less to live inland but a lot more to live right on the coast.. it will cost you about 1600 dollers a month for rent for a decent size house , shopping will take your breath away , and clothes are a luxuary not an essencial especially childrens cllothes , cheap shoes are the only thing i would say were at all on a par with the uk but they are all poorly made crap good shoes cost a fortune ,

 

wages do not stand up against the cost of living here and most one wage housholds struggle most months, wages are about the only thing that is the same as in the uk , electricity is so expensive and going up all the time they are talking about another 30 percent increase in the near future as goverment subsidies end, we hardly use any as our air con is all gas and our meter runs like a bomb , you dont pay council tax but you pay for water , telephone broadband mobile all a lot more expensive , school fees and uniforms will stick in your craw depending on the school , ours werent that bad about 500 dollers so far for one child.

(forty dollers fo a school bag)..

petrol is cheaper but you travel miles to get anywere so you use more and the older the cars the more they guzzle .. I know your probibly reading this your mouth catching flies , but people have to be prepared for what they are in for when they get here , especially if you have a family ,

a decent bar of chocolate (all tastes like grease)will set you back 4 bucks about 2.50 pounds , so there is one good thing you will give up the chocolate , child care is very expensive also , a lot of mothers dont go back to work with young kids it isnt worth there while.

Australia is a lovely place but it is very expensive at the present dont be fooled...

It is all relevant to what you earn and if you bought a house more than three years ago you would have payed a lot less for it so some people have to pay less for housing but interest rates are going up , , they are about 7.5% at present but increases are iminent , the average morgage has increased 250 dollers a month in the last year and fifty dollers a month with the last increase which was only .25%... this week..

These figures are only general figures as I live in melbourne but most of Australia is the same or more expensive..

Hi Dizzy some of your post made me laugh especially the bit about chocolate, it is like grease, dont be put of my some of the replys regarding your post, you remind me very much of me and mine, we are just basic working class folk, hubby a caprenter, two kids, and yes we struggle, we were better off in England, financially, husband works harder here, have to watch the money all the time, you are right its not cheap, especially with kids, and I feel sick if they need to go to the dentist, things you take for granted in the uk, cant afford to go on holidays everytime we try and save up something crops up, some fee needs paying, but my kids like living here so what do you do, get on with it I suppose. But I really like your honesty and telling how it is for some of us.

What are all you people doing ............bloody hell our electric is $150 a quater at the most

 

Yvonne

Wish ours was:cry: We pay $165 per month for Electric and $150 for Gas per month. We are in a double storey though and have kids. I think $3780 per year is really high. Although I suppose compared to the UK we would probably be on a par.

Not sure where your living in Brisbane but here it is 32 today

Same at my place, north of Mackay, mate.:yes:

Cheers, Bobj.

Wow, do you live in a tent ? I have mine in front of me now $449 for the quarter and we rarely use the air con.

What are all you people doing ............bloody hell our electric is $150 a quater at the most

 

Yvonne

What are all you people doing ............bloody hell our electric is $150 a quater at the most

 

Yvonne

We pay $200 a quarter, thats for everything apart from heat which are logs (sourced free from OH's family farm or by the roadsides etc lol) thats in Tasmania..... in Karratha the air con is on 24/7, hate to think what that bill is, OH's company pay for that. :wubclub:

Hi,

 

You dont pay for water in a rental in Brisbane unless you go over the allocated water allowance...........and we have never had to. We live on a lot less money here than we did back in the UK.

 

Yvonne

Well you do pay for water in Melbourne if you had bothered to read my post I had said that the prices were specific and relative to were I live and as for bob j,s house prices what a croc... if someone can find me a house on the open market(not auction bogus guide price) in a decent area Melbourne 3 bed house and resonably central for less than 350,000 dollers il eat my laptop and buy it... haha

Wow, do you live in a tent ? I have mine in front of me now $449 for the quarter and we rarely use the air con.

PMSL...............nope def not...........its a 4x2!! but when we are not both out at work we are making the most of our lives over here and are out and about exploring this fantastic country, so not inside using the lekky much unlike when we were in the UK.

Yvonne

Well you do pay for water in Melbourne if you had bothered to read my post I had said that the prices were specific and relative to were I live and as for bob j,s house prices what a croc... if someone can find me a house on the open market(not auction bogus guide price) in a decent area Melbourne 3 bed house and resonably central for less than 350,000 dollers il eat my laptop and buy it... haha

You wouldn't be calling me a liar, would you, dearie...:mad:

Cheers, Bobj.

Well you do pay for water in Melbourne if you had bothered to read my post I had said that the prices were specific and relative to were I live and as for bob j,s house prices what a croc... if someone can find me a house on the open market(not auction bogus guide price) in a decent area Melbourne 3 bed house and resonably central for less than 350,000 dollers il eat my laptop and buy it... haha

Funny thing is! the Op asked for costs in Queensland? Not Melbourne.

Funny thing is! the Op asked for costs in Queensland? Not Melbourne.

Now I want a comparison versus Brisbane and Tasmania:twitcy: no we dont need rain coats here, just a good brolly on occasions, I am bringing my cyclone bars over from Karratha just for the stubbie holders, and our rain water is delicious now what have you got to say for yourself young Colin and Bob eh??:laugh:

You wouldn't be calling me a liar, would you, dearie...:mad:

 

Cheers, Bobj.

Bob im sure you have bought a few houses in all the years youve been here for buttons but for the people who are moving out here from the uk in the present day they could not buy a house for the pices you are quoting.. it is just rediculas to compair house prices from nineteen canteen to todays market.. houses were I live near the coast are not going for any less than 550.000 but mostly far above that no matter what the guide price says, further up the coast they are lower but not much and worse areas..

I live in Aspendale in Melbourne..