seraphim

advice is appreciated. there is one large difference between 2x and 2.5x salary though even at a low salary 20% is a lot to have as a shortfall. I've based my coats on 2.5 as the worse case of the 2. thanks for the childcare info, I have looked at centeelink but my child so v useful. childcare seems to be between 67-95$ a day. were the amounts I guestimates for bills about right, as that's really what I wanted to find out from this thread! especially as it applies to smaller city living. current costs can't really be compared as were mortgage free here and both working so v different situations. re:the cold. I'm sure we'll acclimatise and find mild UK cold if we ever visit but over the last 12 months there has been around 5 out of 52 weeks where UK was warmer than the hunter valley, and that's our summer to your winter! I'd imagine houses get cold due to construction style from what I've experienced. anyway, thank you all who've replied so far for the info, hopefully I'll get some more info regarding the bill amounts.

HI, I am wondering if anyone living outside of the major cities can give me a heads up on the kind of figures they’re paying for bills? Specifically East Coast, I’m looking around Lake Mac and Newcastle. I’ve made some estimates below but can you let me know if they’re wildly out (too much, too little etc.) Also if I’ve missed anything! Our situation is, we’re PR, family of 3 (child still small hence the decision to move before school etc.) Only I would be working at least at the start until settled, would like to live in a not too rough area thanks but we’re not snooty either, good neighbours is more important than wisteria lane type massive houses! A 2/3 bed house in a reasonable area with access to the lake/beaches within a half hours drive would be nice, I’d assume you’d have to pay around $400 a week for that based on realestate? (fairly certain we can’t afford the suburbs like eleebana valentine etc but I’m sure there are OK suburbs for less than this?) We’d hopefully run 2 cars (A smaller efficient commuter for me for work and a bigger safer 4x4 for partner/child and weekends visiting national parks/unsurfaced roads), so partner and little one can get around and start to integrate, and yes we shop at Aldi in the UK for most things so are quite happy to do the same here with the odd visit to the bigger supermarkets and real markets for other things! My main criteria is can we live on the 1 salary as partner may not find/want to work or may want to do voluntary work which I’d love to be able to support as the whole idea of the move is better quality of life family time and enjoying life so I’m hoping we could afford partner would be able to do something she finds worthwhile and satisfying (working with animals etc.) rather than at the grindstone just to stay afloat. We’re not extravagant people so won’t be eating caviar (as it’s disgusting!) but the odd steak on the BBQ/glass of red wine wouldn’t go amiss every now and then! Rent = (400pw) $1733pm Council Tax = $0 if renting? Gas = $70 pm (don’t even know if houses in Aus HAVE gas and if so, what for, as it’s hot all year round (compared to here anyway, I had to scrape ice from my windscreen this morning = :arghh:!) Electricity =$250 pm (assuming AC is expensive to run all year round and if we managed to get a place with a pool would this cost double?) Water (Usage Only) = $85 pm (standing charges paid by owner if renting?) Contents Insurance = $35 pm (we’re not bringing much and nothing of value other than ourselves!) Broadband Unlimited (not foxtel) = $93 pm (essential for entertainment, Skyping and job hunting!) Groceries = ($225pw) $975 pm (2 adults 1 small child who eats well!) is this enough? Private Medical = ($66 pw) $285 per month OR ($18.20 pw) Extras only = $78pm Life cover, Critical Illness, PTD Insurance = $90pm Income Protection for 2 years = $66 per month Dentists x 3 = $450per year checkups (3 x $150?) Long Day Care 1-2 days a week (I have NO idea how much nurseries charge, but we should be eligible as ‘low income <150k PR holders for some CCB) Anyone know how much this might be in this area and how easy it is to get little one in to start integrating? I’ve also thought about cars, mobiles, hairdressers, contact lenses, etc but these are all very personal and not as easily compared whereas a lot of people will have the above costs! Can you let me know if these are rightish for living out of the cities in a smaller city and if yours are different, what yours are and your situation (i.e family size rough location house size and are you both working or just 1 person etc) Thanks! (wow just reread this and I have lots of questions on the cost of living!) :biggrin:

I am hoping to hear back from a job slightly inland and am looking to relocate no more than about a 45 minute commute. I was wondering as there's very little written on some of these areas, what they are like for facilities, things to do for children (2-3 year old) amenities e c.. ? I know valentine and eleebana are the nicest but they are A out of distance range and B out of price range (only I would be working to start with!). also, importantly for me, are other people for my partner and daughter to socialise with so they can integrate. any advice from those in the know would be appreciated!

Is this right? What I mean is, have I identified each thing as the correct equivalent? And have I missed anything? It appears the UK has no equivalent of CTP or ‘Green Slip’. Can you buy CTP from any insurer or does it have to be from the Roads Authority? (note all figures are what I’ve obtained for me!) UK MOT £40 = AU Roadworthy $60 UK Tax Disc £110 = AU Rego $270 UK Insurance Fully Comp £350 = AU Insurance Fully Comp $750 UK NO equivalent £0 = AU CTP (green Slip) $585!!!! Costs UK £500 AU $1665! And that’s before I’ve turned the key? Even taking into account the 2.5 multiplier, it seems costly, and we would need to run 2 vehicles due to distances involved in ferrying our child around! Does Rego and Roadworthy have to be done annually? What are Australians like for servicing their cars regularly? I.e is it done like the UK every year/X km’s or just as and when in general? Is buying a car without a RWC the same as buying a car without an MOT? (i.e likely to fail it’s safety checks?) All cars seem to have spaceship mileages on them, what is considered to be ‘high mileage’ in Australia? Here it always seems to have been 100k Miles, so about 160k Kms. Probably the most common question but why does FULLY comp not include the bits that CTP does? (and why pay CTP if Fully Comp includes everything?!?!?!Surely if it’s additional to CTP it isn’t’ ‘Full’ at all? Any light shed on this would be helpful from those in the know!