Hi
We have been here in Darwin since July. Hubby's 3rd time. My first.
We have previously lived in the Cayman Islands (very expensive), Dubai (expensive shopping) and the UK.
Darwin tops them all expense wise. We spend an average of $250 on the weekly shop and then top up. I have to be honest ans say we don't particularly restrict ourselves and we do have nice food. We have 2 year old twins and buy lots of fresh fruit etc for them.
We also have a dog. Her big bag of food costs around $120 and it lasts about a month. I can't give any info on vet fees etc.
One thing I would say about Darwin is just how friendly the place seems. i love it here. It is easy to get around and there is plenty to do for kids if you have them, or plan to.
There are some doggy daycare places and boarding kennels for your pups when you get here. Of course they will need to go into quarantine first. I would suggest putting them in Sydney as it will generally be cooler than Perth. I was worried sick about our pup, but she coped well. Jetpets is a company who can arrange the internal transfer to Darwin for you. They were very good, and reasonable. You can do it cheaper if you can find someone to fly with your pups and take them as excess baggage.
Hope this is of some help
Joanne