Shugah Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 :chatterbox: Hi Folks, I was wondering how much is the current cost of living for 2 people without a kid in Melbourne? Any info will be greatly appreciated. Looking to share house initially before we settle down. Looking for a place in western suburbs. How much do we need approximately to have a decent time in Melb for e.g Groceries per month, eating out sometimes in medium priced restos & taking public transport. $ 3000 AUD is it enough for 2 people? Those who have moved there since few years or recently please share your views regarding this Q.? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 Well, that would be like you both surviving on about 1200 pounds per month in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silencio Posted September 2, 2013 Share Posted September 2, 2013 With house sharing like you mentioned, going to cheap groceries/supermarkets like Aldi and without a car it's possible to survive on this as a couple modestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egrek Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 When you get here/before - sign up to Groupon, Living Social, Scoupon, etc - voucher sites - BRILLIANT for eating out. Can get 3 course meals with a bottle of wine for two people for $29 (though normally more like $39-49) normally about half the price - and you try new places and foods you'd not thought of. We went to Gurkhas for $39 for two, when we went back (really like the one on Flinders Street, the others not so much?) we spent $77 on about the same meal. Now we look out for vouchers! PS. careful with vouchers as not everything works great, meals we've had no problems (except the limited "unlimited" wine in one place), also had a tall ship wine cruise around Sydney harbor we liked, but a friend hated his scuba diving deal - didn't research it much was his problem) - but apparently a better reputation than in the UK! We found $700 would be fine for all our living costs a week. Are you a couple? We pay $450 a week rent (expensive living in the city, 1 bedroom apartment - but large with swimming pool and gym - saw $300-800 a week for CBD) but then bills are maybe $50 a week? If that? So about $50-100 food a week and $100 on other costs, if needed, normally have money left over. Some may say we live frugally (eg: not doing $20 lunch every day! or $200 meals) but we are happy enough. Cash converters can be good to get DVDs and computer games etc, coffee machine etc. So $3000 should be fine for two people. Cars can be very expensive, while public transport is good and cheap ($7 a day for zone 1, to save money - try and live within zone 1, I think it's about 45min out of the city generally!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 If you've come to Australia for the lifestyle then I think you have a shortage of cash flow if $3,000 per month is your budget. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Yes. Lifestyle seems to imply spending money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Yes. Lifestyle seems to imply spending money. Difficult to imagine getting around Melbourne after paying bills and living expenses with all that's left from a budget of $3,000 a month. Having said that it depends how committed you are to making a go of things. It's many years ago but I arrived in Sydney on a one way ticket and enough spending money for a week. Being broke only increased my determination, but jobs were better paying then and more of them. Working two jobs in these days wasn't all that unusual, and I think the country was more tolerant. Australia still offers an opportunity to build a life/lifestyle unlike the UK, and I'd encourage anyone who had a visa to live and work in Australia to jump at the chance. I think if you can battle through on a budget for two people of only $A3,000 a months, then you have a lot to look forward to. Good luck ..... Syd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolvesaussie Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 You will be fine housesharing, its not as expensive as people make out, you just need to shop around... went out last night $1 pizza and $5 drinks at a nice trendy bar in St Kilda..... We also do the group on etc, we dont have a meal out that is not via a voucher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boganbear Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 We lived in Williamstown and travelled by train to work and ran a car with all of our household bills including internet and mobile for a 2 bed flat and food and beer coming to about $2600 a month. We counted the pennies but never scrimped and ate out once or twice a week without any problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 $3000 per month is only $36,000 per year after tax. That would assume a yearly salary of $40,000 ish which is fairly low. When my wife brought that in she got a rebate on her tax as a low income earner. i realise we have two kids, two cars and a mortgage but I would find it hard to comprehend surviving on that much. Especially as Melbourne is a city that requires you to have at least one car to make the most of it and its surrounds when you are not at work. Imagine for example taking public transport for an hour (walking to train, waiting for trains, swapping trains, walking again) to go to the beach with the hour of travel back. The same trip in a car probably wouldn't be more than 20 min. And you could do it half naked after leaving the beach. without a car, either peninsula is off the cards, as too most public forests, trips across town etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolvesaussie Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I dont think you need a car really, its better obviously but its not America the transport is pretty good I think, we getting by perfectly well without and we are being very active, yes it takes one and a half hours to get back from St Kilda , 2 trams and a train but the $1 pizza was worth it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I dont think you need a car really, its better obviously but its not America the transport is pretty good I think, we getting by perfectly well without and we are being very active, yes it takes one and a half hours to get back from St Kilda , 2 trams and a train but the $1 pizza was worth it . Thinking that 3 hours of travel is worth it for a $1 pizza is nuts IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shugah Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Hey Sydney thanks for your advice mate. I reckon you rolling high good for yah. I have some commitments plus thinking of buying a house I gotta save mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolvesaussie Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Thinking that 3 hours of travel is worth it for a $1 pizza is nuts IMO. It isnt really about the Pizza but gettting out and about to get my girlfriend some friends always seems to end up taking us to St Kilda/Richmond/South Yarra/Brunswick etc. So we go back and forward to the suburbs on transport all the time. We have a car but I am only using it to teach her to drive . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Hey Sydney thanks for your advice mate. I reckon you rolling high good for yah. I have some commitments plus thinking of buying a house I gotta save mate. Goodluck Shugah with the house purchase. Many things can fall into place when you manage to buy your own place. I know it's getting harder these days but it's well worth the effort. The missus and I went through the penny pinching stage many years ago just to get out first little flat and friends told us we were mad putting ourselves through it but it was worth it. Make every post a winner.... Syd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shugah Posted September 26, 2013 Author Share Posted September 26, 2013 That is absolutely true mate. I'm thinking of buying a house as I have saved up enough, just have to save little bit more so that i dont have to take mortgage. Cheers and have a good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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