Littlesnowangel Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 I'm looking into moving to Australia, hopefully Queensland Gold Coast as I have family there. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to tell me how much cost of living over there is so I can compare, iv had a look online but it's not as informative as this forum! Council tax? gas electric? water? car insurance averages? mobile phone contracts ? and anything iv missed as a day to day. Rent over there seems similar to here. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 3 hours ago, Littlesnowangel said: I'm looking into moving to Australia, hopefully Queensland Gold Coast as I have family there. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to tell me how much cost of living over there is so I can compare, iv had a look online but it's not as informative as this forum! Council tax? gas electric? water? car insurance averages? mobile phone contracts ? and anything iv missed as a day to day. Rent over there seems similar to here. Thanks Anything else you've missed.......errmmmm do you have a visa? Just having family in oz isn't enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collie Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Have a look in the Money & Finance section, a fair few posts on this theme already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlesnowangel Posted June 26, 2017 Author Share Posted June 26, 2017 Errrmmmm...yes nemesis I am in the process of getting a visa, I'm not stupid! I just thought someone would ask why the Gold Coast so thought I would explain why, that being I have family there. Some people seem to be so snappy on this forum... Thanks collie I will have a look at that. New to this forum so just trying to navigate around it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 3 hours ago, Littlesnowangel said: Errrmmmm...yes nemesis I am in the process of getting a visa, I'm not stupid! I just thought someone would ask why the Gold Coast so thought I would explain why, that being I have family there. Some people seem to be so snappy on this forum... Thanks collie I will have a look at that. New to this forum so just trying to navigate around it. Never thought you were stupid but believe it or not there are a lot of people who come on forums like this assuming that they can just move without a visa, or assuming that the can just get one, no need for skills assessments etc Always worth checking! No council tax over there, thats one good thing. I spend less on electric and gas in London than I did in Brisbane, and my rent is about the same. Water is often included in the rent, unless you use a huge amount (in Queensland anyway). Good luck with the visa and the move 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted June 26, 2017 Share Posted June 26, 2017 Nemesis wasn't being chippy it was a valid question. When you have been around these forums for a while you will see people spending hours of their and other people's time discussing pros and cons, only to reveal later details that mean they are not eligible for a visa. Maybe forum regulars can be a bit abrupt sometimes but they just want to be sure the new posters are being realistic. I live in SA so not sure about QLD prices. Council rates are paid by the house owner not tenants, insurance is more expensive than UK for cars and houses, especially those in risk areas ( flood/ fire). Mobile phone similar, house broadband more expensive. You will also need to consider health insurance v Medicare. having family to help will make it easier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Council tax? If you buy your home you do have to pay rates, although not 'council tax' as such. It is costed according to the value of your home. Pretty similar to council tax. I think that Nemesis is referring to renting when she says no council tax (your landlord has to pay this). gas electric? We don't have gas in our property - only electric. It is cheaper than in the UK, but depends on if you have your air con on all the time. We manage without. water? Even as renters you may have to pay for what you use. The landlord pays for the general water charge. Water is expensive, particularly if you have a pool but you learn to be economical with it which is a good thing. car insurance averages? We pay $550 a year, but we have a pretty old car. mobile phone contracts ? I pay $60 a month including international calls. Would be a lot cheaper without the international credit. Internet / broadband: depends on your package. We pay $90 a month including a TV recordable hard drive thingy.. House contents insurance - seems more expensive over here, but then in UK we were with the same company for years so got a large discount. Sorry haven't put the figures in but can't remember as we pay quarterly. It also depends on whether you live in a house, apartment etc. Basically our costs are about the same over here as they were in UK. Everyone talks about it being so expensive, but we save on our utilities bills and travel costs - we only run one car now because the public transport system is cheap (in comparison to UK) and very reliable. This makes up for the additional food bills - we probably spend $30 more each week on food. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 (edited) 43 minutes ago, Peachy said: Council tax? If you buy your home you do have to pay rates, although not 'council tax' as such. It is costed according to the value of your home. Pretty similar to council tax. I think that Nemesis is referring to renting when she says no council tax (your landlord has to pay this). gas electric? We don't have gas in our property - only electric. It is cheaper than in the UK, but depends on if you have your air con on all the time. We manage without. water? Even as renters you may have to pay for what you use. The landlord pays for the general water charge. Water is expensive, particularly if you have a pool but you learn to be economical with it which is a good thing. car insurance averages? We pay $550 a year, but we have a pretty old car. mobile phone contracts ? I pay $60 a month including international calls. Would be a lot cheaper without the international credit. Internet / broadband: depends on your package. We pay $90 a month including a TV recordable hard drive thingy.. House contents insurance - seems more expensive over here, but then in UK we were with the same company for years so got a large discount. Sorry haven't put the figures in but can't remember as we pay quarterly. It also depends on whether you live in a house, apartment etc. Basically our costs are about the same over here as they were in UK. Everyone talks about it being so expensive, but we save on our utilities bills and travel costs - we only run one car now because the public transport system is cheap (in comparison to UK) and very reliable. This makes up for the additional food bills - we probably spend $30 more each week on food. I was referring to council tax in the UK sense of the phrase - you pay it regardless of whether you are renting or buying. Doesn't exist like that in oz. Rates on the other hand do exist, and are payable by the landlord. Edited June 27, 2017 by Nemesis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack91 Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 17 hours ago, Littlesnowangel said: I'm looking into moving to Australia, hopefully Queensland Gold Coast as I have family there. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to tell me how much cost of living over there is so I can compare, iv had a look online but it's not as informative as this forum! Council tax? gas electric? water? car insurance averages? mobile phone contracts ? and anything iv missed as a day to day. Rent over there seems similar to here. Thanks Figures on the GC are going to be slightly higher regardless. It attracts that sort of crowd. A little like living in Fortitude Valley.... Attracts a certain personality.. Council tax are called rates here. They're based on house value and amenities. Collection of bins, connection to town water and the like. QLD doesn't have any mains gas so you'll either have to buy bottles of it of use electricity which here in QLD is so damn expensive! NSW and VIC have 25% discounts where as we get a 8%.... Go figure. Water is reasonably expensive, a quick google will tell you the cost per unit on average. Car insurance is the same as the UK in my experience. When you register a car you pay REGO which will include 3rd party insurance. Which in theory everyone on the road is automatically insured. Phone costs are the same but that will depend on how much data, which phone and your minutes. Texts are often unlimited now a days as I'm sure you're aware. Couldn't tell you much about renting but all I do know is you don't pay the rates. Short and simple. JR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 Are you wanting figures for one person only? Living in say a small unit or apartment? As that will vary greatly from a family of 4 in a 3 bed house. For things like car insurance, that will vary also depending on age, make and model of car, no claims, area you live etc. For an idea on mobile phones have a google on 'mobile phone contracts, Australia' and have a browse of the results and see what kind of deal or plan appeals. We pay $35 a month for our plans (lot of data on the plan) but its discounted as its tied in with our internet. Otherwise it would be a fair bit more. PAYG I've no clue but again, you could easily have a shop round. Also what you earn could impact what you can afford. So depending on your visa and skill set, you need to research what your possible expected income in the area could be and budget accordingly. You can live cheaply if you need to but there will still be some costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiths Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 On 27/06/2017 at 05:58, Littlesnowangel said: Errrmmmm...yes nemesis I am in the process of getting a visa, I'm not stupid! I just thought someone would ask why the Gold Coast so thought I would explain why, that being I have family there. Some people seem to be so snappy on this forum... Thanks collie I will have a look at that. New to this forum so just trying to navigate around it. Best to drop the attitude, it doesn't go down well in Oz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlesnowangel Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 thank you for all the info, yes now iv read my post back I realise I didnt even explain we were a family of four looking at a house which obviously compared to an apartment would greatly differ. I'm just gathering documents at the min, my agent has given us a positive assessment for a 189 visa so my head is all over the place researching and comparing so maybe I need to calm myself down and stop asking stupid questions...and yes rammygirl and nemesis maybe I and all new posters should quote their status before any question so you all know we're aware about the visa to stop confusion as I have trawled through for hours and know there are a lot of people who think they can just go over to oz and it must frustrating for you all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlesnowangel Posted June 28, 2017 Author Share Posted June 28, 2017 Oh and smiths I'm pretty sure an attitude doesn't go down well anywhere in the world, but I'm guessing you've experienced that yourself!? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiths Posted June 28, 2017 Share Posted June 28, 2017 1 hour ago, Littlesnowangel said: Oh and smiths I'm pretty sure an attitude doesn't go down well anywhere in the world, but I'm guessing you've experienced that yourself!? No I worked that out before hand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melby Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 Car insurance $800 a year Health insurance $370 a month Car registration- $800 a year and going up Electricity $150 a month and rising Water $150 a month Gas - Very expensive to run - especially in winter $200+ a month Cable Internet only $80 a month Mobile phone $80 a month Council rates $2400 year Taxes are alot here 33 cents per dollar under 90K a year School fees vary $2500 a year for a Catholic primary Private schools schools vary from 20K to 35K a year Petrol $1.40 Bill's are very expensive and rising unfortunately.... hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 It will all depend where you settle. Hubby and son work on the Gold Coast but we choose to live inland as its much cheaper to buy a nice home and living costs seem cheaper. The commute for the boys is around 1 hr each way though. We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers, 1 at school 1 now working) - High school fees are around $250 pr year, you then have to buy school books and uniform (books for 2017 cost me around $150, uniform about the same ) - Rates for 2 acres with a 3 bed home on trickle feed town water and rain water (we use rain water majority of the time) is approx $475 pr quarter. We have a septic system so do not pay for town drainage. - Electric is expensive but we dont have gas so it's all we have, my last few bills have been the high $700's. We dont have solar power which can reduce these costs. - Food shooping and week to week grocerys costs me around $280 each week, i use Coles and Woolys mainly and have loyalty cards for both which give me cash back, i tend to follow the offers and buying when items on special can give you big savings. (Lynx and Impulse deodrant normally $5 a can, on offer every 3 or 4 weeks for $2.50. Comfort fabric softner ,Pantene shampoo etc all do similar offers, you learn to buy in bulk when its cheap) - Regos vary depending on your vehicle.. No claims bonus on insurance in UK is normally accepted here so bring proof if you have it. - Dentists are not free for kids, but they do get a $1000 voucher off the goverment to cover most costs and all kids have access to the school dentist that travels around local schools. - Dr's are not free unless you find a bulk bill one. Unlike the UK you dont need to stick with the same Dr and can go to any which is great if you need an urgent appointment, your sure to ifnd one who can fit you in ASAP. As an adult you pay around $65 for an appointment and Medicare refund you around $35. All prescriptions you pay for ,kids or adults. - Tv - is free no licence but we pay the $10 for Netflix and thebonus channels. - My landline is a Telstra package, $100 for phone and internet pr month. My mobile is on a $30 contract and this suits me fine. There is tons of stuff to do free or very cheap for kids, lots of council run activites and shows and we found this was a huge saving when the kids were younger. Its great to get out and explore the sights. Hope this helps a bit, everyones costs do vary dependant on what you feel is necessary for your family. Cal x 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandgroper Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 If your earning potential is roughly between 2-2.5 times what you earn in the UK your standard of living will be of a similar standard in Australia. Bills are comparable to the UK some are more expensive some cheaper all horses for courses really, we stressed about this bill and that bill before moving and did all the comparisons including online shops it's human nature I think to be apprehensive but really wish we hadn't of bothered. As soon as your here and earning a salary it's pretty much irrelevant you live to your means...........................unless your one of those Brits that wants the big house, pool, boat and water ski 2 months after arriving in which case you'll get in to a ton of debt and regret ever moving. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johndoe Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 On 01/07/2017 at 22:42, Melby said: Cable Internet only $80 a month Mobile phone $80 a month iprimus 59.95 unlimited download incl line rental Woolworths. I got a galaxy 5 with unlimited local and national calls and $150 a month international for $52...............$30 dearer with an iphone if you're into apple products Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simmo Posted July 6, 2017 Share Posted July 6, 2017 (edited) sorry wrong thread Edited July 6, 2017 by simmo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissofthegypsy Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 On 6/26/2017 at 23:15, Littlesnowangel said: I'm looking into moving to Australia, hopefully Queensland Gold Coast as I have family there. I was wondering if anyone would be willing to tell me how much cost of living over there is so I can compare, iv had a look online but it's not as informative as this forum! Council tax? gas electric? water? car insurance averages? mobile phone contracts ? and anything iv missed as a day to day. Rent over there seems similar to here. Thanks Hi I have been on the coast for 8 years now. As others mentioned, no council tax it is expensive enough. Most of these depend on the house size and what it comes with (ie pool) Car insurance about 300 per year, Ford Kuga full comp. Mobile phone, mine enables me to call UK anytime, unlimited calls and messages and 25gb of data which i need for work (its a lot) and thats 175 a month. Wifes is less than 100. I personally dont think rent is the same, we have a 5 bed on corner block with pool and pay 590 a week. Cheaper for less, they are building lots of owner rentals and they got for between 350 and 450 a week, not much garden, corrugated fencing, etc. nice houses all the same. Big diff for me is grocery shopping, I have just come back from UK and tesco is a god send, over here I do find things to be more expensive. Depending on the size of your family, make sure you allow enough, at least 300 per week. Electricity, dont get me started, captive audience, they keep pushing the prices up, elon musk has promised to build a battery plant which affords cheaper electricity, we need it. Solar helps but large discounts have been taken up. We have to clean our pool each day, our bill is over 1000 a quarter. We have unlimited fibre to the kerb internet, 30mbps and is 100 per month. Dont have home phone anymore, mobiles take care of that. Petrol again, we are at the beck and call of the oil fields and have peaks and troughs, I found some for 1.05 per litre the other day, it can be around 1.40, it is cheaper on certain days. Car wise, anything german is expensive, also cant believe a performance ford can be 70k but depends on what your budget is, we bough a top of the range kuga second hand for 25. Weather is free :-) and I love the gold coast. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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