OK, so what IS expensive and cheap in Australia?

[Guest guest17301]

Cheaper...good old family fun

 

Expensive...flights back to Blighty to see family and friends

 

The rest is by the by....who cares! It's all relative!!

[Guest Chrissygirl]

We have been in Oz just over 1 year, first 8 months in Canberra last 5 in Qld, north brisbane,and down to gold coast next week. Overall I think its much cheaper in Oz, but it does depend on where u came from. We were in Chichester West Sussex, which is known for being one of the most expensive places in UK. Rents are cheaper for what you get, 4 bed lowset with loads of space is about the same as 2 bed flat in Sussex. and no pool ha ha... Groceries including steak and fresh fruit and veg about the same as UK, but icouldnt afford steak in UK only on birthdays. Toiletries much more expensive here. Petrol half price here. Golf clubs, round of golf on a sunday with buggy $45 half UK price. Eating out probably fractionally cheaper but definitely better.

Car Rego more expensive, Car insurance definitely cheaper, new cars to buy cheaper, second hand more expensive. Wages definitely better in admin office careers, would never earn 18-20K GBP in UK office job. Bar staff, waiter $18-20 an hour unheard of in UK.. So overall I think Oz wins in the Price war, and it is easier to save money over here, being paid weekly is fantastic and helps you keep control much easier. We are looking for furniture at the moment, lounge suites, dining furniture, find it all much cheaper here and better quality, I didnt bring anyhting with us, just the suitcases and golf clubs, and think I can furnish a house at half the cost of UK.

 

I hope this helps anyone coming over, but it does all depend on your past expenses and how you like to live....

Chrissy :chatterbox:

[Guest chris955]

It is interesting how people seem to look at things differently and maybe to some extent see what they want to see, that isn't a criticism but an observation. For instance fuel isn't half the price here but if you were running a big 4x4 in the UK you would notice a big difference. If on the other hand you had a small very economical car in the UK when you look at the difference between our registration and CTP here and reduced road tax in the UK it could in fact be cheaper to run the car in the UK, over the year.

Chrissy, you say you could furnish a house here for about half of the cost of the UK whereas the overall feeling is that those things are cheaper in the UK.

You also say that it is easier to save money over here, because you are paid weekly ? Most people I know are paid weekly but when I was working in the UK I was paid weekly as well.

About 10 years ago I heard people saying they could only afford steak on Birthdays but hadn't heard it since then :laugh:

[tracy123]

It is interesting how people seem to look at things differently and maybe to some extent see what they want to see, that isn't a criticism but an observation. For instance fuel isn't half the price here but if you were running a big 4x4 in the UK you would notice a big difference. If on the other hand you had a small very economical car in the UK when you look at the difference between our registration and CTP here and reduced road tax in the UK it could in fact be cheaper to run the car in the UK, over the year.

Chrissy, you say you could furnish a house here for about half of the cost of the UK whereas the overall feeling is that those things are cheaper in the UK.

You also say that it is easier to save money over here, because you are paid weekly ? Most people I know are paid weekly but when I was working in the UK I was paid weekly as well.

About 10 years ago I heard people saying they could only afford steak on Birthdays but hadn't heard it since then :laugh:

 

It is interesting how people seem to look at things differently and maybe to some extent see what they want to see :wink:

[Guest chris955]

Exactly right, if you look at facts and figures it takes the 'emotion' out of it.

[sykestykes]

It is interesting how people seem to look at things differently and maybe to some extent see what they want to see :wink:

 

I suppose that was always the problem with me starting a thread like this Geoffrey, it does very much depend on your circumstances and what you were earning/used to in the UK before coming here. There will always be opposing views, which is why I tried to quote prices in my OP so that people could decide for themselves whether things really are cheaper/more expensive in Oz by comparison to the UK, or whether I'm just a tight Yorkshirewoman who can only afford steak on birthdays :biglaugh:

 

Sue x

[tracy123]

I suppose that was always the problem with me starting a thread like this Geoffrey, it does very much depend on your circumstances and what you were earning/used to in the UK before coming here. There will always be opposing views, which is why I tried to quote prices in my OP so that people could decide for themselves whether things really are cheaper/more expensive in Oz by comparison to the UK, or whether I'm just a tight Yorkshirewoman who can only afford steak on birthdays :biglaugh:

 

Sue x

 

IMHO you should get an infraction for starting this thread! When you knew full well it could cause arguments.............. Shame on you for waisting moderators time :wideeyed::biglaugh:

[sykestykes]

IMHO you should get an infraction for starting this thread! When you knew full well it could cause arguments.............. Shame on you for waisting moderators time :wideeyed::biglaugh:

 

I know, I know!! :biglaugh:

 

Sue x

[fleabo]

Guiness is about the same price in the UK as it is where Kernow43 lives. Kernow43 can buy a slab of Guiness at $55, which is $2.30 a can. At my local Sainsbury's it is just under £1 per can when on offer.

 

That's about the same if you use £1=$2.30, which is about right for such a comparison IMO. Granted, if you visit Australia now, everything will seem really expensive. If you visited in 1998 everything will have seemed cheap (£1 = £2.85). And back in 1996, I remember beer being much cheaper.

 

Big retailers in the UK and Australia know precisely how much of your hard earned you will be prepared to give up every week and will do their upmost to extract that from you in one way or another...they employ people with PhDs etc. to analyse all of our behaviour. Smaller retailers just want to make a good living for themselves.

[sykestykes]

Guiness is about the same price in the UK as it is where Kernow43 lives. Kernow43 can buy a slab of Guiness at $55, which is $2.30 a can. At my local Sainsbury's it is just under £1 per can when on offer.

 

That's about the same if you use £1=$2.30, which is about right for such a comparison IMO. Granted, if you visit Australia now, everything will seem really expensive. If you visited in 1998 everything will have seemed cheap (£1 = £2.85). And back in 1996, I remember beer being much cheaper.

 

Big retailers in the UK and Australia know precisely how much of your hard earned you will be prepared to give up every week and will do their upmost to extract that from you in one way or another...they employ people with PhDs etc. to analyse all of our behaviour. Smaller retailers just want to make a good living for themselves.

 

Great post Fleabo, thanks. :wubclub:

 

Sue x

[spottydog]

At present I would expect most things in Oz to be more expensive when compared to the UK due to the rise of the Aussie Dollar and the demise of the UK pound.

 

When comparing the cost of items you also have to compare salaries. The median Sydney salary is currently around $65k which at today's rate equates to around GBP39k, the median London wage in 2009 (according to the UK government) was GBP27k (i.e. a third less). When I compare my salary here (been here 4 years) at todays exchange rate I earn more than double the salary I did in London, the OH earns around triple the salary he left 4 years ago.

 

Personally I find booze more expensive than the UK, seasonal fruit & veg and meat (excluding supermarkets) better quality & cheaper, petrol lots cheaper, public transport & taxi's much cheaper. Housing costs more but council tax and water rates less. Tax is about the same. Books are really overpriced here as are many things you can buy cheaply online in the UK as you don't get the big online stores here.

 

Health Insurance is cheaper here particularly as you get older since you don't pay an age loading, other insurance I find that, as in the UK, if you are prepared to spend time shopping around you can get a good deal.

 

European made cars I find more expensive, Asian made I find cheaper. Second hand cars are more expensive here but you don't get the depreciation so over the ownership lifetime you actually save money.

[Guest chris955]

Now that is interesting, according to Australian site http://www.wagerate.com.au it states the median wage in Sydney is $19.77 an hour or roughly $41,000 a year, whereas the Office for National Statistics in the UK have the average weekly wage for London as GBP627 or 32,000 a year which equates to $51,800 so in fact 25% MORE in London.

I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong but it does show it is possible to find whatever you want to find on the internet.

The consensus seems to be that overall it is cheaper in the UK OR it is cheaper here :wink:

[rockola57]

Well i reckon it is expensive to live here.I do not think the food is better quality for standard stuff,you really have to pay big bucks for anything tasty.OK yes meat is good,and some nice bread to be had for 3-4 dollars,but fruit can be very expensive,just stuff like bananas and tomatoes.Motoring in all is not that cheap,Dentistry has to be seen to be believed(I went to a local one with toothache,and came out with a headache,and earache,as the robbing bleeder tried to talk me into getting 5,000 dollars worth of work!) House prices for poor quality cardboard boxes with tin roofs,thrown up in a matter of weeks,in cramped positions,are a major piss take.One big positive though,in spite of all the grouching,is the Aussies are friendly in general,and i live by a nice golden beach,with blue skies and very blue sea.:biggrin:

[Guest The Pom Queen]

We tend to use a lot of Gas and Electric.

We currently pay

$245 per month on Electric and $145 per month on Gas. I think internet access is ridiculously priced for what you get and the speed.

With regards to food, it does work out expensive to shop in the supermarkets and you will find like Australians will go to the meat wholesalers, markets for fruit and veg and bread from the bakery. To be honest we never have time to run around like this so do shop at Coles a lot. The other day we filled the trolley up ($300) and the woman at the check out was shocked and asked why we were stocking up. I didn't like saying that it wouldn't even last the week in our house.

Kate

[heyyu]

poor quality cardboard boxes with tin roofs,thrown up in a matter of weeks,

i take it your an architect or a structual engineer.veneer construction is recognised around the world even the UK,id rather have an iron roof in a hail storm than a slate or tile.

[Guest chris955]

I don't think you need to be a structural engineer to see what goes into a house.

[heyyu]

but you have to have the technical knowledge to know what your looking at

[Guest Guest31881]

Now that is interesting, according to Australian site www.wagerate.com.au it states the median wage in Sydney is $19.77 an hour or roughly $41,000 a year, whereas the Office for National Statistics in the UK have the average weekly wage for London as GBP627 or 32,000 a year which equates to $51,800 so in fact 25% MORE in London.

I'm not saying one is right and one is wrong but it does show it is possible to find whatever you want to find on the internet.

The consensus seems to be that overall it is cheaper in the UK OR it is cheaper here :wink:

 

 

Does that include the London"weighting" allowance to cover the expence of living there, it about £5000 a year. that would bring your average down to £27,000. The median average for the UK is £25,400 a year. You cannot compare London wages because of the excess payments made in the city to cover cost of living there.

[Bod]

The UK is cheap as chips at the moment, if you have not been back hear for a while you'll be surprised how cheap some things are.

 

Like I said cheap as chips! just wish I could go go and earn some decent money to buy somthing

[rockola57]

poor quality cardboard boxes with tin roofs,thrown up in a matter of weeks,

i take it your an architect or a structual engineer.veneer construction is recognised around the world even the UK,id rather have an iron roof in a hail storm than a slate or tile.

Ha,

You are not serious are you?Quality is quality,whether it is a house or a pair of shoes.Plain to see to even the most undiscerning eye.Have you perchance got one of the afore mentioned,and are trying to justify your mistake?:confused:

[olly]

The problem Sue, is you need to know where to look, on face value Australia is very expensive,but so is the UK!

 

You can go to auction house's and buy new furniture, white goods (brand new) for a fraction of the price as you can in the shops, another place is Bob's bargins where you can buy scrach and dent as well as end of line stocks. You can find loads of genuine factory outlets to buy bedding clothes etc etc, the only problem is it takes time to find them, so my advise would be......... bring everything until you can find the right shops even if it's crap at least it will give you time to wait until it's on sale

 

True Geoffrey, there is DFO (direct factory outlets) in Melbourne and the factory outlets in Richmond for clothes etc, and as you say plenty of scratch and dent places for white goods etc.

What drives me crazy here is the broadband and mobile charges, they are just ridiculous and I am as you know, a local. This has somehow got to change in the future, as I buy $30 pre paid and it runs out if you don't use it by a certain time, even if I have been given credits for recharging, I lose them, so don't really get them in that case. Stupid!

[Guest Guest31881]

True Geoffrey, there is DFO (direct factory outlets) in Melbourne and the factory outlets in Richmond for clothes etc, and as you say plenty of scratch and dent places for white goods etc.

What drives me crazy here is the broadband and mobile charges, they are just ridiculous and I am as you know, a local. This has somehow got to change in the future, as I buy $30 pre paid and it runs out if you don't use it by a certain time, even if I have been given credits for recharging, I lose them, so don't really get them in that case. Stupid!

 

 

I think it is starting to change, in QLD we are now getting companies offering better deals for phone and internet packages, saw one last week for $79 and a regular is $99 including local and national calls with 30gig allowance. Hopefully with time the competition will bring the prices down. There are better offers now than when i arrived last June, but a lot does depend on location.

[Guest littlesarah]

I do much of my grocery shopping at Aldi, as well as the local butcher & greengrocer (who sell high volume so do good prices). Bread is expensive compared to UK (but flour isn't, so I could make my own if I chose to), as is beer.

 

Petrol is cheaper, car insurance is on a par and rego less than car tax (for me). White goods have come down in price (we got a great deal on a washing machine with govt & manufacturer rebates), as have TVs.

 

We should all remember that the exchange rate skews £ comparisons, and that the relatively sparse population in Australia will lessen the economies of scale that UK retailers can utilise.

 

We currently have higher essential outgoings & lower income than we did in the UK, but the result of this is that we spend more time looking for bargains. It's amazing how much money one can save by making curtains and furnishings (& clothes, if I ever get the time!), not to mention cooking from scratch. Weekends away camping in a National Park cost only the petrol to get there & the food we take (plus a wee bit of gas, I s'pose), and having a bbq with friends is hardly bank-breaking.

 

Once hubby decides to go back to his 'real job', and work more hours we'll be better off, but in the meantime we're living within our means (just). And that's all that really matters to me. If it came to it, I'd live on baked beans and veggie broth to keep our house!

[Guest soraya89]

Petrol is obviously cheaper here, depending on where you are of course as I have seen it over $2.00 in the middle of nowhere but generally cheaper.

Overall I'm not sure it is cheaper to run a car, it depends on the car itself. A small economical car in the UK is taxed at 35 quid whereas the same vehicle here would cost around $700 for registration and CTP. Comprehensive insurance seems cheaper in the UK but again it depends on the vehicle and the area.

Groceries generally seem to be cheaper in the UK as do clothes and books. Whitegoods and electronics (TV'S etc) seem to be pretty much the same.

Rates for us are $2000 a year in the 'burbs so they seem higher than the UK, again depending on area of course.

I would say overall there is little if anything in it between the 2 countries as far as the cost of living. The amazing thing about that is that as little as 5 years ago Britain was concerned an expensive place to live in comparison to here.

Hey

I have just read some comments as we plan on moving over...

but chris 995 said that "A small economical car in the UK is taxed at 35 quid whereas the same vehicle here would cost around $700 for registration and CTP. Comprehensive insurance seems cheaper in the UK but again it depends on the vehicle and the area."

Im not sure when you ere last out here but i run around a very small 1.1 saxo and the tax has gone up to £180 for a year and my sister who runs a 1.6 fiat pays £210 a year!

mad how things change isnt it.

 

I like in the UK and if any of you want to know prices of this, just ask ill be hapy to help!

Soraya...

[Guest chris955]

Soroya, yes if you own older 'dirtier' cars they are taxed at a higher rate, Fiat 500 1.2 for instance is only 35 quid as it is a modern clean car with low emissions. The problem here is there is absolutely no incentive to drive more economical cleaner cars. You would think that it would make sense to try and get people into hybrids or small eco cars but there is no financial incentive to do it.