rockola57 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 You cannot compare prices and wages to uk pound comparisons, it just does not work, you are better just waiting to get here hopefully have an idea of what you will be earning, have an idea of rents cost of lving so forth which you can research ie realestate, online shopping etc price of cars etc because believe me when you get here, and this is for people with kids, any pre ideas you had in some cases are totally blown out of the water, and expences you just seem to forget about rear the ugly head.Top post my friend,how very true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zingy171 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 I came out here five years ago but I travel home to Suffolk once a year. Although its good to see the family, I'd have to say you're absolutely right. England is so expensive for pretty much everything. I could never afford to have the same standard of living in the UK as I do here in Oz, especially when I think of the crap wage I used to earn there (6 quid an hour) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pez2008 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 You dont live from your savings you brought with you forever, you live from your wage surely?? Define less, is that exchange rate based again? I am a tradie and its the same for me. A pint is $7, thats good, because i would quite happily pay $7.50 I know what your saying but in our opinion most things seem dearer. With regard the exchange rate we had £80000 and when we started our visa process that was going to give us $198000 but 2 years later we was offered $145000. So all of a sudden our big big deposit is now only a average deposit, so in our eyes houses are not as cheap etc etc. I do believe the cheaper housing and cost of living of 2-3 years ago is abig factor of why people choose to emigrate to Oz. With regards the tradies i thought you was still in Uk, i assume you have had a job offer with good money. I know a couple of rooftilers here,in uk they earnt £170 a day ( 7am- 3-4 pm) here there on $250 a day for longer hours. Dont get me wrong Jaybone im not being negative just saying how i see it. And dont ask my son-in-law about the schools here as that also seems a constant moneypit lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deb8181 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 I have been here 4 months now and i find the following more expensive than the UK: Cars Bread Most toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo etc.) Saucepans especially if you like a nice Tefal non-stick Coffee (dont drink tea) English brand sweets (lollies as they call them over here) Internet Playstation games White goods (fridge/freezers, washing machines, dryers etc). Dyson hoovers Brabantia pedal bins Eating out Alcohol Mortgage rates Bedding and towels Branded sportswear We have also found that Lonsdale is one of the top brands over here in sportswear whereas its a crappy make in the uk and Sunbeam are one of the top brands in small appliances whereas again they are bottom market stuff in the uk. Hope you people find this useful and the lesson is try and bring out with you your saucepans, bedding, dyson hoovers etc. I actually bought a new Dyson in the sale from Currys and brought it with me in the box. They are around $800 for a new Dyson and they are mainly the dyson ball type here. Get your teenage sons/daughters new sports gear (Adidas, Reebok etc) as its expensive here and the frying pans and saucepans are over $100 just for one decent (Tefal) non stick pan, absolutely horrendous prices. Large jar of Nescafe Gold Blend $18.99. New playstation game Red Dead Redemption is $101.99 for one! So any of you who think its not expensive are living in a dream world. :arghh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 This is what I don't understand at times, with something like where are pubs better it is a personal preference but when the facts and figures are there for all to see it makes no sense. The majority seem quite adamant that alot of things are cheaper in the UK and figures seem to back that up. I don't think it is always that simple. Most people compare using current exchange rates which is pretty meaningless - only a few divide the cost into the average wage to do a true comparison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBone Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 I know what your saying but in our opinion most things seem dearer. With regard the exchange rate we had £80000 and when we started our visa process that was going to give us $198000 but 2 years later we was offered $145000. So all of a sudden our big big deposit is now only a average deposit, so in our eyes houses are not as cheap etc etc. I do believe the cheaper housing and cost of living of 2-3 years ago is abig factor of why people choose to emigrate to Oz. With regards the tradies i thought you was still in Uk, i assume you have had a job offer with good money. I know a couple of rooftilers here,in uk they earnt £170 a day ( 7am- 3-4 pm) here there on $250 a day for longer hours.Dont get me wrong Jaybone im not being negative just saying how i see it. And dont ask my son-in-law about the schools here as that also seems a constant moneypit lol. Hi, Same has happenned with us, we have 60k which is gonna give us a smidge over $100k, when we started process it was 2.4 which would have given us $144k, so quite gutted!! That does seem a hell of a drop for those rooftilers, ouch! Ive had 2 job offers, both on 3 times my UK salary, which is what i am classing as equivalent, i have not accepted either job as we are going to travel for a year when we first arrive, we have set aside $36k for that, i hope $100 a day will suffice, if ive done my calcs right it should be ok as we have our own camper and i have all the spares i can foresee needing, but you never know with a Kombi?!? I figure $100 a day will buy a campsite for the night, a crate of Carlton and a couple of sandwiches, you've got to get your 5 a day after all!:twitcy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest famousfive Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Recent newspaper report stated you needed to earn $60,000 just to survive and $100,000 to live comfortably in Sydney.I suppose if you earn the 60 you will find Sydney mega expensive and if you earn the 100 you will think it reasonably priced. As with all countries it is not how cheap/expensive it is that really matters,it's whether you can live comfortably on your means,and that depends highly on whether you work in a low paid,medium or high income job. As with a lot of things in life,the cost of living somewhere is all relative and will be different to all who live there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alexxxxx Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Is there a wage calculator website to calculate wages in Aus? (It takes into account tax, NI etc) There's one over here and I can't seem to find one for Aus wages. You've all got me a bit worried now hahaha! As stated prev, I'm on £16,000 here.. I've seen jobs advertised here for me on the wage of $55-60,000 and my partner is on £17,000 and he's seen jobs for $60-65,000 (in Melbourne). It seems with the currency rate at the moment, that's substantially more than what we're earning here. As many of you are saying the wages are the same, are taxes higher there then? I know it does depend on what you do but for myself and OH, it appears more and I hope I am right in saying that. I'd like to get an idea obviously what our income monthly will be so we can make sure we find a suitable place to rent that will be in our price range and not be in the same situation as we are here - meaning little money to spare each month. Any advice/tips, would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleW Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 This may help you: pay calculator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 depends what you buy - if you want the same brands in Oz as the UK then you pay through the nose Coopers ale and tim tams are expensive in the UK !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pez2008 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Jaybone. Campsite for the night, a crate of Carlton and a couple of sandwiches, you've got to get your 5 a day after all! Make sure you shop around for your beer. Yesterday a slab of Carlton was $48 in Coles but Safeways were doing 2 for $68 thats a good buy. Where are you starting and finishing your travelling would be interesting to read how you get on. Pez. Ps. Whats your trade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pond321 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 On the subject of Salary multiples. I do not think the average job pays 3 times the amount that the same job would do in the UK. I am in the slightly unusual position of doing the same job for the same company that I worked for in the UK. The company publishes its pay scales, so I know how far along the pay scale I am – and again, I am at the same position here that I was in the UK. My Australian salary is 2.16 times what I earned in the UK. If you factor the additional pension payment you get over here, it goes up to 2.20 times the UK amount. Other benefits are similar. I am a higher rate taxpayer over here and find that I pay about the same amount in tax over here as I did in the UK (when you include NI that is). So, around my way (I live in central Melbourne) a pint is between $8 and $10 per pint. So that equates to £3.63 to £4.54 a pint. This is expensive. I am sure that lots of people will chime in and say that beer is thruppence hapenny at their local boozer but I am just quoting prices for how much beer costs around Port Melbourne area. Anyhow, back to wages. Australia has a much flatter income distribution curve than the UK. There are fewer people earning millions and less people earning a pittance. This, in my view, seems to be a better system than in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 It's strange that there seems to be as many people on here who say they earn much more back in the UK and vice versa. Don't worry there are plenty of people earning the absolute minimum wage, I don't know how they survive to be honest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pond321 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 Not sure about Tim Tams as I do not know what they are. However, VB and Crown Lager etc would be cheaper in a pub in the UK than they are in a pub over here. Not that I would buy them :-) Also, I do not know whether this is true (urban legend perhaps?) but I have been toild that Vegamite is cheaper ina Sainsburys in the UK than it is over here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zingy171 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 On the subject of wages. I work 3 shifts as a machine operator in a factory in Port Melbourne. I did the same job in England, albeit not for the same company but for a company of about the same size. In England I took home, after deductions, about 210 quid, whatever my shifts were from week to week (averaged out). Here I take home $650 when I do mornings (which at the current exchange rate is 390 quid) up to $960 when I do nights (570 quid). This is without overtime. Now, I know its 5 years since I worked in the UK but I very much doubt that wages have doubled there since 2005. When I first came to Oz and took the first available job I was working in retail selling furniture and earning $20 a hour full time (12 quid, you certainly wouldnt get that in the UK working in a shop). This was a full time permanent position and not a casual position for which you'd get an even higher wage. So, for anyone wanting to compare a wage from the UK to Oz, I'd say, after reading some of the comments, that t depends what you do. Many people are saying that their wages are lower here than at home, maybe they should sell furniture for a living :biggrin:. On the subject of prices, I'm not sure about the cost of pots and pans as I hired half a container when I came out here and brought most of my stuff with me. Clothes I find are very reasonable here, especially when I compare the prices to clothes I buy when I go home (once a year). Beer is expensive in pubs but very reasonable if you check around the supermarket. I dont know how people are comparing food prices. Certainly its much cheaper to eat out here than in Suffolk and take away is much cheaper, It used to cost me 10 quid for a large take away pizza, now it costs me $11 (about 6 pound 50, how do i get the pound sign on this bloody thing lol) and thats from a small independently owned italian place, not one of the chains. Maybe if you're used to a chippy tea in Gateshead...................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chris955 Posted June 14, 2010 Share Posted June 14, 2010 That's a very low wage for factory work in the UK. I was in a factory 12 years ago admittedly in quality control not on the factory floor and I earned way more than that back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest famousfive Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 My OH earned E850-900 in Ireland as a chef and he earns $850 here-so not a good spot for chefs I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBone Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Campsite for the night, a crate of Carlton and a couple of sandwiches, you've got to get your 5 a day after all! Make sure you shop around for your beer. Yesterday a slab of Carlton was $48 in Coles but Safeways were doing 2 for $68 thats a good buy. Where are you starting and finishing your travelling would be interesting to read how you get on. Pez. Ps. Whats your trade That is a good price! I think the cheapest we got a crate for was $40. We are starting in Adelaide, heading anti-clockwise, Will be in Brisbane by end of April, Darwin by July, Perth by September/October and back to Adelaide for Christmas:biggrin: Trying to follow the weather, I will be writing a travel blog on 'Offexploring.com. and on the KombiClub website, but will keep updates on here too. I am an Electrical Tech on the Oil rigs, but i work mainly as a Production Operator these days, there seems to be alot of work around and ive been in touch with most companies already, most have told me to contact them when i arrive, i will probably drop a few CVs off in person when we are travelling, but dont want anything too soon that could ruin our travel plans! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkin Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I did my reccie trip recently and we made a point of checking out prices in supermarkets and in department stores for general household goods. We did this because we had read so much about the high prices. When we arrived we were in Sydney CBD in the evening, we went to a 7-11 to get a few things and were shocked by the prices of things like a jar of coffee and a pint of milk. However when we went to the larger supermarkets later, out of town it was really not so bad. We didn't think the household goods were too bad either, a kitchenaid mixer was about the only thing that we thought perhaps we should buy before we move over. The prices that shocked us the most were the price of books. Just ordinary novels which would be about £6 in the UK were about $25 rising to $38 sometimes. I was not just shocked for my own selfish reasons, but that reading should be such an unaffordable activity. I didn't look at the price of children's books as I don't have children, I hope they are not as prohibitively expensive or there is a good public library system in Australia! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest siamsusie Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Books in Holland are very expensive short print runs, I guess that is similar here as well. Importation must be expensive. Amazon/Book Depository /Fishpond etc have some great deals and I tend to get most of my books from second hands books shops here in Tasmania for a couple of bucks. The Libraries are good here and are most cooperative in ordering in books for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 I did my reccie trip recently and we made a point of checking out prices in supermarkets and in department stores for general household goods. We did this because we had read so much about the high prices. When we arrived we were in Sydney CBD in the evening, we went to a 7-11 to get a few things and were shocked by the prices of things like a jar of coffee and a pint of milk. However when we went to the larger supermarkets later, out of town it was really not so bad. We didn't think the household goods were too bad either, a kitchenaid mixer was about the only thing that we thought perhaps we should buy before we move over. The prices that shocked us the most were the price of books. Just ordinary novels which would be about £6 in the UK were about $25 rising to $38 sometimes. I was not just shocked for my own selfish reasons, but that reading should be such an unaffordable activity. I didn't look at the price of children's books as I don't have children, I hope they are not as prohibitively expensive or there is a good public library system in Australia! We have a rule that books must be republished by Australian publishers (if they want them) that keeps the cost up. Lots of second hand book stores and good libraries but still pays to buy online if you want that latest bestseller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louise28 Posted June 15, 2010 Share Posted June 15, 2010 Jaybone. That is a good price! I think the cheapest we got a crate for was $40. We are starting in Adelaide, heading anti-clockwise, Will be in Brisbane by end of April, Darwin by July, Perth by September/October and back to Adelaide for Christmas:biggrin: Trying to follow the weather, I will be writing a travel blog on 'Offexploring.com. and on the KombiClub website, but will keep updates on here too. I am an Electrical Tech on the Oil rigs, but i work mainly as a Production Operator these days, there seems to be alot of work around and ive been in touch with most companies already, most have told me to contact them when i arrive, i will probably drop a few CVs off in person when we are travelling, but dont want anything too soon that could ruin our travel plans! Hope you have a fab time on your travels!! My partner and I land in Australia in Feb and will start our venture round at the end of March. Starting in Sunshine Coast. Buying a van and off we go. will be supplementing our travel with some fruit picking etc though en route and also to get the 2nd year visa.. but dont plan on working too much!! It was either get a mortgage with our savings or blow it on an adventure!! the 2 year adventure won hands down!! Plenty of time to be responsible. Will make sure i have a read of your blog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayBone Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Hope you have a fab time on your travels!! My partner and I land in Australia in Feb and will start our venture round at the end of March. Starting in Sunshine Coast. Buying a van and off we go. will be supplementing our travel with some fruit picking etc though en route and also to get the 2nd year visa.. but dont plan on working too much!! It was either get a mortgage with our savings or blow it on an adventure!! the 2 year adventure won hands down!! Plenty of time to be responsible. Will make sure i have a read of your blog! We may meet up with you somewhere then, depending how fast you are travelling, you should pencil in the Nimbin Mardigrass festival which is at the end of April, just West of Byron Bay, it looks awesome! Did you know that instead of fruit picking you can do outback work, less strenuous and more fun by the sounds of it, check out www.visitoz.org they offer employment, this one is in Goomeri in Queensland. We’ve also decided to blow our savings, we’ve been responsible for too long now, We are 28 and its now or never for this adventure, we have sold everything, house, cars, furniture, saved for a year whilst waiting for our visa, all we are bringing is our van and dog, and then seeing what happens, can’t wait! Good luck with it all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest proud2beaussie Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 Guys/Gals, Just a quick note to ask everyone to be careful when using the quote function,if you don't use the facility the right way the system will carry any errors forward to the next quoted post and that can cause problems with people being made responsible for things that they didn't write. To use it correctly the best way is to use the quote post button and highlight any text you wish to draw attention to,alternatively if you wish to only quote a portion of text then copy it and place it between the quote tags using the quote icon. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Locksley Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 We have a rule that books must be republished by Australian publishers (if they want them) that keeps the cost up. Lots of second hand book stores and good libraries but still pays to buy online if you want that latest bestseller. Not every book, just most of the bestsellers. We don't actually have many Australian owned publishing companies, most here are a division of international publishers located in the UK or the USA. I'm at a loss to understand why books are so expensive in Oz. They always have been. Mind you I hardly know any Aussies who reads books to start with. Visitors are always stunned when they walk in the door and find our front room lined with bookcases, people have even asked if we've read them all. "Oh no. We just like to have bookcases full of books 'cause it makes us look smart." :cool: The Book Depository in the UK is the way to go. Free postage to Oz, can't do better than that. I find Amazon USA extremely expensive, because of their international shipping costs. Amazon uses a courier company, the Book Depository uses the UK Postal Service. BD is quicker too, a week in most cases. We also buy a lot of our books from the discounted paperback displays in Newsagents and shopping malls. Normally 5 to 10 bucks. Playstation Games...expensive the first month of release, price plummets after that. Electronic Boutique sells hundreds of discounted and pre-owned games. They are happy to exchange also. I'm not sure any one video game is worth a 100 bucks. The complete Half-Life Collection maybe, but that's a few games bundled in a boxed set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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