emmaroo Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Nothing that those living here don't know but informative for those that are planning a move! http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/business-old/expats-struggle-to-afford-expensive-perth/story-e6frg2qu-1226093330785 :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracy123 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Expensive Oz :nah: Just people who have no idea on where to shop to get those bargains!!!! :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmaroo Posted July 14, 2011 Author Share Posted July 14, 2011 Expensive Oz :nah: Just people who have no idea on where to shop to get those bargains!!!! :wubclub: Expensive Oz :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Sure it's expensive for expats as the Australian dollar has risen in value against the pound, euro and American dollar. For people who are living here already and used to earning $Aus it's no more expensive to live here than someone living in the UK or US with a mortgage and earning pounds or $US. There is inflation worldwide with rises in the cost of fuel, power, water. Can't escape that no matter where you are but at least here there are jobs around which give you a good enough salary to have a great lifestyle. There are also loads of things here you can do free (barbecues at the beach or parks, bike rides, day at the beach) that can keep you amused without spending. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keily Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 have to agree with paul ...i was talking to my sil last night and we were comparing the prices here and in scotland ...and believe u me there was not much difference ....prices in utilities are goin up all over the world and if u shop in the correct places u can get a bargain on both food and clothes ....i suppose it comes down to ur way of living ...but in oz from what i can see no one really gives a hoot if ur dressed in designer gear or have a big flash house near the ocean ....they would rather u had a full fridge of beer :wink: mrs keily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I used to be a nay-sayer, but even accounting for exchange rate fluctutations somethings are more expensive. Oyster Bay wine for example is $29.99 at my local Coles and £8.99 at Tesco.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sir Les Patterson Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I refer you to the previous post Just people who have no idea on where to shop to get those bargains!!!! :wubclub:If you're paying $29.99 for any Oyster Bay wine (and you're silly enough to pay it) you're getting ripped off. It's only $14.95 at Dan Murphy's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 I used to be a nay-sayer, but even accounting for exchange rate fluctutations somethings are more expensive. Oyster Bay wine for example is $29.99 at my local Coles and £8.99 at Tesco.. Been going to Woolworths for my wine lately. They have a great range of cleanskins in and loads of offers on other wines. Call in Fridays and like last week bought 3 x white 2 x red and a bottle of tawny port, $37 all up. You get an extra 10% off if you buy 6 bottles. Cheaper than gatorade and bottled water. :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Just buy a house with a price that reflects its need for renovation. Then you'll have no time in which to spend any money, cos you'll spend all your days off sanding, painting, building, knocking down, finding tradies, laying turf, digging up overgrown plants and crappy paths, etc, etc, etc!! (And remember, these bigger houses that seem so attractive - all good til it's time to paint, put up a fence or landscape the garden!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mandyandbarry Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 It's no more expensive than anywhere else, you just have to make sure that you cut your cloth according to your income! Live where you can afford to live and shop carefully. It isn't a holiday now, you live here, but it can feel more like a holiday if you don't put yourself under too much financial pressure by living too close to the city or buying a house that is out of your affordable bracket! :wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tandcmum Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 I have come to the conclusion nowhere in the world is cheap to live anymore. I have looked at lots of prices of rents, utilities, food, cars etc in Oz and compared to the wage I will be earning once there it is all very reasonable. It works both ways, if you look at the cost of things in Oz compared to the exchange rate it does seem expensive, similarly if you look at hte cost of things in the UK compared to the exchange rate it seems cheap, but when you are here in the UK earning pounds and spending pounds it is still costly as most of us in the Uk are not earning big money and most of us haven't had pay rises for years but yet the cost of food, fuel, utilities keps rising, for example we have just had our gas and elec bills through and due to the fact we had such a cold long winter and the 18% increase in prices we now need to pay an extra £70 per month. It is costing us £500 every quater for gas and elec for a 2 bed flat!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest embernet Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Australia is getting way more expensive and whilst living in Melbourne between 2005 and 2011 I kept wondering why people claimed Australia is cheap when to me it so obviously wasn't. From talking to a lot of different people over time I concluded that up until about 2000 it WAS quite cheap but things have changed - as evidenced here: http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings Look how much all the Aussie cities have gone up in the expensive ratings - Sydney is worse than London now and Melbourne not far behind. Even relatively out of the way Aussie cities like Canberra and Adelaide are not really expensive. It really isn't cheaper than the UK anymore. It just isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcorners Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Move out of the cities! Way cheaper in the sticks, and the more people that do, the less they will feel like the sticks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Australia is getting way more expensive and whilst living in Melbourne between 2005 and 2011 I kept wondering why people claimed Australia is cheap when to me it so obviously wasn't. From talking to a lot of different people over time I concluded that up until about 2000 it WAS quite cheap but things have changed - as evidenced here: http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings Look how much all the Aussie cities have gone up in the expensive ratings - Sydney is worse than London now and Melbourne not far behind. Even relatively out of the way Aussie cities like Canberra and Adelaide are not really expensive. It really isn't cheaper than the UK anymore. It just isn't. I don't think anyones claiming it's cheaper than the UK now. The salaries here are a lot higher than the UK currently and if you take the exchange rate changes into account it would probably be more expensive in the major cities BUT we get the compensation here to make up for it. Even if I were struggling I would still rather struggle here than in the UK, at least we have good weather and don't freeze in winter if we have to cut back on our heating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 http://www.mercer.com/costoflivingpr#City_rankings Look how much all the Aussie cities have gone up in the expensive ratings - Sydney is worse than London now and Melbourne not far behind. Even relatively out of the way Aussie cities like Canberra and Adelaide are not really expensive. It really isn't cheaper than the UK anymore. It just isn't. The small print to the article (highlighting added for effect) - this article is for working out how much to pay people in their home currency if posted abroad. No wonder then that Australian cities have shot up in comparison to EU and US locations given that the Euro, USD and GBP are worth a shadow of their former selves. Anyway bananas are still $10/kg.:biggrin: Notes for Editors The figures for Mercer’s Cost of Living and rental accommodation costs comparisons are derived from a survey conducted in March 2011. March 2011 exchange rates and Mercer’s international basket of goods and services have been used as basis measurements. The information is used by governments and major companies to protect the purchasing power of their employees when transferred abroad; rental accommodation costs data is used to assess local expatriate housing allowances. The choice of cities surveyed is based on the demand for data. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desreb Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I went to buy some wrapping paper in my local newsagent the other day. I have this habit here - I guess the price, then check it. "$3", I thought. I checked. "$5.50" "?!&£@?!" Yes, it was nice paper, in a decent newsagents. But it's $5.50 for a folded sheet! I used to cringe at paying £2 at Paperchase in London, and that's a nice shop too. Four months in, I don't really think about the conversion rate or UK prices any more; I just buy stuff in the same place I would have bought stuff at home, get the discounts and BOGOFs, and stop worrying about it. Except when wrapping paper is $5.50, of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I went to buy some wrapping paper in my local newsagent the other day. I have this habit here - I guess the price, then check it. "$3", I thought. I checked. "$5.50" "?!&£@?!" Yes, it was nice paper, in a decent newsagents. But it's $5.50 for a folded sheet! I used to cringe at paying £2 at Paperchase in London, and that's a nice shop too. Four months in, I don't really think about the conversion rate or UK prices any more; I just buy stuff in the same place I would have bought stuff at home, get the discounts and BOGOFs, and stop worrying about it. Except when wrapping paper is $5.50, of course! Try the $2 shops for stuff like that. I got a card and a present bag for $1 each and they were just as nice as what you get in the expensive shops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockola57 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Im not slagging it off here coz i like it,but it really is expensive here,even when taking earnings in to account.Iv'e never seen good bargains like i did in the UK last Year.Buy 5 get one free for tins of tuna at Coles,and similar daft crap like was 3.99 now DOWN IN PRICE to 3.89 !:biglaugh::wink:just say it all about how they just don't get the bargain thing(nor do we:cry:).:yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Bread is $1 a loaf now. Milk $2 for 2 litres. And very sweet mandarins 29cents a kilo. What more do you want?:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockola57 Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Bread is $1 a loaf now. Milk $2 for 2 litres. And very sweet mandarins 29cents a kilo. What more do you want?:wink:Flea my mate,faceache got a loaf of that sh..t a few days ago,GEEZ it was like eating cardboard!:yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabo Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Flea my mate,faceache got a loaf of that sh..t a few days ago,GEEZ it was like eating cardboard!:yes: The stuff from Franklins is great - excellent for jaffles too.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misplaced Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I have come to the conclusion nowhere in the world is cheap to live anymore. I have looked at lots of prices of rents, utilities, food, cars etc in Oz and compared to the wage I will be earning once there it is all very reasonable. It works both ways, if you look at the cost of things in Oz compared to the exchange rate it does seem expensive, similarly if you look at hte cost of things in the UK compared to the exchange rate it seems cheap, but when you are here in the UK earning pounds and spending pounds it is still costly as most of us in the Uk are not earning big money and most of us haven't had pay rises for years but yet the cost of food, fuel, utilities keps rising, for example we have just had our gas and elec bills through and due to the fact we had such a cold long winter and the 18% increase in prices we now need to pay an extra £70 per month. It is costing us £500 every quater for gas and elec for a 2 bed flat!!!! :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy: couldn't have said it any better. Pay rise WTF is that - not likely to get one in the next 3 years either!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desreb Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 Try the $2 shops for stuff like that. I got a card and a present bag for $1 each and they were just as nice as what you get in the expensive shops I'll take a look. But then, I could do that in the UK and get them for cheaper at the poundshop too. The thing is... The usual response in threads like this is "you just have to adjust your habits; shop smarter". Great - so I go from shopping in Sainsbury's in London, to Best4Less in Randwick, while spending the same amount. I spend 10 minutes in a Liquor Store staring at the shelves, trying to choose the least expensive spirit that I can still stomach.</rant> I do like Australia. But I've gone from living fairly comfortably in London, to living more cheaply in Sydney. It's not really a step up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gibbo Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I do like Australia. But I've gone from living fairly comfortably in London, to living more cheaply in Sydney. It's not really a step up! Very well summed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PositivePixie Posted July 20, 2011 Share Posted July 20, 2011 I do like Australia. But I've gone from living fairly comfortably in London, to living more cheaply in Sydney. It's not really a step up! But its not all about the money! I think thats a big reason that some people want to leave the UK, every single little tiny thing is about money and how much it is going to cost/earn. A walk along the beach costs nothing. Can't do it in the UK as (once again) its pouring with rain in the middle of summer and feels freezing cold. I am lead to believe by people in Australia that this is something I can pretty much count on doing most of the time over there more or less. If you want to have millions in your pocket, go work in Dubai, Iraq and so on, you'll be quids in. But will you have the quality of life? We're barrasic in the UK not through choice but simply by the things we have to pay for. In Australia I will earn far more in the same job, both as a percentage of the things I have to pay for, and in terms of simple income. (I class have to as things like rent, rates and food as I would want to buy it - in Australia this is heaps cheaper for us.) And overall we will have a much much much better lifestyle for usin terms of what we do day to day (or would like to do) in our lives. If your life (this is at anyone) isn't better in Australia - why did you spend all that time and money into moving there? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.