Australia: From lucky country to land of rip-offs

[rockola57]

Yay Mon,

it's majorly steep here ,but let's not put off the brave people about to come here!IMO most will get by to start with,once the survival instinct kicks in(just like we all did )And many will go on to prosper and love OZ. Give it a go Newbies!Don't spend the rest of your lives thinkin' 'What If'!!!!:yes:

[mw291073]

To be honest, if your intention is to come to Australia build a nest-egg and then return to the UK a wealthier man you should maybe have a rethink. You can certainly enjoy a decent standard of living, but anything you save here will be divided by around by 1.5 when you convert it back into GBP.

 

Thanks all for the advice. Seems like some say I won't save as much, yet other say that you earn so much more money in Aus, the rip-off prices are cancelled out!

 

I guess I need to do more research....

 

I just want to go to Aus for a year or two for an adventure and come back to the UK. I would be happy if I was saving the same amount of money out in Aus as I am in the UK, that's all

[legoman]

theres only so much research that can be done, and those in the uk who do all the comparisons online or whatever mean well but really dont know themselves just get here and live the dream and find out for yourselves, some like some dont some like me see the benefits and downside of both. We are all different so best suck it and see. :-)

[Guest DutchRooster]

Now there you have it. Hard evidence of an actual rip-off. Someone is not only charging 3.75 times what they did in the UK for providing the same service but they're actually willing to admit to it on a public forum!!!

 

Actually he's saying he's earning 2.2 the salary he was earning in the UK (not 3.75x), and the cost of living is significantly higher in Aus from (from my research its about 1.5x more expensive in the big Oz cities). So it might not quite be the "hard evidence of an actual rip off' you were hoping for, especially if you consider foreign workers leave behind family support structures for help with child care, and consider the risk of being exposed to currency exchange rates changing & the effect on being able to cover UK mortgages and such.

 

Besides: if someone is WILLING pay 2.2x more for the same service then no one is being ripped off. Liken it to a professional footballer who transfers from Holland to England where he earns 10x more. He's still just kicking a ball about, same as always. Rip off, or is it scarcity of skills?

[Guest guest59177]

Hmm, that sounded odd to me so I thought I'd do a quick check for simplicity using own band and just the absolute staples, I found this...

 

Product Tesco Coles

Bread £1.05(800g) $2.29(700g) :elvis:

Milk £1.18 (2.27L) $2 (2L)

Eggs £2.50 (12/ Free rg) $4.00(12 Free rg

 

So in $'s at todays exchange rate (1.53)

 

Bread - Tesco $1.60 or 40% more expensive in Aus (for a 12% smaller quantity here in Aus)

Milk - Tesco $1.80 or 10% more in Aus (10% smaller qty in Aus)

Eggs - $3.82 or 5% more in Aus.

 

Of course the exchange rate makes a huge difference but new arrivals are bringing pounds so will find it expensive to start, provided they get a well paid job over here once self sufficient the cost of living is manageable.

 

Those with savings in £'s will find they buy less than in the UK for a variety of goods, but at least house prices in Australia have been falling and look to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.

 

Those percentages are rather misleading here. Unless you're feeding an army, there isn't too much difference between paying $2.29 for 700g or $1.60 for 800g. It's a few dollars here and there. Even for the full month it's somewhere around $30/- or less. This is a very naive comparison I think...

[Ken]

Those percentages are rather misleading here. Unless you're feeding an army, there isn't too much difference between paying $2.29 for 700g or $1.60 for 800g. It's a few dollars here and there. Even for the full month it's somewhere around $30/- or less. This is a very naive comparison I think...

 

Yes and in a minute Dutch Rooster will point out that it's not really a rip-off if people are WILLING to pay more for their bread (or footballers).:wink:

[Bobj]

 

So in $'s at todays exchange rate (1.53)

 

Bread - Tesco $1.60 or 40% more expensive in Aus (for a 12% smaller quantity here in Aus)

Milk - Tesco $1.80 or 10% more in Aus (10% smaller qty in Aus)

Eggs - $3.82 or 5% more in Aus.

 

 

 

My bill for those items is : bread $1.09, moocow joose $2.20 and cackleberries are $2 a doz.

 

My weekly food bill for 2 averages $120 at Woolies.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Harpodom]

My bill for those items is : bread $1.09, moocow joose $2.20 and cackleberries are $2 a doz.

 

My weekly food bill for 2 averages $120 at Woolies.

 

Cheers, Bobj.

 

Theres 2 bobj's?:shocked:

[Bobj]

Not quite, mate; me an' wotsername...

 

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Harpodom]

Not quite, mate; me an' wotsername...

 

 

Cheers, Bobj.

 

The fish in your avatar?:tongue:

[Bobj]

Nah, that's Big Bessie in the avatar...

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[Guest51810]

:laugh:

[roger2shirts]

The ones to really watch out for here are : Lawyers, Accountants and Dentists!

[fish.01]

As using the exchange rate is meaningless for comparing cost of living except for those still without a job lets work it out for people who earn local wages rather than just when spending the devalued pound in australia:

 

Product Tesco Coles

Bread £1.05(800g) $2.29(700g) :elvis:

Milk £1.18 (2.27L) $2 (2L)

Eggs £2.50 (12/ Free rg) $4.00(12 Free rg)

 

So in $'s at the average wage difference exchange rate (2.2)

 

Bread - Tesco $2.31 or 5% dearer in the UK (for a 12% smaller quantity here in Aus)

Milk - Tesco $2.60 or 15% dearer in UK (10% smaller qty in Aus)

Eggs - $5.50 or 38% dearer in the UK.

 

So on those particular products and prices Australia has the cheaper cost of living overall. Of course on other products it could work out the other way...these food shopping comparisons always seem to work out much of a muchness when done properly.

[ozziepom]

As using the exchange rate is meaningless for comparing cost of living except for those still without a job lets work it out for people who earn local wages rather than just when spending the devalued pound in australia:

 

Product Tesco Coles

Bread £1.05(800g) $2.29(700g) :elvis:

Milk £1.18 (2.27L) $2 (2L)

Eggs £2.50 (12/ Free rg) $4.00(12 Free rg)

 

So in $'s at the average wage difference exchange rate (2.2)

 

Bread - Tesco $2.31 or 5% dearer in the UK (for a 12% smaller quantity here in Aus)

Milk - Tesco $2.60 or 15% dearer in UK (10% smaller qty in Aus)

Eggs - $5.50 or 38% dearer in the UK.

 

So on those particular products and prices Australia has the cheaper cost of living overall. Of course on other products it could work out the other way...these food shopping comparisons always seem to work out much of a muchness when done properly.

 

You can use any exchange rate you like, but the one I used is the one people will get (roughly) when transferring their savings from pounds to dollars at the moment. I also said once you're earning local currency stuff becomes far more affordable, but anyone bringing savings over will find it buys less here in many instances, precisely because of the current, real, exchange rate.

 

Anyway, I only responded with a quick/rough check on stables when someone said they where cheaper here which didn't sound right. The real thing that will hit new arrivals is the cost of housing which is very dependant on the money folk are bringing over, fortunately house prices are falling and the bubble appears to have burst, especially in Brisbane and SE QLD, but also in other capitals.

[heyyu]

not cheaper ,the differences are negligable

[fish.01]

You can use any exchange rate you like, but the one I used is the one people will get (roughly) when transferring their savings from pounds to dollars at the moment. I also said once you're earning local currency stuff becomes far more affordable, but anyone bringing savings over will find it buys less here in many instances, precisely because of the current, real, exchange rate.

 

Anyway, I only responded with a quick/rough check on stables when someone said they where cheaper here which didn't sound right. The real thing that will hit new arrivals is the cost of housing which is very dependant on the money folk are bringing over, fortunately house prices are falling and the bubble appears to have burst, especially in Brisbane and SE QLD, but also in other capitals.

 

Yes, and I wasn't contradicting your use of the exchange rate for people when they first move and buy things with pounds...I think it is is good to compare using actual figures like you did...facts are a rare beast on these threads ..it was your comment about it being more affordable when earning local wages that prompted me to do the actual figures and add to your post by doing the cost of living comparison for people who earn local wages...this uses the difference in average wages, rather than an exchange rate (~2.2) which is the only way to compare cost of living. ie percentage cost of something against wages earned.

 

Brisbane is now the cheapest mainland capital city....a situation I wouldn't expect to last. So far the bubble seems to be doing a normal cyclical deflate rather than the burst predicted by some.

[Quinkla]

Those percentages are rather misleading here. Unless you're feeding an army, there isn't too much difference between paying $2.29 for 700g or $1.60 for 800g. It's a few dollars here and there.

Some of us feel as though we are feeding an army. I live with a wife and three boys. Food is one of the major expenses and it is more expensive than the UK.

 

I've been in Australia now for nearly 2 years and am starting to get used to the prices - but they were a shock when I forst got here. I have reasonably frequent contact with other new arrivals and they, too, are shocked by the high prices, especially of food and drink. The consensus is that Australia is more expensive than the UK and way more expensive than people imagined before they moved here. Plus, as a new migrant you will find it very hard to get credit.

 

It doesn't mean that moving is impossible - just something to be considered very carefully.

[Guest DutchRooster]

Yes and in a minute Dutch Rooster will point out that it's not really a rip-off if people are WILLING to pay more for their bread (or footballers).:wink:

I prefer everything to be completely free of charge, but only to me. LOL But seriously... It's all about disposable income, isn't it? If salaries go up in proportion to cost of living, we shouldn't complain about a loaf of bread being marginally more expensive - as long as you have the same proportion (or better) of disposable income as you did in the UK.

(You'll make me swallow these words once I'm in Sydney and post about the incredibly high cost of food etc ).

[Bobj]

One thing I have to say about rip-offs in Australia...The fuel giants putting up fuel prices of up to 10c/litre to catch the returning holiday makers. That is a rip-off!:realmad:

 

Cheers, Bobj.

[flag of convenience]

I prefer everything to be completely free of charge, but only to me. LOL But seriously... It's all about disposable income, isn't it? If salaries go up in proportion to cost of living, we shouldn't complain about a loaf of bread being marginally more expensive - as long as you have the same proportion (or better) of disposable income as you did in the UK.

(You'll make me swallow these words once I'm in Sydney and post about the incredibly high cost of food etc ).

 

Speaking of bread i find it incredibly expensive here in Perth at least. As i cannot eat the supermarket variety, bread purchased from other sources is pricey.

Some sour dough loaves are going for around $9. I would normally pay $6.50 for a loaf at my bakery.

At the chain bakeries bread is a little cheaper and rolls tend to cost around 80 cents each. Not all folk are on $100,000 and quite a number are on not much more than half of that.

We have drasticly cut down on eating out owing to inflated prices and poor quality, but eat very well at home.

[Guest Guest31881]

Speaking of bread i find it incredibly expensive here in Perth at least. As i cannot eat the supermarket variety, bread purchased from other sources is pricey.

Some sour dough loaves are going for around $9. I would normally pay $6.50 for a loaf at my bakery.

At the chain bakeries bread is a little cheaper and rolls tend to cost around 80 cents each. Not all folk are on $100,000 and quite a number are on not much more than half of that.

We have drasticly cut down on eating out owing to inflated prices and poor quality, but eat very well at home.

 

geezzz that's a lot for bread. We have a small bakery / shop that sells their own bread and we pay $3.50 for a fresh loaf, bread rolls are $4 for 6 (so about the same) . I know what you mean about supermarket bread I prefer the bakers own, especially when it is still warm early morning. They also do cakes and other stuff that is so much better than the Foodworks supermarket next door. We live in a small community of around 900, and the baker is open from 6am until he sells out, that could be 10am or it could be 4pm, but once they sell out, then they shut, family business and no staff to worry about.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

We usually go through 2 loaves a day so we use to always get the cheap brand for $1.09 per loaf but up here it dries out in 24 hours so we have now moved to sunblest which is usually 2 loaves for $5

[Quinkla]

geezzz that's a lot for bread. We have a small bakery / shop that sells their own bread and we pay $3.50 for a fresh loaf, bread rolls are $4 for 6 (so about the same) . I know what you mean about supermarket bread I prefer the bakers own, especially when it is still warm early morning. They also do cakes and other stuff that is so much better than the Foodworks supermarket next door. We live in a small community of around 900, and the baker is open from 6am until he sells out, that could be 10am or it could be 4pm, but once they sell out, then they shut, family business and no staff to worry about.

Bread here is similar to the prices Flag Of Convenience mentions. More than $6 a loaf in the independent bakeries. In the supermarkets, basic proprietary bread is about $4.50 a loaf although usually one manufacturer will have a special offer of 2 loaves for $6. The own brand bread here is gross and should be compared with the Tesco Value Brand bread (the stuff that squishes down into a cricket ball sized lump), not with proper Tesco bread.

 

Unlike the UK, prices here fluctuate a lot. Bananas now are 99c a kilo - last week they were $1.99 a kilo and a couple of weeks before that they were $5.99 a kilo. In the winter they reached $15.99 a kilo in the supermarket and $19.99 in small grocers. Bananas are an extreme example, but many foods seem to spend some time on special offers and other times at considerably higher full price. Baked beans, for example - usually $1.75 a tin but once in a while they will be cut to $1 a tin. It's almost like the wine section of Sainsburys where nobody ever, ever paid full price for wine.

[Guest Guest31881]

I think our bread is cheaper because he is a small family business in a small village, he has little or no waste as he never (as far as I know) bakes during the day, what ever they have at 6am is the days supply, We know if he has had a good day, because he closes early. We have a family butcher as well, who carries half a pig into his shop if you want pork and cuts the joint off for you.... But that is a whole different story :biggrin: