PERTH: Is it really that expensive???

[LauraHaylor]

Hi,

My name is Laura, me and my OH Matt are moving to Perth at the end of the year. Weve never been to WA befor but it was the only state that was rushing through visa applications befor the changes that were made in july 11. The first thing people say to us when we tell them we are moving there is ' Perth, its really expensive'!!! Weve done some research, but we know were not gonna know what its really like till were out there. And were starting to worry that were not going to be any better off out there then we are here. If anyone thats out there already could give us some advice we would be really greatfull. Is it really that expensive?

[realitynotincluded]

Expensive depends on your definition of lifestyle... what you do for a living.... where you going to live and do you have to have all the latest gadgets....

If you are both young and free and are being sponsored by WA.... 2 years is just a bit of time that will allow you to get to Australia before you consider looking at the other states. If you want more info.... it would be helpful to know roughly what you and OH will be doing for a living, will you have money to get you up and running. Any new start is going to be expensive and it takes a couple of years to get on your feet, unless you are loaded

[Guest guest17301]

Well if youre hoping to be better off you'll probably be disappointed. Lots of people feel that Perth is more expensive than the UK. Im not one of them, I think its comparitive. Initially when you are working out what everything costs in pounds you will think its expensive but once earning and spending in $$ not much difference!

[Meljayg]

Hi Laura,

 

My Dad lives out in Perth and has done for about 5 years, whenever he comes back to the UK for a holiday he can't get over how expensive it is here!! We went on holiday out there for 5 weeks and found it alot cheaper than here......

Like the others have said, it all depends on what you will earn etc....

 

Hope that helps,

 

Mel x

[jamjar]

Quick, question - more expensive compared to the UK OR more expensive compared to other Aussie cities?

 

I dont care about compared to the UK, we have decided to go to Oz so that is irrelevant. I have been trying to do some research compared to other cities in Australia and from what I can tell it is cheaper than Sydney and Melbourne and more expensive than Brisbane and Adelaide (apart from a cup of coffee which for some reason it is the most expensive).

[phil]

I've not checked it out, but I've been told Perth is more expensive than other Aussie cities.

When you do the dollar to pound conversion, things do seem way more expensive. But you need to factor in that salaries are often higher. As an example, things like food and drink look to cost 1.5 to 2 times what we were used to in the UK. But having doubled our salaries in comparison to the UK, we're better off. Maybe not as much as we would have been a few years ago. But back then we weren't in a position to make the move. Then you factor in the beautiful city, beaches, parks and weather and I reckon it's still a plus.

[DBC]

Australia is quite expensive generally, but as others have said, it depends on your lifestyle, job etc. We have moved to Melbourne - the rent is REALLY high, but at the weekends we spend very little as the weather is so nice we find ourselves doing lots of walking and packing picnics. There are also lots of free things organised by local councils - check the website of wherever you end up.

Once you are earning Aussie dollars things are much better but bear in mind start-out costs. We moved with a 6 month old and 2 dogs and shipped our stuff out here (still waiting for it to arrive!) but you still need to buy bits and bobs. We sold 2 nice cars in the UK and bought a cheaper one out here as the exchange rate is shocking at the moment so UK savings don't go as far as you would like. Things like initial rent payments will also soak up lots of cash, but try to stop converting it back to £s once you are earning over here - makes it easier!

[flag of convenience]

I am afraid there is no getting around it, let's not beat around the bush, the fact is Perth is massively expensive.Pretty much on par with Sydney but without the diversity of choice.

Do not be lulled into thinking that everyone is on a fantastic wage as it is simply not true. Although if one has the necessary to work in the energy sector or in the mines then some good money can be earned.

 

When the price of housing is factored in along with interest rates, high rents and costs just how much better folk may be off is highly debatable. I know folk that swear by both side of the coin.

Going out is a very expensive exercise here in Perth and lots have cut back on social outings. I certainly have.

 

Perhaps best to come over and treat it as a change of scene for a few years to test the waters and check out if it suits individual requirements. Always risky coming sight unseen and burning bridges at the same time.

 

Perth is a hotly debated sort of place. Some love it while many find it dull as dishwater. So many opposite views on the subject.

[surflen22]

I am afraid there is no getting around it, let's not beat around the bush, the fact is Perth is massively expensive.Pretty much on par with Sydney but without the diversity of choice.

 

 

Have to disagree - some things in Perth are expensive yes but many things are on a par with other parts of Australia and some things are also cheaper - its swings and roundabouts. If you learn where to shop and how to live then you can have a great standard of living in a normal job without any association with mining, oil or gas. As others have said, don't think in terms of pounds and the exchange rate. Earn in dollars and spend in dollars.

[Guest SupportPants]

You seriously think the UK is more expensive than Australia? That's intriguing... What sort of items are you thinking of?

[surflen22]

Just off the top of my head...

fuel

insurances - personal & car/house

rates

I've personally found electronic items to be cheaper though I know many would disagree!

 

Yes, shopping at supermarkets is more expensive here - I don't do it though. I use markets and small independents and my grocery bill here is less than it ever was in the UK.

[surflen22]

Sorry... incidentally I didn't mean to imply I found the UK more expensive than Australia, I just mean that I don't think Perth is necessarily massively expensive. Its just a different way of living;

[flag of convenience]

Have to disagree - some things in Perth are expensive yes but many things are on a par with other parts of Australia and some things are also cheaper - its swings and roundabouts. If you learn where to shop and how to live then you can have a great standard of living in a normal job without any association with mining, oil or gas. As others have said, don't think in terms of pounds and the exchange rate. Earn in dollars and spend in dollars.

I think we must agree to disagree on that. Wages may be higher than UK in many areas but not to the extent that price inflation has escalated over recent years.

Living in London for three months in 2010 I found a whole range of things cheaper,some considerably.

Prior to the so called "boom"' Perth was a very ideally priced city. It seems all and saundry have used this period to max out prices to whatever they feel they may get away with.

Used markets often in London but seldom here as haven't found any too my liking.

[flag of convenience]

Sorry... incidentally I didn't mean to imply I found the UK more expensive than Australia, I just mean that I don't think Perth is necessarily massively expensive. Its just a different way of living;

Being a long term resident here I cannot see how Perth is in any way a different way of living.

[surflen22]

What I mean by that is that you can't just walk into the equivalent of Tesco (if there was one!) and buy everything you need at a competitive price. Buy meat at the butcher, fruit and veg and the markets and fish at the fishmarkets etc. Which, to me, is a different way of living from how it is done in the UK.

[Candygirl]

I nearly had a heartache when I first looked at the price of groceries in Perth on Woolworths's website.

 

Since then I have done some more research and found that if you shop at the markets, fruit and veg can be cheaper and if you purchase items that are "in season". I also looked on the Aldi website and seen that items are much cheaper. I cannot see the sense in paying twice the price for a packet of pasta if I can get it cheaper elsewhere. I live in Spain so am used to having to shop around for items as there is not the same competition as in the UK. We have no bogofs here. I have also looked on KMart, Ikea and Big W websites and have been pleasantly surprised that some things are not expensive as I first thought, but relatively priced to that of the UK. (I often go back to the UK for shopping trips as homewares are cheaper than here and there is more choice). You have to remember that the UK has a population of 60 odd million so the buying power is immense and the distances that the products have to travel is far less than those in Oz.

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

I nearly had a heartache when I first looked at the price of groceries in Perth on Woolworths's website.

 

Since then I have done some more research and found that if you shop at the markets, fruit and veg can be cheaper and if you purchase items that are "in season". I also looked on the Aldi website and seen that items are much cheaper. I cannot see the sense in paying twice the price for a packet of pasta if I can get it cheaper elsewhere. I live in Spain so am used to having to shop around for items as there is not the same competition as in the UK. We have no bogofs here. I have also looked on KMart, Ikea and Big W websites and have been pleasantly surprised that some things are not expensive as I first thought, but relatively priced to that of the UK. (I often go back to the UK for shopping trips as homewares are cheaper than here and there is more choice). You have to remember that the UK has a population of 60 odd million so the buying power is immense and the distances that the products have to travel is far less than those in Oz.

 

I bet you were working out the costs using the current exchange rate which is a massive mistake for people when checking out living costs. The wage rate is what you need to go by, wages in Australia are paid at between 2.2 to 2.4 dollars to the pound, so use that figure instead. When you get to Oz you will be earning and spending dollars not the chronic pound which has devalued against most major currencies.

[Ken]

I nearly had a heartache when I first looked at the price of groceries in Perth on Woolworths's website.

 

Since then I have done some more research and found that if you shop at the markets, fruit and veg can be cheaper and if you purchase items that are "in season". I also looked on the Aldi website and seen that items are much cheaper. I cannot see the sense in paying twice the price for a packet of pasta if I can get it cheaper elsewhere. I live in Spain so am used to having to shop around for items as there is not the same competition as in the UK. We have no bogofs here. I have also looked on KMart, Ikea and Big W websites and have been pleasantly surprised that some things are not expensive as I first thought, but relatively priced to that of the UK. (I often go back to the UK for shopping trips as homewares are cheaper than here and there is more choice). You have to remember that the UK has a population of 60 odd million so the buying power is immense and the distances that the products have to travel is far less than those in Oz.

 

You've hit the mail on the head there. People often complain that Australia is so much closer to China than the UK so why are the same goods more expensive? It comes down to the economics of bulk buying. A shipment to Tilbury, UK can serve a market across Europe with 300 million consumers. A shipment to Perth, WA can serve a market across WA with 2.3 million consumers.

[jamjar]

I bet you were working out the costs using the current exchange rate which is a massive mistake for people when checking out living costs. The wage rate is what you need to go by, wages in Australia are paid at between 2.2 to 2.4 dollars to the pound, so use that figure instead. When you get to Oz you will be earning and spending dollars not the chronic pound which has devalued against most major currencies.

 

HOFF

 

With regard to the wages, is it really 2.2 to 2.4 multiple. From what I can see that might be the case for low to medium salaries. Example, say £30k = AUD 66k - 72K BUT i dont see that for higher paying jobs. I earn £80k in the UK and dont see any positions for me at AUD 176k - 192k. More like AUS 120k - 140k, so 1.5 to 1.75 - does that sound accurate or am I missing somethng?

 

Thanks

[Guest The Ropey HOFF]

HOFF

 

With regard to the wages, is it really 2.2 to 2.4 multiple. From what I can see that might be the case for low to medium salaries. Example, say £30k = AUD 66k - 72K BUT i dont see that for higher paying jobs. I earn £80k in the UK and dont see any positions for me at AUD 176k - 192k. More like AUS 120k - 140k, so 1.5 to 1.75 - does that sound accurate or am I missing somethng?

 

Thanks

 

 

Its not an exact sceince, some jobs are better paid some are less paid, but the majority such as police, nurses, teachers, tradies, government workers etc, earn close to 2.2 to 2.4 dollars to £1 compared to wages in the uk.

[Candygirl]

I bet you were working out the costs using the current exchange rate which is a massive mistake for people when checking out living costs. The wage rate is what you need to go by, wages in Australia are paid at between 2.2 to 2.4 dollars to the pound, so use that figure instead. When you get to Oz you will be earning and spending dollars not the chronic pound which has devalued against most major currencies.

 

I live in Spain so was thinking in Euros. I find most things in Spain are more expensive than the UK. As in Oz though, because we have better weather for more of the year we have a lot more to do which do not cost anything, go to the beach, sit round the pool, country walks and picnics, open air cinemas in Summer and free fiestas laid on by the Town Halls.

[gpo1971]

For anyone coming here, the way the exchange rate is at the moment, and probably will be forever and a day, means that you need to leave holiday mode ASAP.

There is no way in the World I would come to Australia on holiday at the moment. My brother-in-law's Mum is here and got $1.39 to a pound. She is then faced with paying $10 for a drink and $40 for a meal. You do the maths.

So, if you're a brand new immigrant, or on holiday, it's ludicrous. I agree. Not all of it is Australia's fault mind, yes, it is expensive here but if Euro economies weren't in the toilet, and you still got $2.50 to a pound, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion.

But, that's by the by.

 

Once you're working over here, forget the exchange rate. You live and work in a different Country now. Comparing prices to where you came from is absolutely pointless and has no bearing on things. You can't walk into Coles and tell them things are cheaper in the UK. Either pay it or go somewhere else.

As has been said, salaries are higher here, across the board. The UK average salary is about 27k pounds, the average salary here is nearly $70k. Again, do the maths. Of course, that multiplier does not work for every single job but it is a good calculator to work by on a general basis.

 

So, yeah, stuff does cost more here but, once you are working, you should have more money to buy it with.

 

The only way in which I think things are a genuine rip off is that, living in Perth you pay more than some other places in Australia. The excuse of travel distances, buying power doesn't wash there for me.

[gpo1971]

By the way, thinking about that 27K pound to $70k multiplier, that equals 2.6.

 

The multiplier works best if you're getting paid round or about the average UK figure. If you get paid a lot less, you will more than likely do better than that. If you are very highly paid in the UK, you will probably do worse.

 

E.g. if you're a cleaner on 5k pounds a year, you'll get paid a lot more than 2.6 times that in Australia. However, if you're a contract Business Analyst/Project Manager clearing 100k pounds in the UK, the likelihood of anyone paying you $260k to do that over here is very small indeed. In Perth, next to no chance, Exec jobs are classed as $100k+ really.

[CrimsonPetal]

I've lived in Perth for the last 5 years and my experience is this. Obviously a lot has changed in the 5 years since we moved, I don't envy people making the move now and that's the truth. It is 100% accurate though that once you *are* here you must forget about prices in the UK, endless comparisons about what stuff costs back home to what it is here is beyond pointless. You earn Aussie wages and pay Aussie prices.

 

That said, there are a couple valid points to make, Perth is known to be more expensive than other Australian cities and the reason given is its relative isolation from the rest of the country. Who knows if that is the case but whatever, it *is* pricier for some things i.e eating out, drinks, supermarket goods. Also, when I've had visitors from UK they do comment on the price of stuff, again this goes back to they are dealing with current exchange rates which are not good, living here is different, but the *perception* is definitely that Perth is more expensive, and that may be relevant for new emigrants. Not for all things though, petrol is cheaper here and apparently meat...

[flag of convenience]

For anyone coming here, the way the exchange rate is at the moment, and probably will be forever and a day, means that you need to leave holiday mode ASAP.

There is no way in the World I would come to Australia on holiday at the moment. My brother-in-law's Mum is here and got $1.39 to a pound. She is then faced with paying $10 for a drink and $40 for a meal. You do the maths.

So, if you're a brand new immigrant, or on holiday, it's ludicrous. I agree. Not all of it is Australia's fault mind, yes, it is expensive here but if Euro economies weren't in the toilet, and you still got $2.50 to a pound, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion.

But, that's by the by.

 

Once you're working over here, forget the exchange rate. You live and work in a different Country now. Comparing prices to where you came from is absolutely pointless and has no bearing on things. You can't walk into Coles and tell them things are cheaper in the UK. Either pay it or go somewhere else.

As has been said, salaries are higher here, across the board. The UK average salary is about 27k pounds, the average salary here is nearly $70k. Again, do the maths. Of course, that multiplier does not work for every single job but it is a good calculator to work by on a general basis.

 

So, yeah, stuff does cost more here but, once you are working, you should have more money to buy it with.

 

The only way in which I think things are a genuine rip off is that, living in Perth you pay more than some other places in Australia. The excuse of travel distances, buying power doesn't wash there for me.

 

Thing being of course far from all are earning the big bucks working in the mines or energy sector. With massive house inflation and cost of living increases our saleries have nowhere near kept up to what has happened out here.

Admittingly, we were on a very good wicket almost easy street prior to six or so years back. Fewer can say that these days and work has certainly become a major increased focus on people's lives.

And when the dollar does return to more normal rates say 30% less then we shall feel poorer? Don't see prices coming down but at least it will be cheap for those in the future who may decide to come.