Guest Hatton Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Not sure where jewels&john are shopping (could be somewhere really remote) but I'd question the assertion that food prices are 3 times the price. Fresh food is comparable in price, barring a few items. As an example, below are the prices we paid last week in dollars versus the quoted price on Tesco's online (in sterling): Fresh (free-range) chicken (breast fillet, skinless) - $16.99/kg versus £11.60/kg Beef/steak (prime fillet) - $30-40/kg versus £24.00/kg Tomatoes (on the vine) - $12.50/kg versus £7.96/kg Salmon Fillets - $33-$35/kg versus £16.67-£20.41/kg – even cheaper if you live in Sydney (similar for tuna). Basmati Rice - $7.36/kg versus £4.99/kg. Milk – about $1.25/litre versus about £0.66/litre for skimmed, purchased as a 1 litre pack Apples - $2.57/kg versus £2.75/kg (for Pink Lady) Carrots - $1.88/kg versus £1.40/kg If you've lived off prepared meals from Waitrose, M&S and Sainsbury's you'll find: the range here is far more limited the price is higher (much higher in some cases) the quality is poorer. We generally cook most of our meals and eat out on those days when we just can't be bothered. Petrol is about $1.45/litre. My sister lives near Bath and says she pays about £1.35/litre. Rates – cheaper here, we pay about the same (based on a $2 to £1) for a 240sq metre house that my sister pays for an 80sq m house in Somerset. I’m pretty sure that would be different in Sydney and Melbourne but I don’t know for sure. Gas/electric – we keep the central heating on during the day in winter (all day) and have reverse-cycle air conditioners in summer and our monthly spend averages about $240 (house has vaulted ceilings which means it’s a bugger to cool and to keep warm). I can’t make a comparison to the UK but, hopefully, this will help you gauge prices here. Cars – if you want European, be prepared to pay more. My German made vehicle cost about £10K more than the equivalent in the UK but travelling to clients is part of my work so I claim some of the costs against tax (petrol, depreciation, road tax etc). However, when I bought Ford and Toyota before that, I paid about the same as I would have in the UK for a similar vehicle (purchased new - secondhand cars retain their value or are more expensive depending on how you view the matter). Cookware – this is something that another poster on another thread used to rail about the cost of living here). I’ve just seen a 3-piece Analon set on sale on the John Lewis website for £103.60. By comparison, Peter’s of Kensington (that’s Kensington in NSW) are offering a 6-piece set for $299 and a 4-piece set for $180. Items from both retailers are on sale with the discount offered by Peter’s being pretty substantial (I don’t know anyone that pays full price for European branded cookware). If you wish to pay full-price for Le Creuset, you will notice a difference. But then how many of these items do you purchase on a daily basis, or even weekly, monthly or yearly basis. A little perspective goes a long way. Books are more expensive than the UK but it’s cheaper to get them from Amazon US anyway. (Amazon UK are, at present, offering free delivery on order over £25). If you choose the slowest delivery method (which the website says will take 6-11 weeks) you usually get the items in about 3 weeks as they’re shipped from Hong Kong. Same for CDs and DVDs. Probably you’d get them quicker if you didn’t live in the sticks like us Canberrans. Clothing – more expensive here you can save heaps by trying stuff on in the stores here to determine what size you want, and then buying online. Even with postage and packing it still works out cheaper. If shopping is your primary hobby, however, then emigration to Australia is probably not for you. Consider Hong Kong, Singapore or the US. Electrical – pricier here but, again, how many TVs are you buying on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? Wine – you get a much wider variety here than in the UK. Some stuff is about the same, some cheaper and some more expensive. On the whole booze is pricier here. Sports – my season ticket to the Rugby costs me about $300 per year. My sister’s partner pays about £300 per year for his season ticket in the UK. On the whole, you’re not going to enjoy a much better standard of living here (marginally better for most but only marginal). Different professions will fare better than others. Those working in the health service generally do better. If you work in IT, then, with the exception of very senior positions, you’re going to be slightly better off here. The quality of life is what draws and keeps most people here. Australians are fairly easy going, welcoming, the weather (even in Canberra) is better and there’s space to breath. You sacrifice somethings and gain on others. I don't know where those prices are from the UK :eek: you might pay them in Harrods but I pay far far less for most of those items where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zman Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I don't know where those prices are from the UK :eek: you might pay them in Harrods but I pay far far less for most of those items where I live. Ermm, no, not Harrod's but Tesco's online, as noted in the first paragraph of the posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest 47403 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I don't know where those prices are from the UK :eek: you might pay them in Harrods but I pay far far less for most of those items where I live. Certainly not harrods all prices available on the tesco website. http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=252437731 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=258686593 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=266615126 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=256980253 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=255590785 Hope this helps :cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Certainly not harrods all prices available on the tesco website. http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=252437731 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=258686593 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=266615126 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=256980253 http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=255590785 Hope this helps :cute: Please don't let facts stand in the way of a good agenda :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hatton Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Ermm, no, not Harrod's but Tesco's online, as noted in the first paragraph of the posting. But you can get that all so much cheaper as "icouldbeworse" has highlighted in red in a previous post, I get it much cheaper from my local butcher and of the fish markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I see cookingware is mentioned in a few cost of living threads. Is it just me that buys cheap pots and pans lol maybe thats why my cookings rubbish! Everything nearly always sticks to the bottom, maybe i should buy a good set and see if it makes a difference lol prob not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hatton Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Please don't let facts stand in the way of a good agenda :wink: You highlited in red where you can get it cheaper, believe it or not you can get it cheaper here as well :biggrin: Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishgirl1 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 $80,000 is an average salary, please dont be led into a false sense of living, this happened to us. We have never ever worked so hard in our life until we reached Aus. Please remember that in Aus you are looking at treble the price for everything apart from fuel, thats not far behind the uk now.Food, bills, especially electric etc, even a coffee is extortionate. We were absolutely shocked when we got there how expensive it was. Split the Aus salary into 3, then convert it to the £, that will tell you roughly what your salary would be out there, so $100000 will be roughly £21,000 a year. The cost of living knocks it right down. Even to me $100,000 sounds ace but realisticly its not. Please dont take offence to this but its looking at it without rose tinted glasses, its easy to fall in to that "rose tinted feeling" Well we live on just over $100,000 and I hear people say you can't live on $90,000 with a family of 4, we pay $600 a week on our mortgage, I put money into a separate account for Rego's,Insurances Cars and Home & Contents,Rates and Water Rates each week, we spend on average about $350 a week on food, and this is easily done with us having holidays 2 times a year. We don't do alot that costs too much money everything is socialising at home or at other people's houses . $90,000 is not bad when you are only paying rent upto say $400 a week without all the other costs that come with owning a home. Myself and Husband lived on less than $60,000 up until 18 months ago and managed fine and even got to go back to Ireland in 2007/2009, that was for the four of us. Unless of course people want to be out all the time paying for places to go or eating out, I guess it depends how much you spend on these things. Just to add I do all my shopping at Coles/Woolworths and IGA, no real markets close by and can't be bothered to drive that far and to be honest I am happy with the products I get from these stores. Cheers Laney xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn22 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Thankyou for your post Laney, I found it a frank positive & encouraging snapshot of how you are managing as a family X May I ask which sub you live in ? Cheers Lynn x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn22 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 stacey we used to have cheap pans & everything stuck to the bottom ( i think everyone does when they start out) We now use more top of the range end STELLAR pans (you normally get them on good deals esp around xmas time from certain shops.. up here for us its celebrations of turriff, sterling, country brodie fair etc) we've had them for a few years now & they are still like new & things dont generally stick. The frying pans also is the same make, they are what i class fairly expensive but worth it. I would like some of those pots that you see on chef progs or this morning, they are pans but look like big deep casseroles & ceramic lined & can be used on hob or in oven.. i'll get some before going to oz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I dont know if ill bother, we dont use them very often, just for heating beans up etc, dave never seems to burn anything so i think its just me lol. I should be banned from kitchen! I like the look of those pots that you get on the cooking programs, maybe if i try and be a better cook in oz ill buy myself a set lol but at first itl just be a cheap set from coles! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paisleylass Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Split the Aus salary into 3, then convert it to the £, that will tell you roughly what your salary would be out there, so $100000 will be roughly £21,000 a year. The cost of living knocks it right down. That's pretty harsh. If you apply that formula to the cost of 'things' in Australia, that makes petrol 30-odd pence a litre, a $40 box of 24 beer stubbies under £9 and a reasonable $400 a week rent would translate to £88. You'd be pushed to get a grotty 1 bed flat even here in Paisley for that! When looking at Aus prices I tend just to halve them to estimate an equivalent in £ (and yes I know, no point doing that when we're there!), and it all seems to balance quite nicely. I would apply the same formula to salary - well, maybe a bit higher! It's just that doubling and halving are easy on my tiny brain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conniebygaslight Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 What do you call "decent"? I know people who earn $50k/year (one child) and think that they live decently, but then other people find it a squeeze on $100k. It really does depend on expectations and one's priorities once you get beyond a base level. My husband earned $160k and we still couldn't believe that we didn't have much left each month...much better off financially here in UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishgirl1 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Hi Lynn, thank you, we live SOR of River 30 or so mintues from the Beach,City and Fremantle not during peak hours traffice though lol. I live in Kelmscott in the Hills, it is lovely but most people want to be near the beach. Are you planning on coming to Perth?? Cheers Laney x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irishgirl1 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 My husband earned $160k and we still couldn't believe that we didn't have much left each month...much better off financially here in UK. Wow if we earned that much I think our Mortgage would nearly be paid off in just over 5yrs and we have only had our house 9 months, it must have been expensive were you lived!!! Cheers Laney xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn22 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Hi Lynn, thank you, we live SOR of River 30 or so mintues from the Beach,City and Fremantle not during peak hours traffice though lol.I live in Kelmscott in the Hills, it is lovely but most people want to be near the beach. Are you planning on coming to Perth?? Cheers Laney x Around perth yes Laney ! happy to be an hours commute/drive from perth, thats what hubby does here anyway & doesnt find it too bad altho he wouldnt complain if it were less lol & so far I think SOR looks better for us. I dont mind not having the beach on my door either, I'm more a woods / forrest person rather than beach person (but thats prob just coz i HATE the yukky dirty cold north sea) would be nice to be a 20 odd min drive to the beach I guess just coz it would prob become a more common aspect in our lives after the move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 My husband earned $160k and we still couldn't believe that we didn't have much left each month...much better off financially here in UK. Wow. Whereabouts were you? Im really starting to worry we wouldnt be able to afford perth. I dont know exactly what dave would earn but from what i can gather from seek.com etc it ranges from 70/80 to 100k. 100k being in the mining industry. Im planning on working too but it will just be a job like waitressing or bar work. Dont want to rent forever but from the look of house prices i think it would be a long time before we could afford one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest familypayne Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 We are a family of 5, kids at good church 'private' schools as the local state schools are really not an option. My husband earns $115,000 and works shifts and bloody hard and we are not better off here. He converts it in pounds, then asks why we arent better off if he earns a huge equivalent amount in £'s, don't !! An example: a bakery meat pie costs $3.80-$4.50 each !!! Spoke to my brother yesterday and he said you can get a pie From Greggs for under £1. I know life and earnings in oz arent pies I'm trying to say that you can't really convert $ earnings to £, the previous suggestion of dividing into thirds may not be 100% accurate but a great way to see how far your big $ salary will go. We pay $600 a week mortgage, $1000 per month school fees, rates, CTP an average of $770 per year, internet and phone is expensive Telstra $140, £30 UK, etc makes money short some weeks. Petrol is very cheap and that makes travel around a great option, however a great job in the UK and here too found ourselves so tight. I am home in the UK for 2 1/2 months from Nov and as I'm missing many things may decided to return after 4 yrs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hatton Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 We are a family of 5, kids at good church 'private' schools as the local state schools are really not an option. My husband earns $115,000 and works shifts and bloody hard and we are not better off here. He converts it in pounds, then asks why we arent better off if he earns a huge equivalent amount in £'s, don't !! An example: a bakery meat pie costs $3.80-$4.50 each !!! Spoke to my brother yesterday and he said you can get a pie From Greggs for under £1. I know life and earnings in oz arent pies I'm trying to say that you can't really convert $ earnings to £, the previous suggestion of dividing into thirds may not be 100% accurate but a great way to see how far your big $ salary will go. We pay $600 a week mortgage, $1000 per month school fees, rates, CTP an average of $770 per year, internet and phone is expensive Telstra $140, £30 UK, etc makes money short some weeks. Petrol is very cheap and that makes travel around a great option, however a great job in the UK and here too found ourselves so tight. I am home in the UK for 2 1/2 months from Nov and as I'm missing many things may decided to return after 4 yrs! $1000 a month in school fees :eek:are you sure you got that right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest51810 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 I wont be having kids for a very long time then lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest familypayne Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 C&K kindergartens (preschool) will cost $ 770 per term, 4-5 year old 9.15am -2.30pm Daycare here is very cheap in compsrison to UK prices an average of $50- $60 per day 6am-6pm. Claim back through Centrelink Please check as soon as you newly arrive, visit Centrelink shop based offices in local shopping centres or find them on the net. My husband was an electrician since 16, couldn't get his licence for months on arrival, couldnt gey a job no licence, need a job to attend TAFE (college) to do on the job training to get it!! so had no work. Found out months too late but we were entitled to rent assistance paying $350 per fortnight towards rent and additional money for kids etc too, even though we had sent money into the country via HIFIX. Just check it out we never realised we could have claimed! We never dreamed we would have no employment due to his licence for such a long time using our UK house profits on rent! just a thought!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zman Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 You highlited in red where you can get it cheaper, believe it or not you can get it cheaper here as well :biggrin: Hope this helps. I think "itcouldbeworse" was responding to the assertion that the prices I'd quoted could only have been for goods purchased in Harrod's. Yes, you can get cheaper than Tesco's but I did a supermarket versus supermarket comparison to keep things fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest familypayne Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 $1000 a month in school fees :eek:are you sure you got that right? Yes unfortunately I pay the bills. Primary catholic school grade 1 and 5 costs $168 per fortnight and Faith Lutheran school grade 7 $365 per fortnight. Next year grade 8 it goes up from approx $7000 per year to $8000 per year 1 child! Every year it increases that excluded a Canberra trip year 7 Last month $1450!! so yes I got it right. My kids go to these schools are state schools do not teach any faith, RE in classes to the kids. Our local schools run by the state are a bit rough and I wouldn't dream of mine attending. I also like the Christian input as per in UK SCHOOLS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 $1000 a month in school fees :eek:are you sure you got that right? $980 for mine. Why do you question it? Do you think that some folk don't know their own outgoings? :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest30038 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 But you can get that all so much cheaper as "icouldbeworse" has highlighted in red in a previous post, I get it much cheaper from my local butcher and of the fish markets. Oh but wait a minute. So many returnees have stated that they didn't want to travel half way round the world only to have to shop around for a cheaper than UK lifestyle..............that tescos was so much cheaper...............are you now telling me that you need to shop around because tescos isn't? :goofy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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