Cost of living calculator

[TheBacon]

and the loser is.....

Sydney. You need a lot more money to live in Sydney than other places in aus, if you didnt already know that.


Check it out..
http://www.austimmigration.com.au/costs.htm

TheBacon

[Peter Parker]

That's the problem with all 'world cities' - you need a high income to live well.

There's a division between those in jobs paying internationally-competitive wages and those in the service industries who serve the high income earners. Just because a city is prestigious does not mean it offers good quality of life to its residents (probably the inverse in fact).

At the other end, in Hobart you have high and entrenched unemployment. Again a divided two-class society - the workers and the welfarites. You can live very well on a modest income, if you can get a job.

Possibly the happy medium is provided in the middle cities (eg Brisbane and Perth) where there are reasonable employment prospects and more affordable house prices.

I notice though that the calculation is pretty crude. For example, it assumes Adelaide = Canberra x 0.9, no matter the income. No ifs, no buts. It should at least have told you its main assumptions! But it's a very clever (and subtle) way of encouraging immigrants to settle somewhere other than Sydney (which we know both Bob Carr and the Fed govt want)!

There is no allowance for family size or composition. Also whether you own, are buying or renting your home. Or whether you need to have a car or prefer public transport. If the latter, the inner suburbs of Sydney, Melbourne and maybe Adelaide have better public transport than the rest. Food seems to be most even between cities.

Peter

[TheBacon]

I live in Perth and am contemplating moving east, the calculator pretty much rules sydney out for me; I would need a 34% increase in pay to make it worthwhile (+ moving costs...).

Melbourne - have you seen the weather? Its almost as bad as Hobart !!!

Never been big on Adelaide or Canberra - that leaves Brisbane for me.

Does anyone know where I can find a similar cost of living calculator that includes major regional cities?

Migrating east for the winter....
TheBacon

[Peter Parker]

I'd be inclined to distrust a cost of living calculator unless it's for only a broad approximation. There are so many variables that they can't possibly be accurate for everyone.

I'd instead look at your 3 or 4 main expenses and research each area:

1. House prices or rents: Local estate agents. Also get map of town and get a rough idea where you want to live.

2. Food: Look at Choice Magazine's Supermarket survey - they show what an average trolley costs in major towns around Australia.

3. Transport. Petrol prices cheaper in Brisbane than elsewhere. Country areas a bit dearer. Public transport fares cheapest in Adelaide, Canberra and Perth. Range from cheap to exorbitant in Sydney and Brisbane due to lack of integrated fare system.

4. Water, council rates, power bills, etc. Contact these providers in your area.

This should cover most basic needs. But if you want to eat out every night of the week, Adelaide's the place!

Peter

[Ruby]

The big decision on what is the best and most affordable place in Australia to live has already been decided……oh, hang on better make THE WORLD!!!

And the WINNER IS ?????????


Ruby :)

[watto]

it's just gotta be.....MELBOURNE......:D


cheers
watto

[dtraeger2k]

I recently saw some data showing Sydney having the highest average wage with Perth 2nd.

In conclusion, if Perth is one of the cheaper cities to live in, and we have decent incomes, shouldnt that mean we can afford better lifestyles?

[Joe D]

dtraeger2k

yeah, but don't tell everyone!

Joe D