gotto compare apples with apples, the cost of a meal here is like 5 X the cost of what it would cost in malaysia, then again there is also very low tax rates overseas in those countries and they have a different taxation compared to Aus.
Are we Australians paying way too much?
- Thread starter Gentle_Chief
- Start date
gotto compare apples with apples, the cost of a meal here is like 5 X the cost of what it would cost in malaysia, then again there is also very low tax rates overseas in those countries and they have a different taxation compared to Aus.
Really? Food, clothing & transport are not really optional in modern society.
I have lived in the US for nearly 2 years now and the cost of living is far far cheaper here than in Australia. Let me give some examples:
Pair of Guess Jeans on sale at factory outlet store were $1.18 bought 2 weeks ago (no not a misprint & yes this was a great buy but, $20 or less would get a pair from any number of designer outlet stores like Clavin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY from all over the country) We pay less for designer clothes here than we do for department store (Target, Big W etc..) clothes that are on sale in Australia. Eg. last designer suit I bought for work was $219....... <--- not some baggy low quality Kmart or Lowes crap.
Petrol - I never pay more than $0.95 /L <--- those savings add up fast!
Car - 25-60% cheaper for same NEW model car offered in Australia. That is significant! Not to mention that used cars can subsequently be had for ridiculously low $ ...
Housing - OK, we all know this is a mixed bag however, looking at median & average prices, they are south of $300K (US govt stats).... compare that to Aust. at around the $450-500K mark. That is a lot of coin right there.....
Food - Milk @ ~$3.00 /gal ---> that is ~$0.80 /L I actually pay ~$2.90 /gal on average. I could go on & on & on... suffice to say food is generally cheaper here including fresh and a la carte from a restaurant.
Books - Random novel pick of Mockingjay from bookstore with online purchase --> US online $10.78 compared to Australia online $18.99. That is 43% less.... This is indicative of our experience here & we buy ~2-3 books per month.
My point is simply this. In the US the comparative cost of living for day to day purchases AND for large significant purchases is cheaper across the board by generally ~25-50% depending on the item. In my experience, pay is comparable for skilled labour and public sector jobs pay more than in Australia by about 10-20%. Unskilled is a different story though, hence the importance placed on education in the US.
When I return to Australia, my cost of living will skyrocket. 25-50% may not seem horrendous but when it is coming out of Disposable income & is for a significant purchase such as a car or large household item, it hurts.
I dispute the claim that the Aust. government taxes are targetting the right sectors. If the products of primary producers, manufacturing, construction & energy are the right targets, then Food, Clothing, Housing & Transportation are now deemed to be non-essential purchases????
I beg to differ. 
Does not make sense.
In maslow's hierarchy of needs theory - food, clothing & shelter are the basic.
And I have added 'cars' to that list as we live in a modern society. You could argue transport is not needed if one lives close to work. And eat food everyday from the 7/11 store around the corner.
Yeah right
P.s - just because food is being consumed it does not make a person fat.
And I know a lot of healthy fat people and unhealthy thin people!
I spend a bit of time in Texas and just love the shopping there...I have learnt to take an extra suitcase with me these days. I go over around 4 times a year.
Where the difference really shows is the likes of IKEA ... In Dallas I can buy stand alone kitchen units for $499, same item, identical, same manufacturer, in Richmond, Vic, Ikea is $1299. A drop down desk I bought in Ikea for $85 is $29 in Dallas.
I can only presume Ikea is pricing by volume.
Lancome cosmetics are half the price we pay here.
I stay at the Embassy Suites, a Hilton hotel, I get a 2 room suite, with breakfast, the chef will cook whatever you want plus all you want from cereals, fresh fruit, etc., a Manager's reception from 5.30 to 7.30 each night with free drinks and nibbles and all for around $119 a night. As the others have said the Mexicans are the cleaners, drivers etc. The service is exceptional.
I understand the reason why you have to tip everyone but it does become very annoying!!!
Chris
Where the difference really shows is the likes of IKEA ... In Dallas I can buy stand alone kitchen units for $499, same item, identical, same manufacturer, in Richmond, Vic, Ikea is $1299. A drop down desk I bought in Ikea for $85 is $29 in Dallas.
I can only presume Ikea is pricing by volume.
Lancome cosmetics are half the price we pay here.
I stay at the Embassy Suites, a Hilton hotel, I get a 2 room suite, with breakfast, the chef will cook whatever you want plus all you want from cereals, fresh fruit, etc., a Manager's reception from 5.30 to 7.30 each night with free drinks and nibbles and all for around $119 a night. As the others have said the Mexicans are the cleaners, drivers etc. The service is exceptional.
I understand the reason why you have to tip everyone but it does become very annoying!!!
Chris
I've stayed at Embassy suites in a couple of places (LA and Miami) and found them both to be fantastic. Vastly better value than any accomodation I can find in Australia.
That's too cheap. When is the rest of the world going to catch up with our real estate prices here in Oz? Or should that be vice versa?
You make a good point here.
I makes me wonder why we might expect a major drop in property prices when so many other things are so expensive, and we have no reason to expect these other prices to drop.
True
The Oxford Hotel in Leederville Perth has $6 pints.
Once a week on a Thursday night...
Don't order a middie by mistake and think it'll only be $6 though
, only pints are on saleTrue
The Oxford Hotel in Leederville Perth has $6 pints.
Once a week on a Thursday night...
Don't order a middie by mistake and think it'll only be $6 though
Holy crap..... my local in the US.... $7 Pitchers (a jug).... Keep living the Great Australian Rip-off...
There was a time when the UK was regarded a soft market,(easy to rip off due to the channel and import restrictions), so much so that a uk built Range Rover cost 49K in the UK but could be had for 32K in Belgium, it did not last even though the big car manufacturers such as VW were prepared to wear big fines to keep the rip off going for as long as possible.
Grey and parallel imports soon changed that, and the same will happen here, but no doubt not without a fight by the vested interests.
I expect, and as an importer, I am seeing big changes starting to happen, (a loosing battle is being fought), there will be winners and losers, but no status quo.
cost of health care in america is only expensive because the government has decided to get involved, don't worry, our costs are going up and service levels are going down because we are going in exactly the same direction..
take a dentist for example, compare the service/quality care you get from a dentist (non subsidised) here in australia to that of a dr at your local medical centre... one works his *** off and delivers exceptional service/quality the other is just interested in getting your signature on the dotted line... well that's been my experience here in the west anyway..
wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to pay so much in taxes but instead had the freedom to spend the fruits of our labour on what we needed/wanted, what happened to personal responsibility? i guess pollies know best... and how to more effectively spend our own money
In some cases it's now cheaper to buy vehicles in the UK. Some manufacturers are holding down the prices here versus the Euro, possibly because the weakness in the pound is seen as temporary.
A lot of companies are doing their best to prevent grey imports. I recall Levi's having successful legal challenges against them so as to preserve their profit margins. The judgement hinged on trademarks in the end.
A lot of companies are doing their best to prevent grey imports. I recall Levi's having successful legal challenges against them so as to preserve their profit margins. The judgement hinged on trademarks in the end.
no it's not - it's built in 2008 so it's not exactly a "chateau" - these faux palaces are in new-er estates and dont command any kind of premium,
I think you misread this ...
Elegant Normandy chateau built at the beginning of the 1800’s, in excellent structural condition, complete with outbuildings, walled gardens and 3.5 hectares of land...
Nothing faux about it.
Really? deemed to be non-essential purchases????
- Cup of coffee
- Can of Coke
- Can of Pepsi
- Burger
- Chicken Burrito
- Can of Coke with chips
- Designer wear
- 700mls of Jack Daniels
These were listed, amongst others, in the original post. They do form the majority of the original list.
These are what my comments are based on. I still contend that none of these things one needs to buy. In fact, you'll be far better off never buying any of the above. I don't think any of the above could be listed as "food", certainly nothing that the human body can assimilate well.
I guess we'll have to disagree if you think the above are all essential.
OK Gentle Chief, I'm happy to leave it there up against that logic. Sorry to comment in your thread.
I see it as peopel saying it costs more to buy drink /food / clothes here then America
I guess we all need to eat food & drink stuff and buy that stuff form somewhere if we dont make it ourselves from scratch - how the devil do you weave fabric to make a shirt ?
with a 700ml bottle of Jack Daniels and a lot of time - essential
Will it work with a bottle of Chivas instead ?
