Has something changed?

Wompa1

I've been in Australia for 8 days now. Lucky enough to come over for business so the flights and first 5 days of accomodation were expensed. So started in Sydney and decided to have a few days in Cairns before going back to Sydney to meet up with family.

I honestly don't get how people live over here. I know people working here and they talk about their 22 dollars an hour and all that but even so I'm not sure how people can live here. It's so expensive! And the tourist stuff is ridiculous..the rain forest trek was 120 dollars, great barrier reef was 290 dollars and then for both you they try to hustle you into paying for extras.

Don't have a kitchen where I am. Wanted to get a wrap for lunch today and it cost 15 dollars without a drink.

What's the big lure of this place? Anyone I know that's come here has made it sound like the best place on Earth and this amazing life changing experience. So far to me it just seems like a sun holiday resort on a bigger scale.

Did their taxes go up? Or has something changed drastically in the last few months or a year? My savings are cleaned out and I've still got more days in Sydney to get through.

Zambia

Welcome to Australia....

When you live here we dont go on tours everyday but life is not cheap here.

Wompa1

Zambia wrote: »

Welcome to Australia....

When you live here we dont go on tours everyday but life is not cheap here.

It surely isn't, I'd heard I made the mistake of going to a convenience store one day and supermarkets are cheaper but they aren't all that cheap at all! Do you save any money at all or do people just get by here?

hussey

You paid $15 for a wrap? Bloody hell, shop around! You can get them for half the price.

If you came 3 years ago, the exchange rate has has up 50% (.5 -> .75) so that's a huge hit right there, Ireland reduced everything during the recession, while Australia didn't really. (Or in English your 11 euro wrap was 7.5)

Prices have gone up and so has wages, while Europe seem to have gone down, hence widening the gap.

Comparing my wages in my section, after years of being behind Irish IT contractors rates, I'm suddenly 30% a head, with no increase!

But then again I am earning $ so I don't really see that huge difference (except when I go home, everything is suddenly cheap! )

ellaq

I remember having the same complaint everytime I went home. Now I cannot believe how cheaper things have gotten in Ireland compared to Australia. Unfortunately they don't seem to do a simple sandwich for lunch here, everything is big and therefore expensive.

mandrake04

Was working in RPA hospitial on Friday, couple of us went to a Thai place on King St Newtown.

2xSpring Rolls
1 main + rice
Can if drink

Sit-in $9.90



Went to Castle Hill RSL to watch the game tonight, Cajun Chicken burger & chips $15 & Schooner of Blonde $4

$15 for a wrap what a joke.

$22 per hour is crap.

Like Hussey says the local price hasn't changed much but the exchange rate has.

Plug

What is the average rate of pay in Australia?

mandrake04

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6302.0/

According to the above

The average national full time pay is $1305.40pw (ordinary time)

$1305.40/37.5

=$34.81 ph


For NSW







Sydney would be higher than the average for NSW.

Remember reading on BritishExpat.com that someone had the stat for Sydney that the average wage was around $77000 or $40ph.

Ozeire

Wompa1 wrote: »

I've been in Australia for 8 days now. Lucky enough to come over for business so the flights and first 5 days of accomodation were expensed. So started in Sydney and decided to have a few days in Cairns before going back to Sydney to meet up with family.

I honestly don't get how people live over here. I know people working here and they talk about their 22 dollars an hour and all that but even so I'm not sure how people can live here. It's so expensive! And the tourist stuff is ridiculous..the rain forest trek was 120 dollars, great barrier reef was 290 dollars and then for both you they try to hustle you into paying for extras.

Don't have a kitchen where I am. Wanted to get a wrap for lunch today and it cost 15 dollars without a drink.

What's the big lure of this place? Anyone I know that's come here has made it sound like the best place on Earth and this amazing life changing experience. So far to me it just seems like a sun holiday resort on a bigger scale.

Did their taxes go up? Or has something changed drastically in the last few months or a year? My savings are cleaned out and I've still got more days in Sydney to get through.

One problem is your in Sydney always been bloody expensive. You have to shop around n make your own lunch for work always expensive to buy out.

One thing i have to say is that I've started on more money n a job here than i ever got n Ireland n i was in that job for 10 years.

Pisco Sour

Dont blame Australia for Europe's sh1t currency. The reason it is so expensive now is obviously due to the exchange rate. I would have thought that was obvious.

When living here and earning higher wages than at home it really isn't any more expensive than Ireland.

And why do people come here? Well it's a bloody big country. Maybe go explore some of it before coming to such conclusions about the place. Places like Uluru, Kata-Tjuta, Bungle-Bungles, Kakadu, Shark Bay, Coral Bay, Flinders Ranges, Great Ocean Road, Kings Canyon, Kairijini National Park, Mary River, Ningaloo Reef etc

Go check out all those places and then you'll know why people come here to travel. Why do people come here to work? Well because Ireland is in the sh1ts and there are more jobs here. Simple.

The Sweeper

Here four and a half years, and don't notice prices having gone up particularly, other than houses. The change is definitely the exchange rate - it was STG 1 = $2.50 AUD when I moved here, so our money went MILES. Now it's good for me going the other way and making online purchases from the UK and US.

Mellor

hussey wrote: »

If you came 3 years ago, the exchange rate has has up 50% (.5 -> .75) so that's a huge hit right there, Ireland reduced everything during the recession, while Australia didn't really. (Or in English your 11 euro wrap was 7.5)

That what people don't get they compare prices to europe not know how exchange rates work.

mandrake04 wrote: »

Went to Castle Hill RSL to watch the game tonight, Cajun Chicken burger & chips $15 & Schooner of Blonde $4

$15 for a wrap what a joke.

I had lumch in the Rocks yesterday, Chicken wrap and chips $10

I went out for pub grub dinner last night.
Steak, chips, salad and gravy. $6

I had similar last monday, scooner of beer, steak, pepper sauce, chips, $8


Eatign out isn't expensive in Australia

mise_me_fein3

shop in Aldi and cook your food

you can live her for $200 a week and save all your wages.

Pretty boring living like that all the time though.

It's all down to the exchange rate as everyone says.

Zambia

Mellor wrote: »

That what people don't get they compare prices to europe not know how exchange rates work.


I had lumch in the Rocks yesterday, Chicken wrap and chips $10

I went out for pub grub dinner last night.
Steak, chips, salad and gravy. $6

I had similar last monday, scooner of beer, steak, pepper sauce, chips, $8


Eatign out isn't expensive in Australia

What 8 bucks for a Schooner and steak?

Shouldnt you be sharing that location?

mandrake04

CBD has to one if the cheapest places for lunch, anytime I have needed lunch in the city $5-$7 would cover it. The sheer selection and competition of eateries favours the consumer.:)

I usually take my own lunch because I work mainly in Hospitals and the quality and price is what you expect from a hospital trapped market. :mad:

Wompa1

Mellor wrote: »

hussey wrote: »

If you came 3 years ago, the exchange rate has has up 50% (.5 -> .75) so that's a huge hit right there, Ireland reduced everything during the recession, while Australia didn't really. (Or in English your 11 euro wrap was 7.5)

That what people don't get they compare prices to europe not know how exchange rates work.

mandrake04 wrote: »

Went to Castle Hill RSL to watch the game tonight, Cajun Chicken burger & chips $15 & Schooner of Blonde $4

$15 for a wrap what a joke.

I had lumch in the Rocks yesterday, Chicken wrap and chips $10

I went out for pub grub dinner last night.
Steak, chips, salad and gravy. $6

I had similar last monday, scooner of beer, steak, pepper sauce, chips, $8


Eatign out isn't expensive in Australia

Mind me asking where? I've got 2 days left and would love a reasonable steak here

hussey

Wompa1 wrote: »

Mind me asking where? I've got 2 days left and would love a reasonable steak here

Maybe not the same but here are some cheap steaks
http://www.thelansdowne.com.au/bistro/ (broadway)
Cargo bar $10 steaks
http://www.cargobar.com.au/cargolounge_whats.html
$10 on monday and $10 special every day
http://www.verandah.com.au/page/whats_on.html
$10 monday and tuesday
http://www.hotelparagon.com.au/articles/Whats_On/16
$7 with a drink extra
http://www.scruffymurphys.com.au/bistro.htm
$10
http://www.mediasuite.com.au/cms/albion_place/control/upFiles/10557_menu_web.pdf