How much money will I need for Australia

jane2009

Hi,

Im heading Oz in November. Landing in sydney and staying there until christmas and then moving to Brisbane to try find work. Anybody and ideas on how much money Ill need??

ntlbell

how long is a piece of string.

depends what you want to do

if your staying in hostel's etc get the avg nightly rate X length of stay

make some sort of food budget X by stay

you'll need to do a bit of research.

Mr Benevolent

About €3000 will match the $5000 needed going by the WHV rules.

Mahatma coat

the simple answer to that question is,

Generally More than you have

Claasman

I only came over with the exact amount needed for the visa, through a loan, but i had 3 months work lined up straight away. Id definity bring more though if i had no work lined up. I reckon you could live on 350 or 400 aud a week(hostel and cookin own food, no serious drinkin sessions like.

dace11

Claasman wrote: »

. I reckon you could live on 350 or 400 aud a week(hostel and cookin own food, no serious drinkin sessions like.

Thats like 246 euros a week! What are you buying every day for food!? Lobster??

Doc

In my rough estimations I would say:

Hostel: about $25 a night

Food: about $10-15 a day

Transport: about $5.50

So about $280 - $320 a week which is about E175 - E195

Then add on for drinking, tours and whatever else you want to do.

m@cc@

dace11 wrote: »

Thats like 246 euros a week! What are you buying every day for food!? Lobster??

You clearly don't have realistic idea of rent prices.

Mellor

dace11 wrote: »

Thats like 246 euros a week! What are you buying every day for food!? Lobster??

Clearly never had to buy your own food or pay rent/hostels.

Doc

dace11 wrote: »

Thats like 246 euros a week! What are you buying every day for food!? Lobster??

Moreton Bay Bugs

hussey

here is my take on rent - if on a budget

Rent 120 pw (rent weekly in dorm hostel, I took this from a newtown hostel)
transport 27pw (weekly train ticket) (if live in city no need for this but weekly rent would be more) / own room around 180

food - breakfast - buy in bulk $10 a week (cereal/toast + tea etc)

Lunch/dinner - if cooking yourself, and on budget can make a healthy meals for 2 days for about $20 (I know this as sometimes cook 2 days lunch and 2 days dinner in one go). Eating out 8-25 per meal,
so with 5 days per week own food 2 day eating out - so 100pw is reasonable
snacks/soft drinks - 15pw?

about 272pw ex entertainment + beer.

Mellor

Most hostels in the sicy would be $150 a week. $120 is very cheap,

A weekly train ticket is $38 (or am I somehow getting screwed each week)

$100 for food is about right, (I spend less a week, but it hostels you can't bulk buy as much etc)

$15 would be spend v.quick on snacks and drinks.
A bottle of coke and crisps is $5. If you are planing on seeing the city, you will drink a lot of coke/water when out and about in the heat.

unreggd

Mellor wrote: »

If you are planing on seeing the city, you will drink a lot of coke/water when out and about in the heat.

I wouldnt be recommending coke as a solution to the heat
Soft drinks are diuretics, so they'll only make you more dehydrated. Defo stick with water!

As for the budget, most posts here are good to go by

m@cc@

unreggd wrote: »

Soft drinks are diuretics, so they'll only make you more dehydrated. Defo stick with water!

This is rubbish. Virtually no common beverages result in a net dehydration, save for those containing alcohol.

A diuretic is any substance that increases urine output, therefore water is most definitely a diuretic.

Mr Benevolent

m@cc@ wrote: »

This is rubbish. Virtually no common beverages result in a net dehydration, save for those containing alcohol.

A diuretic is any substance that increases urine output, therefore water is most definitely a diuretic.

Pedantic much? It's cheaper to drink water.

unreggd

After hydration, excess water will pass

A can a coke is never gonna hydrate you

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

Most hostels in the sicy would be $150 a week. $120 is very cheap,

A weekly train ticket is $38 (or am I somehow getting screwed each week)

$100 for food is about right, (I spend less a week, but it hostels you can't bulk buy as much etc)

$15 would be spend v.quick on snacks and drinks.
A bottle of coke and crisps is $5. If you are planing on seeing the city, you will drink a lot of coke/water when out and about in the heat.

Weekly train ticket (just train) from newtown/bondi junction is 27pw.
http://www.cityrail.info/tickets/fare_calculator.htm.
Unless you are getting a 'red' pass? this includes bus/ferry too?
For me I rarely get buses, so I never get it

Mellor

unreggd wrote: »

I wouldnt be recommending coke as a solution to the heat
Soft drinks are diuretics, so they'll only make you more dehydrated. Defo stick with water!

As for the budget, most posts here are good to go by

A can a coke is never gonna hydrate you

for somebody being so pedantic, you sure made a lot of mistakes in a small post.

1. I never recommended coke as a good choice, I listed it as that's what people most commonly buy (even though it bad). Plain fact.
2. Caffine (in coke) is a diuretic, not soft drinks.
3. I never said coke would hydrate you. Most people don't think in terms of hydration, they think "i'm hot, time for a cold drink"

hussey wrote: »

Weekly train ticket (just train) from newtown/bondi junction is 27pw.
http://www.cityrail.info/tickets/fare_calculator.htm.
Unless you are getting a 'red' pass? this includes bus/ferry too?
For me I rarely get buses, so I never get it

Yeah, I relised that after I posted. I get a bus and train pass. Train station is too far to walk to in the morning.

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

Yeah, I relised that after I posted. I get a bus and train pass. Train station is too far to walk to in the morning.

I hear ya! I lived just off bondi road and I always got the bus to train station - no way could I walk to the junction in summer!

m@cc@

Confab wrote: »

Pedantic much? It's cheaper to drink water.

And the original post wasn't?!

dace11

Mellor wrote: »

Clearly never had to buy your own food or pay rent/hostels.

I live on my own and pay rent and buy my own food and cook my own food. For 10 euros today I bought enough food for 3 days. You just need to know where to shop and how to cook its not rocket science!

m@cc@

dace11 wrote: »

I live on my own and pay rent and buy my own food and cook my own food. For 10 euros today I bought enough food for 3 days. You just need to know where to shop and how to cook its not rocket science!

Where are you living?

Mellor

dace11 wrote: »

I live on my own and pay rent and buy my own food and cook my own food. For 10 euros today I bought enough food for 3 days. You just need to know where to shop and how to cook its not rocket science!

I'd love to see what you bought for 10 euro that will do 3 meals a day for 3 days.


If you honestly thing that 240 euro a week for food and rent going out etc means "buying lobster" then you must be a right cheapskate.

m@cc@

Mellor wrote: »

I'd love to see what you bought for 10 euro that will do 3 meals a day for 3 days.

I'm guessing it was in the section beside the kangaroo mince in Coles.

EDIT: Actually now I see how he done it....

dace11 wrote: »

I'm currently working as a retail manager in Ireland

hussey

m@cc@ wrote: »

I'm guessing it was in the section beside the kangaroo mince in Coles.

EDIT: Actually now I see how he done it....

https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week1.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week2.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week3.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week4.pdf

that is for $10/ It can easily be done

m@cc@

hussey wrote: »

https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week1.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week2.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week3.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week4.pdf

that is for $10/ It can easily be done

The poster said he bought food for 3 days (brekkie, lunch and dinner I'm guessing) for 10 Euro.

hussey

m@cc@ wrote: »

The poster said he bought food for 3 days (brekkie, lunch and dinner I'm guessing) for 10 Euro.

Tinned tuna for lunch and dinner

m@cc@

hussey wrote: »

Tinned tuna for lunch and dinner

Or as I said, the dog food section beside the kangaroo mince in Coles.

Zambia

Dace food is expensive here.

Mellor

hussey wrote: »

https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week1.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week2.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week3.pdf
https://www.coles.com.au/Portals/0/content/pdf/Value-Meals/coles_value-meals_recipe_card_week4.pdf

that is for $10/ It can easily be done

Those $10 things are nonsense.
First of all, the portions aren't man sized (I eat small portiions as im tryign to loss the belly, but the house mates eat whopper sized dinners)

Secondly, they list 3 ingredients that cost less than $10, but the ingredients list has about 10 more things on it, these things aren't free


One meal for 2 or 3 can easily be done for $10
But 9 meals for 10 euro is a stretch imo. Like I said, i'd like to see what they bought.

m@cc@

Zambia232 wrote: »

Dace food is expensive here.

Eating out is cheaper in Oz I think, but yes, Coles and Woolies don't compare to Tescos and Asda in terms of price.

Zambia

m@cc@ wrote: »

Eating out is cheaper in Oz I think, but yes, Coles and Woolies don't compare to Tescos and Asda in terms of price.

I would agree.

Wait till you get into

Car insurance
Medi-bank
Racv
Water
Gas
Electricity
Rent
Mortgages
Broadband
Council rates

Australia is not cheap to live in, I love it but its not cheap.

Mellor

Zambia232 wrote: »

I would agree.

Wait till you get into

Car insurance - 3rd party is cheaper. Who cares about the rest
Medi-bank Whats this
Racv And this too?
Water LandLord pays below excess
Gas Ditto
Electricity LOL, I'm not putting it here, but there are ways around this
Rent My rent is dear, but I don't think dublin is any cheaper, in fact dublin is prob dearer still
Mortgages They're for suckers;)
Broadband I haven't priced a wired router (any ideas) but they seem to push wireless 3G a lot, which is deer everyehere
Council rates Landlord again

Australia is not cheap to live in, I love it but its not cheap.

I'm getting away with murder on costs I feel

Zambia

Mellor wrote: »

I'm getting away with murder on costs I feel

You are

A wired router and Phone was good with optus about 60 a Month

Now Virgin charges me 34 a month for wireless as I am in the sticks, no adsl.

RACV - Breakdown and Insurance. Believe me the way they drive here you need it. We had our first car destroyed by a hoon in the first three months.

Medibank is medical insurance us older farts need it to keep us alive. Its like VHI.

Mortgages are not for suckers. Suckers are the ones paying My mortgage in Ireland in rent. Well their actually not but you get my piont.




was

Mellor

Zambia232 wrote: »

You are

A wired router and Phone was good with optus about 60 a Month

Now Virgin charges me 34 a month for wireless as I am in the sticks, no adsl.

TBH, thats about the same as ireland (which is also ridic for internet)
Luckily I have decent internet in work for free.

Medibank is medical insurance us older farts need it to keep us alive. Its like VHI.

Ah, I'll worry when i'm older.

Mortgages are not for suckers. Suckers are the ones paying My mortgage in Ireland in rent. Well their actually not but you get my piont.

I group them with credit cards, in all a terrible way to manage money.
I will never have a credit (i hope at least)
If I can avoid a mortgage I will.

eringobragh

Mellor wrote: »

I group them with credit cards, in all a terrible way to manage money.
I will never have a credit (i hope at least)

I disagree, I've had a credit card for over 8 years and Its never costed me a a cent bar the irish government levy, I pay it off every month (the banks hate the like of me)

I need it for stuff like internet purchases, etc,etc. I use it alot less in oz as I've eftpos and the CC is a euro one so that doesn't help but certainly if you've self control a CC shouldn't be a problem, after a isit to the US last year the CC was essential in most hotels.

shamblertine

Mellor wrote: »

A bottle of coke and crisps is $5.

I keep reading that Australia has one of the best standards of living in the world but the more I hear about it from people living there the less I believe this. It seems to be an incredibly expensive place to live, with rent and food costs being much higher than even Dublin. How do people survive in Australia- are salaries much higher than the likes that you would get in Dublin?

Zambia

shamblertine wrote: »

I keep reading that Australia has one of the best standards of living in the world but the more I hear about it from people living there the less I believe this. It seems to be an incredibly expensive place to live, with rent and food costs being much higher than even Dublin. How do people survive in Australia- are salaries much higher than the likes that you would get in Dublin?

It is but a good standard of living is not free.

m@cc@

eringobragh wrote: »

I need it for stuff like internet purchases, etc,etc. I use it alot less in oz as I've eftpos and the CC is a euro one so that doesn't help but certainly if you've self control a CC shouldn't be a problem, after a isit to the US last year the CC was essential in most hotels.

Visa/Mastercard Debit.

unreggd

Mellor wrote: »

TBH, thats about the same as ireland (which is also ridic for internet)

Ireland has great broadband compared to Oz

You pay for your speed, and thats it, none of this on/off peak, data allowance, slow down, over charge crap like here

I miss thee NTL

shamblertine

Zambia232 wrote: »

It is but a good standard of living is not free.

but are salaries in aus cities generally higher than those you would expect in Dublin?

Jumpy

shamblertine wrote: »

but are salaries in aus cities generally higher than those you would expect in Dublin?

They were. Exchange rate has dropped now though.

Jumpy

shamblertine wrote: »

I keep reading that Australia has one of the best standards of living in the world but the more I hear about it from people living there the less I believe this. It seems to be an incredibly expensive place to live, with rent and food costs being much higher than even Dublin. How do people survive in Australia- are salaries much higher than the likes that you would get in Dublin?

Rent is skyrocketing due to housing shortages. People generally live in the outskirt suburbs and train or bus into their workplace. Public transport is cheaper than Limerick (not sure about Dublin not having lived there)
Food was much cheaper than Limerick when I flew back at the start of the year. It really depends what you buy though. Fresh food seems to be cheaper than the frozen stuff which is the opposite of Ireland. It might be the comparisons of those that make the food seem very expensive.

Dont go for brands you know in Ireland and buy from the counters rather than the racks.

eringobragh

m@cc@ wrote: »

Visa/Mastercard Debit.

If you want to pay an extra $6 a month for it

Jimoslimos

Jumpy wrote: »

Fresh food seems to be cheaper than the frozen stuff which is the opposite of Ireland.

Fresh fruit is ridiculously expensive for a country which supposedly grows so much of it. There was a survey recently which revealed that Aussie grocery prices have risen more than any other developed nation.

But anyway the sun is splitting the stones outside and the beach is packed with beautiful people......what am I whinging about?:cool:

Mellor

shamblertine wrote: »

but are salaries in aus cities generally higher than those you would expect in Dublin?

Jumpy wrote: »

They were. Exchange rate has dropped now though.

I think you should think about that for a second. The rate has dropped, which makes the aussie salaries better, not worse. In a relative sense.

6 months ago my wages were slightly less than what I was gettign in Ireland last year. Although, I wouldn't be able to get those wages anymore in Ireland, even if I found a job.

Now, they are slightly more than I was getting, due to the exchange rate changing.

Mellor

eringobragh wrote: »

I disagree, I've had a credit card for over 8 years and Its never costed me a a cent bar the irish government levy, I pay it off every month (the banks hate the like of me)

I need it for stuff like internet purchases, etc,etc. I use it alot less in oz as I've eftpos and the CC is a euro one so that doesn't help but certainly if you've self control a CC shouldn't be a problem, after a isit to the US last year the CC was essential in most hotels.

LOL, this is nonsense.
It's a terrbile way to manage money. (This was publicly stated by the head of a major CC company a few years ago).

I won't buy something if I don't have the money in my account.

I don't have a credit card, yet I have never had a problem with online purchases, flights, hotels etc.
I have 3 bank accounts, in 3 countries, each with a debit card accepted everywhere a credit card is.

Doc

eringobragh wrote: »

If you want to pay an extra $6 a month for it

I have a Visa Debit card with ANZ. I closed my other account with them when I got it so it only costs me $1 more a month for it not $6 as there was no point in effectively having 2 current accounts. I think you would be mad to use an Irish Credit card here to buy things if you’re going to stay for any long period of time.

hussey

Mellor wrote: »

LOL, this is nonsense.
It's a terrbile way to manage money. (This was publicly stated by the head of a major CC company a few years ago).
.

I'll disagree, I put everything on my CC, I always have money for it, I get paid monthly and my CC bill is the first thing I pay for, I could easily out everything on my efpos card, but I use my cash in a high interest savings account so that is earning interest if everything was taken from my cash then I would not earn this.

If you time certain things correctly you can get 56days interest on it.
E.g if I was to buy flights home on the first day of my bill for 2500 I have 56 days to day it off, I stick it in a high savings account at 5.5% PA I can earn $21 interest on this for the 56 days.
or else I can get my flights paid for in cash and earn nothing.

The interest I earn on my cash before I pay my bill > cc yearly charge. so I make money in reality.

eringobragh

Mellor wrote: »

LOL, this is nonsense.
It's a terrbile way to manage money. (This was publicly stated by the head of a major CC company a few years ago).

I won't buy something if I don't have the money in my account.

I don't have a credit card, yet I have never had a problem with online purchases, flights, hotels etc.
I have 3 bank accounts, in 3 countries, each with a debit card accepted everywhere a credit card is.

I DON'T buy anything I can't afford. I have my credit card over 8 years and I've never once owed the bank money.

Mellor

hussey wrote: »

I'll disagree, I put everything on my CC, I always have money for it, I get paid monthly and my CC bill is the first thing I pay for, I could easily out everything on my efpos card, but I use my cash in a high interest savings account so that is earning interest if everything was taken from my cash then I would not earn this.

If you time certain things correctly you can get 56days interest on it.
E.g if I was to buy flights home on the first day of my bill for 2500 I have 56 days to day it off, I stick it in a high savings account at 5.5% PA I can earn $21 interest on this for the 56 days.
or else I can get my flights paid for in cash and earn nothing.

The interest I earn on my cash before I pay my bill > cc yearly charge. so I make money in reality.

That's actually a very good way of approaching it. I keep most of my money in a long term savings (30 day withdrawl notice). The rest is in a current.

eringobragh wrote: »

I DON'T buy anything I can't afford. I have my credit card over 8 years and I've never once owed the bank money.

That's good. You are obviously sensible with your money.
But, I never said that everyone owes the bank money. I said they are a bad way to manage your money. The majority of people do owe the bank money. Lets be honest, the average person is a bit of a moron, esp in money matters. And certainly isn't as good with it as Hussey or yourself

I also said that there is nothing that you need a CC for anymore. (I'm not sure if it was you, but somebody said you need one)