[Sarah Edburton]

Hi,

We (that is myself, my husband and two daughters) are planning a move to NZ as soon as possible. My brother already lives in Aukland and we visited him earlier this year and thought it was the place for us too. Since being back, my husband has applied for a couple of jobs and one is looking quite hopeful. We just wondered if anyone could give us an idea of what a decent salary is? When we were over in NZ we thought most things were a lot cheaper than they are in the UK and therefore the lower salaries were ok but there's quite a lot on this site to suggest things aren't that cheap and I guess on holiday you're not buying day to day stuff so you don't get a true picture.

My brother reckons £70,000+ is more than enough for a family of 4. Any opinions?

Thanks

Sarah

[lockstock]

Hi and welcome. Good decision. Buckle up for the rollercoaster ride. Now, this salary you asked about. Did you mean £70k or 70K NZD? 'Cos I think either way you'll be more than comfortable from what I've seen on here!!!

[Sarah Edburton]

Sorry - I meant 70,000 NZD not English pounds! We'd be very comfortable on £70,000 I imagine - more than we earn in the UK!

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

This question gets asked a lot and there's tons of useful info on the forum to help you work out whether a potential salary is enough for you to live on or not.

Like living anywhere it's not a case of X is a salary you can live on, as it depends on many many things, mostly, but far from exclusively:
A) How much your 'lifestyle' costs you in entertainment
B) How much will your mortgage/rent cost you. Mortgage in particular will depend on how much you can bring with you from any equity in UK residence(s)
C) Where you live. Major cities are generally more expensive to live in than other areas
D) Commuting and/or childcare costs

Lots to consider, but the info available on here will help you make an informed decision.

[IanW99]

Hi Sarah, managed to post a new thread I see :clap

As an approximate figure for a family of four, you can survive reasonably well on a salary of $45,000 (from experience) if you don't include any debt or rent / mortgage.

But this does all depend on your lifestyle really, I've seen others post here who are surviving on $40,000 (all in) and making a go of it, whilst others have been on $90,000 and had to throw in the towel.

As I am sure others will post, you really need to do your own budget to meet your own circumstances, there are plenty of threads with peoples budget details listed.

Ian

[dharder]

We (that is myself, my husband and two daughters) are planning a move to NZ as soon as possible. My brother already lives in Aukland and we visited him earlier this year and thought it was the place for us too.

Hi Sarah, welcome to the forum :)

That's refreshing, someone thinking Auckland is the place to be :) :) In general, people seem to arrive there, and then quickly make their way to other cities...

As for the money, I worry about that a lot, and think the main issue that could make or break (so to speak) the bank is, as someone else has pointed out, the mortgage/rent factor.

I found houses in Auckland in decent school zones rather expensive, and almost less affordable (interest rate/income ratio) than even here in London. If you bring a lot from the UK and have no/very low mortgage, you can get away with earning a lot less, but particularly in Auckland, that will be a major consideration.

What areas of Auckland are you looking at?

Daniela

[John Z]

Hi Sarah, managed to post a new thread I see :clap

As an approximate figure for a family of four, you can survive reasonably well on a salary of $45,000 (from experience) if you don't include any debt or rent / mortgage.

But this does all depend on your lifestyle really, I've seen others post here who are surviving on $40,000 (all in) and making a go of it, whilst others have been on $90,000 and had to throw in the towel.

As I am sure others will post, you really need to do your own budget to meet your own circumstances, there are plenty of threads with peoples budget details listed.

Ian

Hi Ian, Sarah,

are you talking NET salaries or GROSS salaries?

Thanks, John Z.

[kellyfamily]

Im only on $45000 approx and dont manage as more than half my wage is rent so im topping up on savings (damn that house in the uk) Hopefully i can own soon then be mortgage free!
I know i will be able to manage then with an acceptable lifestyle.
So as quoted it depends on the lifestyle and area you choose , im a changed man since leaving the uk , i couldnt spend money fast enough , eating out always buying clothes and gadgets hee hee.
Here im taking the cooler to beach, sandwiches and last nights dinner for my lunch at work and to be honest im loving it (dont tell the wife)
Kids also enjoy the simpler things , more active and at the beach and skate park.
So with your OH`s salary you should enjoy life here

[StevieD]

So many variables and requirements. Many on here have their own comfort zones, and it is impossible to put a figure on what people find acceptable.
Auckland can be a bit of a rat race, but like anywhere, you have expensive areas and not so expensive.
It is down to the individuals what is a survivable salary, but, you can get by here on less IMHO. because there is less pressure to be in the latest gear and whole lack of "keep up with the Jones'" syndrome.
Good luck in your quest :nice1

[IanW99]

Hi Ian, Sarah,

are you talking NET salaries or GROSS salaries?

Thanks, John Z.

Hi John,

For my post I was talking gross salaries. My figure was no mortgage or rent or any debt, if you have any of these then you would need to adjust the figure accordingly as kellyfamily points out. And again this is just our figures (everyones will be different).

Ian