[Georgebulldog]

Has anyone else thought that stuff isn't as expensive as they imagined or is it only me?
I came out here thinking everything would cost more than the UK but have been pleasantly surprised, I've looked at my food bill then used http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/currency.htm to convert NZ$ to UK£ & it's cheaper here, for example chicken breast pieces I've compared to Sainsburys (where I used to shop) & they are £2 cheaper a kg, Avent baby bottles which I will need in 8 weeks time :D are a little cheaper here (yet made in the UK as far as I know), general shopping is about the same as we spent in the UK maybe a bit less, bought a huge joint of beef to roast on Sunday, cut it in 2 & froze half, it only cost £4 for the whole joint :clap Even our bedside tables which I was panicking about getting & almost bought pure c**p on Trademe only cost us £50 each & they are made of solid wood, only thing which is about the same I have found to date (not that far in for us yet) is wine not as cheap as I thought, need to start bugeting for when I can start drinking again :laugh

[RedKev]

God damn it. I just bought a bedside locker on trademe. Hope it's not pure crap...

Where'd you get yours?

Actually, did I just read that wrong?

[StevieD]

But the wine sales in Countdown are fab, so remember this ;)

[Georgebulldog]

God damn it. I just bought a bedside locker on trademe. Hope it's not pure crap...

Where'd you get yours?

Actually, did I just read that wrong?

I can't remember the name, it was a big shop in Porirua, they were advertising double beds on sale at $300 on TV, but sadly didn't have any left but got my bedside tables instead, something like Furniture Land, I'm sure someone will remember the name. Everywhere seemd to have sales on all the time so I've got to learn to wait now
Do hope yours from Trademe are OK, we ended up with a double bed off there for $99 & it's great, well for guests anyway :laugh

Oh & that was $99 which is about £50

[Georgebulldog]

But the wine sales in Countdown are fab, so remember this ;)

I know where I'll be shopping from the 2nd week of June then :cheers

[willsken]

I agree that things aren't expensive when comparing using the exchange rate but you have to take into account the lower wages. (For most people) I have doubled my UK salary (in number terms) so I halve what it costs in $ to see what the UK equivalent price would be to me. For example a $12 joint of beef would be the equivalent to spending 6 uk pounds.:)

[nippa&pippa]

It is depend on how much do you bring home of wages per week/fortnight, not compare with UK for "cheap" products. The cost of living is higher in NZ than in UK.

[Georgebulldog]

We have been lucky enough to come over on the exact same wage, otherwise we wouldn't be here at all I think, well maybe we would but not living where we are & living like we do, not with a baby on the way anyway.
I was only talking about a like for like comparison & have just been surprised as I had read how expensive everything is & you have to admit it isn't but then I suppose it's how you look at it, from my view I'm just pleasantly surprised, I just hope I will be the same about Winter as again expecting cold wet & windy, saying that already cold first thing in the mornings & at night, but here's hoping I've expected the worst & will be nicely surprised

[Anita & Marco]

I agree that things aren't expensive when comparing using the exchange rate but you have to take into account the lower wages.

Yes, I fully agree with you. It is of no use to convert to your home currency, because salaries are (in general) very different. The cost of housing, groceries, petrol etc. is relatively far more expensive than most European countries especially when you take the average salary into account.

Of course for individuals it might be different. But in general people from Europe will have much lower salaries here than in Europe (maybe an exception for the people in one of the shortage areas). I earned around 40% of what I had in The Netherlands, which was pretty hard to make a decent living from in a city.

The other biggest difference is whether you come over with a decent amount of foreign currency or not.


Cheers,
Anita

[chocolate cake]

Well I've just moved here, and foodwise while somethings are cheaper, generally home produced meats (beef, pork, chicken) much cheaper, some vegetables but there's plenty of imported foods that are more expensive, probably due to the buying power of the big UK supermarkets, e.g. cereals, dried foods etc. even onions were cheaper in the local Morrisons that here and some were actually imported from NZ.

[CJ22]

NZ onions cheaper in the UK than in NZ. There's something wrong with the world when that can happen.

I agree that the perception of it being expensive in NZ is due to the lower relative average wage. Dusk and I are like Lyndsey, in that our wages will be virtually the same as in the UK (slightly more in fact, at the current exchange rate). The research we've done seems to suggest we'll feel slightly better off.

Most importantly, it will be actually possible for us to buy a house in NZ in a couple of years. In the UK that's just not going to be possible, especially as mortgage lenders are starting to edge towards minimum 20% deposits now. That coupled with prices rises having outstripped inflation massively for years, and first-time-buyers don't have a hope in the UK.

[incredible hulse]

Most importantly, it will be actually possible for us to buy a house in NZ in a couple of years. In the UK that's just not going to be possible, especially as mortgage lenders are starting to edge towards minimum 20% deposits now. That coupled with prices rises having outstripped inflation massively for years, and first-time-buyers don't have a hope in the UK.

Agree and a big reason for us coming here -the fact that we've brought sterling over has helped in house buying for us here. Your point on first time buyers is very prevalent here though also; in fact I read that in terms of house prices:average wage ratio NZ is a more expensive place than the UK to buy a house (and not far off Oz I believe). I think first time kiwi buyers here would be in a worse situation than those in the UK

[CJ22]

Yes that's true for indigenes.

But immigrants can negotiate parity of salary if the employer is desperate for people (which we've done) and can bring easy capital if they have any savings (which we don't lol). So for us at least it will take time but at least be possible. Effectively we'll be on the same salaries but houses just suddenly got cheaper.

[Watna]

I've just been looking up house prices as a bit of research. A 2 bed apartment in Wellington is a third of the cost of one in Dublin. Yes, my salary will be halfed when we move, but it's nice to think that we'll actually be able to afford to buy a property. It's just completely out of our reach here.

I guess we'll see when we get there!

[AndyR]

I'm quite lucky that I'll be earning the same amount as I would do in the UK. If i worked in a much more stressful job in the uk I could earn more but I'm not likely to do that willingly.