BajaNomad - Be Glad Baja California Is Not Australia!

Be Glad Baja California Is Not Australia!

DavidE - 7-4-2013 at 12:51 PM

Cost of Living in Sydney in 2013

Being known as one of the best cities in the world for living in does come at a price. The cost of living in Sydney is considered very high, more expensive than other parts of Australia when it comes to eating, accommodation, transport and entertainment. In fact it is regarded as more expensive than London or New York.
Cost of Accommodation in Sydney

Demand for rental properties and limited availability makes the cost of accommodation in Sydney the major expense. A 2 bedroom apartment will typically be in the region of $2,000 a month outside the centre to $3,000 a month in the city centre. Using a flatshare site like EasyRoomMate can save you a significant amount of time and money when looking for your first home in Sydney. This is also a great way to make new friends when moving to Perth.

If you’re looking for immediate accommodation in Sydney at reduced cost, check out Hotels Combined to get the cheapest rates going.
Cost of Transport

Public transport in Sydney is via City Rail, Sydney Ferries and the metropolitan and outer metropolitan bus services. My Multi tickets cover unlimited travel by all means over specific zones, a daily pass is $22 and a monthly pass depending on the area varies from $168 to $238 For a breakdown visit the NSW transport information website.
Cost of Social Life in Sydney

Eating out will vary widely, though a nice place to eat will be in the region of $15- $25 for a main course.

The cost of drinking in Sydney has risen sharply in recent years, with a beer costing around $7 and wine closer to $10 for a glass.
Cost of Healthcare

Healthcare in Sydney is relatively expensive. For example, a GP visit will set you back around $100. It is important to make sure that you have the necessary health insurance cover before you move to Sydney, or shortly after you arrive here.
Cost of Groceries in Sydney

This is expensive in Sydney, as it is elsewhere in Australia. Go for homegrown – domestic agricultural industry, local produce is fresh and inexpensive. Expect high prices for some imported food products.

Bag of Ground Coffee (200g) – $8

Minced Beef (250g) – $2.80

Butter (250g) – $2.60

Fresh Milk (1L) – $1.50

Loaf of Sliced Bread (700g) – $3

Follow @Gateway_Sydney on Twitter

woody with a view - 7-4-2013 at 01:01 PM

saw a guy in a bar recently who said a 24 pack of beer in Oz if +/- $35 US.

in context, he said minimum wage was $20.

Mexitron - 7-4-2013 at 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
saw a guy in a bar recently who said a 24 pack of beer in Oz if +/- $35 US.

in context, he said minimum wage was $20.

Exactly.

DavidE - 7-4-2013 at 01:19 PM

I make two hundred dollars an hour!

Then why are you complaining about paying twenty five dollars for a half day parking?

I pay 93% in taxes

vgabndo - 7-4-2013 at 04:37 PM

Well, the butter is cheaper, but the coffee is a bad hit at about $15. a lb.

Impressively, the Ozzies have enacted strict gun laws very effectively, and they elected an out of the closet atheist as Prime Minister recently. I've always gotten along (that's my business dt) with the "mates".

Do they pay 93%?

[Edited on 7-5-2013 by vgabndo]

Good Point

Bajahowodd - 7-4-2013 at 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
saw a guy in a bar recently who said a 24 pack of beer in Oz if +/- $35 US.

in context, he said minimum wage was $20.

It's all relative.

Purchasing power of the middle class has declined dramatically since Reagan simply because wealth has drifted upward. It was called trickle down, but really meant trickle up. So Just because we have not witnessed inflation to any degree, doesn't mean that the average Joe isn't worse off.

Bubba - 7-5-2013 at 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
saw a guy in a bar recently who said a 24 pack of beer in Oz if +/- $35 US.

in context, he said minimum wage was $20.

This^^^^^

chuckie - 7-5-2013 at 05:43 AM

Except for housing looks cheaper than Baja...wonder what gas prices are..??? Beer went up here this week...Some one noted the gas prices in Mexico are now a bit higher then some US prices...But its all relative aint it...I doubt anyone picks a place to live based on the price of coffee....

55steve - 7-5-2013 at 06:09 AM

I'm currently visiting Winnipeg, Canada - beer here is $22.50/12 pack!

chuckie - 7-5-2013 at 07:28 AM

Drink slow...

vandenberg - 7-5-2013 at 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve
I'm currently visiting Winnipeg, Canada - beer here is $22.50/12 pack!

Beer, wine and spirits are outrageously expensive all over Canada.
However, that doesn't deter the Kanuckians. They seem to imbibe more than the average American, who can get the same stuff at half the price. :biggrin:

wessongroup - 7-5-2013 at 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by chuckie
Drink slow...

motoged - 7-5-2013 at 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by vgabndo
... I've always gotten alone with the "mates".

......

Those damn typos....

DavidE - 7-5-2013 at 10:24 AM

Oyeeaah!

What the sod is a "mate"?

Oh! You mean MITE!

Bubba - 7-5-2013 at 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vandenberg

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve
I'm currently visiting Winnipeg, Canada - beer here is $22.50/12 pack!

I learned that the hard way about 10 years ago when I went up there fishin. I spent more on beer than I did on food, bait, gas and women combined! :wow:

dtbushpilot - 7-5-2013 at 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

Originally posted by vgabndo
... I've always gotten alone with the "mates".

......

Those damn typos....

What makes you think it was a "typo"?

motoged - 7-5-2013 at 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bubba
.....I spent more on beer than I did on food, bait, gas and women combined! :wow:

Ya shoulda left the motel room :biggrin:

Bubba - 7-5-2013 at 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

Originally posted by Bubba
.....I spent more on beer than I did on food, bait, gas and women combined! :wow:

Ya shoulda left the motel room :biggrin:

I tried, I was only there for 5 days and it poured buckets of rain for 3, still not a bad trip though, the women and beer was good! I was drinking something in a blue can, can't remember the name though, wonder why?!

motoged - 7-5-2013 at 02:20 PM

Two forms of standard issue:

Bubba - 7-5-2013 at 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged
Two forms of standard issue:

That's it on the left but it was in a can. Something else I just remembered. We were fishing lake trout and the "go to bait" just had to be something called Ciscos? Ok, fine but the price wasn't. We were paying $5 for three little pieces at the tackle shop and this was 10 yrs ago. Me thinks they were ripping this California boy off but it was still fun.

vgabndo - 7-5-2013 at 03:55 PM

Nice Catch Ged :lol:

motoged - 7-5-2013 at 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vgabndo
Nice Catch Ged :lol:

No problema/o ....just keep pitching them out there. :biggrin:

[Edited on 7-5-2013 by motoged]

Bajaboy - 7-5-2013 at 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 55steve
I'm currently visiting Winnipeg, Canada - beer here is $22.50/12 pack!

Didn't realize they had beer in Canada? Thought they just sold Moosehead, Molson, Labatts, etc :spingrin:

EnsenadaDr - 7-5-2013 at 05:30 PM

My son left for Sydney yesterday after I dropped him off at the San Diego airport. Despite its high priced studios starting at $2000 a month, and the piece of chocolate cake dessert that goes for $20 (the Australian dollar and US dollar are about neck to neck right now), my son wouldn't trade the place for anywhere else. I was there last November for a while and I was not impressed. I guess he likes it because he has a job that he can surf with his boss on lunch break.

The food is over priced, the people look down on you if you aren't dressed to the nines, (that means a tie for the guys), and NO Thanksgiving dinner. The only one I could find was at the American Embassy for almost $100 American that wouldn't make more mashed potatoes when they ran out.

The natural foods are even more outrageously priced. My son said the only thing he would miss was the Farmers Market in Little Italy. He said the vegan staple over there is very expensive.

I cried more than a few tears the last few days knowing he would leave, but felt better when he said that I could come visit as soon as he has his apartment. He said there is an equivalent of Veterans of Foreign Wars where the average age starts around 45 and goes upward, but says you have to be dressed very formally to socially attend, and it is the in thing to do there.

chuckie - 7-5-2013 at 06:54 PM

As it should be....

Thanksgiving???

bajaguy - 7-5-2013 at 07:02 PM

Why would Australians celebrate Thanksgiving?????.....I don't think any were on the Mayflower.

I don know where you went in Australia but I didn't have any trouble finding servicemen's clubs that served quite good food and drink, and I didn't need a tie. The prices were OK. at the servicemen's clubs, I usually didn't have to buy as an American veterans were quite scarce.

If you look hard enough next time you are there they probablly have clubs that cater to the medical profession

EnsenadaDr - 7-5-2013 at 07:31 PM

I know they celebrate Thanksgiving at Baja Mama's!! I would think the Australians would find an opportunity to cook Turkey!!

Quote:

Originally posted by bajaguy
Why would Australians celebrate Thanksgiving?????.....I don't think any were on the Mayflower.

I don know where you went in Australia but I didn't have any trouble finding servicemen's clubs that served quite good food and drink, and I didn't need a tie. The prices were OK. at the servicemen's clubs, I usually didn't have to buy as an American veterans were quite scarce.

If you look hard enough next time you are there they probablly have clubs that cater to the medical profession

Bajaboy - 7-5-2013 at 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
I know they celebrate Thanksgiving at Baja Mama's!! I would think the Australians would find an opportunity to cook Turkey!!

Quote:

How very ethnocentric of you :barf:

Bubba - 7-6-2013 at 09:40 AM

Quote:

He said there is an equivalent of Veterans of Foreign Wars where the average age starts around 45 and goes upward, but says you have to be dressed very formally to socially attend, and it is the in thing to do there.

You lost me, what does this have to do with the cost of living, am I missing something?

woody with a view - 7-6-2013 at 09:45 AM

easy Bubba, don't go asking a question you already know the answer to. it messes with their brains this early in the morning....

Bubba - 7-6-2013 at 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
easy Bubba, don't go asking a question you already know the answer to. it messes with their brains this early in the morning....

Roger that.

acadist - 7-7-2013 at 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
saw a guy in a bar recently who said a 24 pack of beer in Oz if +/- $35 US.

in context, he said minimum wage was $20.

At least the alchohol content is higher :lol:

EnsenadaDr - 7-7-2013 at 11:47 PM

Yes it does, to go out somewhere socially costs you more by having to pay for an acceptable wardrobe, unlike shorts and tshirts in Baja....

Quote:

Originally posted by Bubba

Quote:

You lost me, what does this have to do with the cost of living, am I missing something?

EnsenadaDr - 7-7-2013 at 11:50 PM

I actually do my better thinking early in the morning, and don't hardly drink so I don't get hangovers...

Quote:

Originally posted by woody with a view
easy Bubba, don't go asking a question you already know the answer to. it messes with their brains this early in the morning....

grizzlyfsh95 - 7-8-2013 at 08:32 AM

Inflation is just warming up. Its going to get much worse.

motoged - 7-8-2013 at 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajaboy
Didn't realize they had beer in Canada? Thought they just sold Moosehead, Molson, Labatts, etc :spingrin:

As you said...."How very ethnocentric of you..." :biggrin:

EnsenadaDr - 7-8-2013 at 12:03 PM

Yes, but you forgot the vomit smiley....I was half joking on the Turkey and Australia...but no room for levity here on the On topic board I guess...

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajaboy
Didn't realize they had beer in Canada? Thought they just sold Moosehead, Molson, Labatts, etc :spingrin:

As you said...."How very ethnocentric of you..." :biggrin:

Alm - 7-8-2013 at 12:18 PM

Quote:

It's all relative.

Purchasing power of the middle class has declined dramatically since Reagan simply because wealth has drifted upward.

Decades of steady decline are not relative, IMO. Wealth, together with well-paid jobs, moved not upward, but Eastward.

Australia has also additional problem, being remote and void of resources.

vgabndo - 7-8-2013 at 03:18 PM

Here is something Australia is doing that Baja could do!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ci91EymsSo

tracking solar.jpg - 28kB

Bajaboy - 7-8-2013 at 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
Yes, but you forgot the vomit smiley....I was half joking on the Turkey and Australia...but no room for levity here on the On topic board I guess...

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajaboy
Didn't realize they had beer in Canada? Thought they just sold Moosehead, Molson, Labatts, etc :spingrin:

As you said...."How very ethnocentric of you..." :biggrin:

Many would claim ugly American....but I was only half-joking

motoged - 7-8-2013 at 05:15 PM

Quote:

Many would claim ugly American....but I was only half-joking

me too..... :saint:

pappy - 7-10-2013 at 11:37 AM

the pace in australia is on par with baja-at least along the east coast of queensland and new south wales. very much a manana attitude.

strong middle class there. guy at the gas station working behind the counter owns a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house and has kids in college. that's just typical because of their min. wage. pump gas first then pay. vry clean everywhere you go. no graffiti or other such bullchit.

pretty much like california in 1950's...