Job Offer in Sydney
Discussion
Have just received a job offer for a staff position in Sydney and am now in a position to take it and make the move to Oz.
This is not something that has been planned, find out about the position through a mate last week, sent CV had telephone interviews and now been offered quite an attractive package.
No children too worry about, only the 2 of us moving over. So apart from the usual family decisions to make with making such a move my biggest concern at the moment is the cost of living in Sydney.
The package seems to be good but when you look at housing rental costs and day to day costs it becomes very difficult to work out what lifestyle we would have over there (weather and city apart) once all bills and living costs are paid for. We also don't want to stop saving etc. so need to make sure that we don't end up moving over and finding we are paying most of what we are making just to stay in Sydney.
Rental market is very buoyant and decent well located properties will cost us $$$$, we live in a nice house here with great views and location so don't want to end up in a small apartment.
Really just wondering if anyone has taken up new employment in Sydney and how they found there feet with regards to renting the "perfect" house and how they felt the cost of living compared to UK.
Maybe I should just be happy of the opportunity to move to Sydney and worry once we get there.
This is not something that has been planned, find out about the position through a mate last week, sent CV had telephone interviews and now been offered quite an attractive package.
No children too worry about, only the 2 of us moving over. So apart from the usual family decisions to make with making such a move my biggest concern at the moment is the cost of living in Sydney.
The package seems to be good but when you look at housing rental costs and day to day costs it becomes very difficult to work out what lifestyle we would have over there (weather and city apart) once all bills and living costs are paid for. We also don't want to stop saving etc. so need to make sure that we don't end up moving over and finding we are paying most of what we are making just to stay in Sydney.
Rental market is very buoyant and decent well located properties will cost us $$$$, we live in a nice house here with great views and location so don't want to end up in a small apartment.
Really just wondering if anyone has taken up new employment in Sydney and how they found there feet with regards to renting the "perfect" house and how they felt the cost of living compared to UK.
Maybe I should just be happy of the opportunity to move to Sydney and worry once we get there.
GeraldSmith said:
Renting in Sydney a year ago was Australia is a nightmare, very expensive but also the agents didn't care, by the time something was advertised iT was gone,.
A rule of thumb for how much salary you will need, take a uk salary and multiply by 2.5 to get the equivalent buying power in AUD.
Get into the Australia forum, there was a thread by 200bhp (I think) where a few of us posted Perth prices.A rule of thumb for how much salary you will need, take a uk salary and multiply by 2.5 to get the equivalent buying power in AUD.
Edited by Bibbs on Tuesday 10th April 07:26
GeraldSmith said:
Renting in Sydney a year ago was a nightmare, very expensive but also the agents didn't care, by the time something was advertised iT was gone,.
A rule of thumb for how much salary you will need, take a uk salary and multiply by 2.5 to get the equivalent buying power in AUD.
This man speakith the truth. I would say 2 to 2.5. I'm here in Sydney now - love it, but fek me its expensive. Both me and my other half earn good salaries and we basically have nothing left at the end of each month. However we do go out and lot, so I'm sure could be be frugal, but I'm not here to save, just have some fun and live a bit.A rule of thumb for how much salary you will need, take a uk salary and multiply by 2.5 to get the equivalent buying power in AUD.
Rents the killer really. If you want to be within shooting distance of the CBD then you're rent is going to be anything between 450 to 800 AUD per week unless you life out west but I wouldn't recommend that. Everyone I know pays around 600 to 750 per week. Lunch is 8-10, beer is 6-9 for a schooner (half pint), meal out is 40 - 100 each. Buy all your cloths, electronic, stuff from the Uk and US. Most goods it seems with the current exchange rate are 1.5->2 more expensive. Second hand cars are v expensive. Oh and get used to visiting apartments with 10 other couples all at the same time in a 15 min window.
bosshog said:
. Oh and get used to visiting apartments with 10 other couples all at the same time in a 15 min window.
Yes, that was an experience.It will be Interesting to see what happens to rents mid year. Currently there is a tax allowance called LAFHA that means that people on 457 visas can get rent and other expenses for living away from home tax free. That ends for 457s at the end of June which will cost a lot temporary residents a lot of money and might have an impact on the market price for rents
I think there is a forum called Expat forum. Just google it. I was doing research on a similar move (I am not in a position to go yet but in a few years, I will be) On there there were things like spread sheets or may of just been forum posts where people put down all their expenses for where they lived. So rent, pint of milk, bread, groceries, car payments etc etc. Gives you a good idea on whats what.
Also look up Aussie income tax rules. I think its lower than here, but there are bands which pay more and some which pay less like we have though on the whole it seemed a lot more reasonable a system. I think I worked out if you earned 120,000 AUD then income tax was a palatable 27%.
Also look up Aussie income tax rules. I think its lower than here, but there are bands which pay more and some which pay less like we have though on the whole it seemed a lot more reasonable a system. I think I worked out if you earned 120,000 AUD then income tax was a palatable 27%.
Aussie tax:
Taxable income
Tax on this income
0 - $6,000 Nil
$6,001 - $37,000 15c for each $1 over $6,000
$37,001 - $80,000 $4,650 plus 30c for each $1 over $37,000
$80,001 - $180,000 $17,550 plus 37c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over $54,550 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000
don't forget the 1.5%'medicare levy (tax...)
Taxable income
Tax on this income
0 - $6,000 Nil
$6,001 - $37,000 15c for each $1 over $6,000
$37,001 - $80,000 $4,650 plus 30c for each $1 over $37,000
$80,001 - $180,000 $17,550 plus 37c for each $1 over $80,000
$180,001 and over $54,550 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000
don't forget the 1.5%'medicare levy (tax...)
I’m coming to the end of my time in Sydney, been here nearly two years with work.
Cost of living is pretty high, as mentioned above rent is the main killer, but what impact the withdrawal of the LAFHA will have on rents remains to be seen.
To give an idea of how far your cash goes, it’s just me and the Mrs here both working in the City for big professional services firms. We live in the eastern suburbs (and very rarely leave them!) and our overheads look like this:
Rent $780 a week for a 2 bed apartment
Weekly food shop around $200
Beers $6 to $10 for a schooner, $20 for a six pack at the bottle shop
Petrol $1.45 to $1.55 a litre
Home insurance $100 a month
Gas $100 a quarter
Foxtel TV $70 a month for basic with sports
Internet $70 a month unlimited
Mobile $70 a month
Gym membership $100 a month
We’ve gone without a car for our whole time and rented when needed, simply due to the cost of used cars here and what seems to be quite a slow second hand market. Had we have got one, think that would have swallowed up the cash that we’ve managed to put away each month.
Had a ball though, seen a lot of the region whilst here, great experience work wise and are very sad to be leaving. But with a family on the horizon, the numbers just don’t stack up in the short to medium term when we considered maternity cost, child care etc. So it’s back to the UK for a few years.
Plan right now is to do everything we can to come back ready for a permanent stay in a few years, all our commitments boxed off in the UK and with 2 cars in a shipping container and as much cash as we can cobble together for a deposit on something.
Good luck mate, and go for it!
Cost of living is pretty high, as mentioned above rent is the main killer, but what impact the withdrawal of the LAFHA will have on rents remains to be seen.
To give an idea of how far your cash goes, it’s just me and the Mrs here both working in the City for big professional services firms. We live in the eastern suburbs (and very rarely leave them!) and our overheads look like this:
Rent $780 a week for a 2 bed apartment
Weekly food shop around $200
Beers $6 to $10 for a schooner, $20 for a six pack at the bottle shop
Petrol $1.45 to $1.55 a litre
Home insurance $100 a month
Gas $100 a quarter
Foxtel TV $70 a month for basic with sports
Internet $70 a month unlimited
Mobile $70 a month
Gym membership $100 a month
We’ve gone without a car for our whole time and rented when needed, simply due to the cost of used cars here and what seems to be quite a slow second hand market. Had we have got one, think that would have swallowed up the cash that we’ve managed to put away each month.
Had a ball though, seen a lot of the region whilst here, great experience work wise and are very sad to be leaving. But with a family on the horizon, the numbers just don’t stack up in the short to medium term when we considered maternity cost, child care etc. So it’s back to the UK for a few years.
Plan right now is to do everything we can to come back ready for a permanent stay in a few years, all our commitments boxed off in the UK and with 2 cars in a shipping container and as much cash as we can cobble together for a deposit on something.
Good luck mate, and go for it!
Its really not too bad, I live 5 minutes from Bronte Beach and pay $450 for a 1 bedroom flat with balcony between the 2 of us. It is quite small.
Cars are expensive no doubt, I have a Holden Astra, basically a vauxhall Astra 2001 and that cost $3500, would be about 500 Quid in the UK.
LAFHA, if it does definately go will be a serious hit though and will hurt a lot of people.
Cars are expensive no doubt, I have a Holden Astra, basically a vauxhall Astra 2001 and that cost $3500, would be about 500 Quid in the UK.
LAFHA, if it does definately go will be a serious hit though and will hurt a lot of people.
Pommygranite said:
Amazing how LAFHA going is seen as terrible for those who get it and how they'll be in financial trouble - god knows how I live without it 
Yes nice to receive it but it's a serios tax loophole that is subsidised by the larger population.
Or am I wrong?
Doing what they are doing and stopping it for 457s is correct IMHO and it may lead to an adjustment in the rental market. 457s aren't people who are just having to work in another bit of the country on a temporary basis, they are people who have moved to Australia usually for an extended period, if they have property elsewhere they will have rented it out so the spirit of why the allowance was offered doesn't hold.Yes nice to receive it but it's a serios tax loophole that is subsidised by the larger population.
Or am I wrong?
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