Why do we have such a low standard of living compared with Australia or New Zealand?

[Iggypoppie]

Disclaimer - never actually been but have watched a lot of Wanted Down Under

Just watched an episode of Wanted Down Under where the woman was told she could earn up to £40k pa working in a bridal dress shop. (£s not $s). And even after higher costs would be loads better off than in the UK.

This has been the case for most who are on the programme - including health and education workers.

So if the UK is a wealth country, why do we have such a low standard of living compared with these countries? (Assuming that the programme is accurate).

Am I missing something?

Lots but my phone is so slow to type!

I've only skim read the thread but will read it all soon.

Electricity..
AU this is paid quarterly and of course is going to vary greatly between households but we paid about $300 a quarter. Cheap as chips compared to NZ where you could easily pay that a month! But the ozzies still moan of course. That used to grind my gears because it is so so cheap compared to NZ it really is. We're on a prepay thing here which I like and seem to be spending around a pound a day. Seems pretty reasonable to me but then that doesn't include oil for the radiators (a system I find confusing atm but will learn to love I'm sure. It didn't help we had problems with our boiler my first week or so here). Having lived in Dunedin NZ (which is pretty cold) the houses there are just not built for the weather. My first flat in about 2004 had condensation running down the windows, rotting the windowsills and dripping onto the carpet causing mould. Nice

Another quick one.. topping up your cell phone which I've just done this morning. 80GB for £20 (network is giffgaff) yes please I'll take that! You wouldn't get anywhere near that in AU for the same price which is roughly AU $40. NZ sucks for phone packages, always has and probably always will.

I know the cost of these things is higher

I’ve not been to either country in 20 years though and tbh I was really wondering if they are feeling the effects of overpopulation and over commercialisation.

Re petrol prices, we pay up but we don't fill up very often. Personal experience obvs

My uncle moved to Aus about 10 years ago and always paints this idyllic lifestyle when he comes for visits... scratch away at the surface and you see the 1.5hour commute each way he and his wife make becasue they cannot afford to live closer to Melbourne where they work, they rarely fo all the fabulous outdoor stuff they talk about and ultimately their lives are no different from when they live in england except the weather is warmer.

Very much grass is always greener. For every person that finds their life is better there will be one that hates it and cant wait to return to the UK.

“ ultimately their lives are no different from when they live in england except the weather is warmer. ”

But better weather and lower population must make a massive difference to quality of life?

My DD entering NZ for the first time (Auckland International Airport) wish I had a better picture but you know a two year old in an airport 😅 NZ is streets ahead of Australia in terms of indigenous everything. And as I say I have lived and been in both recently including in a remote aboriginal community...

Autumnrose, when it comes to overpopulation, yes, the effects are being felt in NZ, particularly in popular areas like Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown and Nelson. Particularly in the tourist seasons - which is pretty much year round!

I'm from Auckland and I thought WTF when they show Auckland too. Most of the time, the place is nowhere near Auckland and the driving time they give is very very optimistic. Auckland has a huge traffic congestion problem.

And everything is very expensive in Auckland. The housing is crazy. Friend of mine just moved back a couple of years ago and she said there are a lot of competitions on bidding. (It's common to auction houses even 10 years ago when I left). Whenever I visited, everyone felt really poor with what they have. DH is from New Plymouth and it's even worse.

The housing are cold and damp, unless maybe you have one of those new houses that none of us can afford.

And if I sell my house here, I can't afford to buy anything in Auckland. (Lived in Epsom and Remuera when I was young. Prices in these inner suburbs are completely insane). We have looked. And no way I'll want to move to New Plymouth.

NZ is the 13th country in the world to legalise same sex marriage (way back in 2013, hardly 20 years behind really.. )

m.youtube.com/watch?v=q9pOJ8Bc_-g

I find that really moving tbh and it makes me proud to be from NZ. For me it really epitomises what is a very special place.

@GeorgianaD ^^

I'm not sure if you've heard of our Prime Minister.. her name is Jacinda Arden.. 20 years behind my ass. NZ is not without its social issues obviously but for a small country we really do punch above our weight in so many areas.

Look I found that very moving too.

@LookStupidInEverything

Sweet as bro'!

Another example of our backwardness would be that we criminalised marital rape in 1985. UK was erm, 1991. . .

And that still makes me and DH well up with pride every time we think about it.

I love NZ. Australia is ok, can take it or leave it (apart from the NT which I love and hope to live in again one day). The little village I'm in now on the other side of the world is still quite novel! 6 of one, half a dozen of the other really. Pros and cons to each of them.

One massive advantage of being in the UK is obviously the proximity to Europe. My DD will have travel opportunities only very wealthy families in NZ would have.

Oh, and when did women get the vote? NZ - 1893. UK? Um, why that would have been 1928. . . goodness, 35 years later. . .

@LookStupidInEverything, the travel opportunities is a huge part of why we're over here right now. . .

I wonder which little village you're in - I was/still am a Cantab' girl!

yeh there's really no two ways about it NZ is quite progressive for a small country and always has been.. I'm in Northern Ireland (my partner is from here, we met in Australia) so I'm not sure if that makes a difference to costs etc..

Someone mentioned earthquakes, fires etc above.. The reason I actually left NZ in 2011 was I was living in Christchurch during the earthquake/s and the aftermath. Not pleasant at all and definitely a disadvantage to living in NZ..

Wages are much lower in NZ than the UK, things there seem cheap compared to the UK (petrol for example) but only when you are visiting from the UK when it seems like a bargain to fill up the car. Proportionally it's more expensive when you look at income and food is expensive even when visiting from the UK - £30 for fish and chips for 3 people for example and £7.50 for the cheapest bottle of wine.

@LookStupidInEverything

With the earthquakes - me too! We went back in 2003, and came back here in 2018. We had quite a few friends who left as a result of the earthquakes.

The earthquakes were pretty hellish for a bit there, and my youngest really suffered with them. In a funny kind of way though, we got used to them.

The reason I actually left NZ in 2011 was I was living in Christchurch during the earthquake/s and the aftermath. Not pleasant at all and definitely a disadvantage to living in NZ..

^ This. Just this month there have been c. 60 earthquakes in NZ, obviously the great majority are very weak but you don't know when there will be another one which will cause as much damage as the 2011 ChCh earthquake. It's not conducive to a relaxing lifestyle if you've experienced one like that. The local hospital in my bit of NZ was damaged beyond repair, as were many buildings in the nearest city.

Hmmmm I have lived in both NZ and the UK. If I am completely frank NZ is just a nicer place to be with more space but I don't think economically you'd be better off. I found that as a young graduate in NZ it was hard to kick start my career as opportunities can be low in numbers whereas in the UK there are just so many options in terms of the job market. I think there are pluses and minuses both ways. Food is cheaper here than there (NZ) too but I question the quality here in the UK.

£30 for fish and chips or NZD $30? @bettybattenburg? I guess it could cost £30 in a restaurant that does fish and chips but given that's very roughly NZD $60 that seems extortionate

GeorgianaD can you explain your comment to me? I am not clear on what you mean by "their treatment of indigenous people" - who is 'they' and what 'treatment' are you referring to?