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?

Work wise, I've gone from 35k GBP, to over $200k a year for an equivalent role, so we're so much better off, even taking into account the higher cost of living.

What field is that in? Salaries in my line of work are fairly similar.

@virtual - IT manager.

We lived in NZ for a few years recently, and found that salaries were lower than in the UK, but almost everything was more expensive, and we had to have private health insurance. So we were certainly not better off and didn't have a higher standard of living!

On WDU NZ always looks miserable, it's pouring, grey skies and really dull. Are the summer's good?

As a nurse my pay and work conditions are so much better in Aus than the UK.
I don’t find much of a difference in food/grocery prices any more I think prices in The UK have increased rapidly.
House prices vary widely depending on area in the U.K. and in Aus but I feel that houses are generally bigger and you get more for your money in Aus. My sister and Bil (teacher and childcare worker)in Aus have a lovely massive 4bed house with huge garden, both are home by 6pm and enjoy lots of sports and hobbies, , afford holidays and fly over to see me in the uk every so often while i have a little shoebox on the very edge of London. I get so jealous when I come
home to visit. My oh travels 1.5hrs into central London everyday and rarely home by 8pm. Petrol is hugely more expensive in the U.K. and despite my OHs decent wage we struggle to have anything left and the end of the month.
I really feel me and my oh would be better of back in Aus though my Oh doesn’t want to move due to his career in London.
The average lower and middle income earner would be much better off in Aus

My sister and Bil (teacher and childcare worker)in Aus have a lovely massive 4bed house with huge garden, both are home by 6pm and enjoy lots of sports and hobbies, , afford holidays and fly over to see me in the uk every so often while i have a little shoebox on the very edge of London. I get so jealous when I come
home to visit. My oh travels 1.5hrs into central London everyday and rarely home by 8pm.

But are your comparing like for like? In Sydney i didn't see my dad Mon-Fri as his commute was 1.5 hours each way, my commute in London is 45 mins from The City on a bike and I'm doing pickup at 5:15pm

@housinghelp101
The weather varies so much in NZ depending on where you live. You don't get much of a summer in the far South and I found Dunedin pretty miserable in summer. Chch is better though and you can get some really nice winter days.

Wellington is notoriously windy.
Auckland is wet.

Hawkes Bay where I'm from is hot during summer (30+ degrees type hot) and has mild winters.

Christchurch has the nor'westers, and really suffers from the wind, but is generally reasonably dry - can get bloody cold in winter though.

If you love rain, go live on the West Coast of the South Island. Although it will be at least three generations before your offspring are not known as the newcomers. . .

Marlborough and Nelson vie with each other for who has the most sunshine hours, and do have a nice climate.

When we lived in Christchurch, we had a huge four double bedroomed house with massive garden and double internal access garage, with three huge living areas, huge ensuite and walk in robe. It was a 20 minute commute into work in the CBD. Sigh. . .

On WDU NZ always looks miserable, it's pouring, grey skies and really dull. Are the summer's good?

The Banks Peninsula (south of ChCh) gets some big storms blowing in but they go as quick as they come, you can go from not being able to see the ocean to being able to see all the way down the bay. One day it's pancake flat and hot and sunny so you're on the beach and the next day you are putting the heating on.

yes exactly Betty! Four seasons in one day!

That sounds nice @mbosnz would be worth an absolute fortune now.

That sounds nice @mbosnz would be worth an absolute fortune now.

Mbos sobs gently into her Marlborough sav' blanc. . .

House prices have gone crazy haven't they

@LookStupidInEverything like this!

Yep! I was so used to being in Australia and not having to take anything warm to wear out. My DD and I were in town one day and it was so cold I had to buy her a jersey to wear. And this was in December when it's normally at least 25 degrees plus, so unpredictable

Did you sell it already @mbosnz? property and rental prices definitely went up in Chch after the earthquakes too

Our old place is on the market

I have family in NZ and my impression is that the cost of living is very high and money is always an issue despite both working full time in decent jobs. However despite this they still have a really nice lifestyle. Everything is a bit simpler and very family focused. You don’t have much consumer choice which is infuriating if you’re used to it but on balance it’s probably a good thing for quality of life.

which seems to be about struggling on in your home until you drop dead or spending every single penny you have to go to a dreary nursing home

What do they do in Australia?

Australians like to complain about the cost of living while sitting in their big houses eating meat.

Disclaimer, I am an Australian living in a big house who eats meat.

For us the main difference between our UK life and our Oz life is space. There are a lot less people and a lot more space (though Sydney is starting to feel a bit squishy).

Also, it doesn't rain as much - which is nice, but obviously comes with the worries about drought.

I totally agree re space. Perth is just a lot slower too, things aren't rushed and I just find life easier here. Can drop kids at school and park at train station for $2 all day, there are so many beautiful beaches parking generally never a problem and once there you're not on top of each other. Work is less manic too, which can be frustrating but most of time I appreciate the easier pace.

My house is very average, but by UK standards it's big, 4 double bedrooms, an office, theatre room then the big open plan you get here, but there's also the outdoor lounging and dining areas that make it feel bigger. We put in a 10 metre pool but still have room for soccer and cricket matches and 60kg dog to run and chase balls.

You have to be well off in order to get the best out of life in NZ. Unless you're looking to live in the sticks then the big centres are expensive especially Auckland and Wellington.

There is a huge amount of the NZ population which doesn't have a lot. The benefits system is NOT generous and you're kinda left to fend for yourself. You're expected to get on with your life and if you make poor choices, you're pretty stuffed.

In my experience having moved to Australia from the UK, Australians who work in blue/pink colour jobs and don’t live in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth are much better off.
If you’re unemployed or disabled though things are very, very tough because benefits don’t meet rental costs unless you live in a rural, deprived area. Social housing is very hard to come by and if you’re homeless, even with children, there’s no obligation for the government to house you in a hostel or B&B while you wait for permanent accomodation.

And just re Australian Medicare, yes Oz does have universal health care which is free to those who are not working , on benefits etc. working people contribute 2 1/2 % of their wage through their tax.
Some people choose to go private but I’ve had two babies and a gallbladder removal and I’ve never paid a cent for this care, and we both work (Dh ft and me pt)

Also, re wages, I’m in a govt admin job and I earn $43 an hour.

I returned to NZ 9 years ago, with my Pom DH, after 12 years in the UK. My salary was slightly higher here, but yes, food was ridiculously expensive. However, we retired to a quiet part of Northland several years ago, having bought an old "doer-upper" for $233 k. It has land, spectacular sea views, total peace, and we can live a frugal life, growing much of our own food, and with fish straight out of the ocean. We have turned our shack into a little palace, where we can sit on the veranda in this glorious summer of never-ending sunshine. In the evenings, there are more stars than one could ever imagine in the light-polluted northern hemisphere, and the moon rises over the water...We have Sky and the internet, and I teach some esoteric subjects at the local (42 km away) U3A. There I have made friends with many recent immigrants who would never return to Europe/South Africa/Asia/USA. They know paradise when they experience it. OK, the NZ Super is not huge, though better than the UK's, and many people find it perfectly adequate for a good life, provided they don't live in the big cities. DH thinks he's died and gone to heaven, after life in Manchester...

NZ is much more expensive for food, utilities etc than uk. Also for housing. Auckland's housing prices and issues comparable with London.

Any many jobs you get in uk simply don't even exist there - mine for example.

Unless you are hugely into outdoor living, or have loads of $$$$ I wouldn't consider it.