Is the cost of living really so much more in Australia?

[shrimponastick]

Was just watching 'Wanted Down Under' - and the family were calculating their daily living expenses.

After adding up the costs of shopping, utilities etc they were significantly worse off compared to living in the UK.

I was just interested if that is really the case? Don't your shopping/eating habits change accordingly?

I never needed a tumble drier in the UK but boy do I need one here!
No indoor heating apart from electric heaters or an open fire (unusual but our house is old) - we don't have reverse cycle air con either. I do have an airer but it has to live in my bedroom, as I have one of the electrical heaters on in there in the evenings and early mornings.
We have loft insulation but overall the house is shockingly insulated.

I've just asked DH what our water bills are - he says about $200/qtr. That's metered usage and we don't have water restrictions where we are.

Cost of any work you need to get done at home seems to be astronomical here too - so if we need to get a plumber, plasterer, etc in, we never seem to escape without paying $1000 or more. And shopping around never seems to help bring the bill down very much. I am amazed to read on mumsnet that someone got someone in to do a repair for, say, £170.

Another shock to the system for me is real lack of consumer protection. In renovating our house we have been royally ripped off - but seems to be no comeback available. And it is so hard to find info in advance to protect yourself - I miss all the UK review websites, money saving expert etc. if I have ever raised a complaint with a company, I have found them utterly unfazed. Basic stuff like phoning to let you know they are delayed doesn't happen, and you'll never get an apology, nor will they hear you out.

I hate, hate, hate paying so much for good and services and feeling so routinely done over and powerless

ha ha! This is how I feel about living in London, it's so bloody expensive and I came from Melbourne...

Trying to get any tradesman to do ANYTHING in this city is the definition of impossible. And when they do finally quote you they whack on an extra wad for having to come to London, even if their website says they work in London .

But yes, Australia is expensive if you think you're going to live forever after off your converted £. When I first got to London when I converted the cost of my rent, my salary and travel expenses etc to AUD$ and then what I actually paid for it at home I felt sick to my stomach - and ripped off! Now I've been in London 5 years I've got used to how expensive things are here. But mainly because I don't convert back to AUD$ and live within my means for what I'm earning here....Just my own simple rule of thumb