Who gives a rats about the fuel price in the UK? For the couple of years I lived there, you virtually didn't need your car at all (they, unlike OZ, actually have decent public transport). Rent was also expensive if you lived in town, but very cheap away from the centre of action (again, how much do you pay to rent in the Eastern Suburbs as opposed to out a little way - say Strathfield?).
As for beer at todays prices, well at least you get a pint over there for the equivalent of about $5 Aus (in the city). Last time I drank in the heart of Sydney, most establishments charged around $4 for a schooner, which given the volume of the pint doesn't make it that much more expensive overall.
Its time for people to admit that wages in Aus are heading the way of third world LCC's, not western nations market averages.