New Zealand cost of living?

[sorath5]

How far does $70,000 NZD go? Is the salary affordable for a family of 3? Thanks for your replies.

[stockportonealpha]

Sorath5,

You should just about to be able to manage – but only if you have some savings to take over with you to help you set up your life in NZ! There might be some considerable costs when you arrive i.e. car (very limited public transport in NZ outside the main cities), and a deposit on a house etc. If your partner is able to work when you arrive then you should have no worries – there is plenty of work in most of the cities.

I have just returned and was earning a bit less than $70,000pa in Wellington. I was able to live very comfortably, but then again I was only supporting myself! One of my colleagues was supporting his family of 4 with just his salary (in the region of $90,000) – he just about managed!?

I would say that the cost of living is roughly 20% less than the UK (so around the same as the US perhaps?). Housing is certainly a lot cheaper than the UK, but some consumer goods (i.e. clothes, electrical items) seemed to be a bit pricier than in the UK or US! It seems to average out in the end!

Have you managed to secure flying work?!

Best of luck! It’s a great place!

[sorath5]

Actually it will be an engineering position. Do you know anything about how the schooling system works? I would be bringing my 13 year old from the states over with me. Plus a wife:)

[Lee Frost]

You wont have any probs on the schooling front - their system is excellent and full of people with the intention of looking after you and your child well.

I would suggest you make some more direct enquiries via the NZ immigration website.

If you are thinking about a particular place, then research the available schools in the area and cold call them. You will be pleasantly surprised by the helpful response.

LF

[nzmarty]

$70k is good money for engineering. you will also fall outside of the family assistance limits, so as a single-house income it's not that great, especially if you've got ruggies to pay for. the national carrier certainly doesn't pay that to the masses, and it's pretty much only the LAMEs and overtime pushers that will see 70k.

i hope they (whoever you will be working for) are not suggesting that you could earn up to $70k, what if the OT dries up?

rude question i know, tell me to bugger off if you want, but is it a GA or airline job, and which end of the country?

[tinpis]

What does the rock 'n roll pay over there?

[Oktas8]

If it helps, the average salary in NZ is about $35k.

[CaptYanknBank]

Bourne, Bread an Edewkated in NZ.....
No probs with the Skooling.
Nah, seriously, wonderful place to bring up your kids if you like the great outdoors and are not into going to theme parks every weekend, guess you could call NZ a natural theme park.
School did ok by me although it's changed a lot in structure since I was there.
Can't help too much on the cost of living as haven't lived there for a few years (Got married overseas..... :ouch: ). My two brothers there have raised 7 kids between them and both have very comfortable lifestyles on their typical wages.
Good luck.
CY&B

[aintsaying]

You are going to struggle.
Is your engineering position aviation based? if so, have a real good look at the pay structure.
The cost of living in Auckland is more than most North American cities. Outside of Auckland will be on parr.
Good luck, I hope you have got a cash reserve to fall back on to get out of NZ.

[27/09]

Tom1981's friends and aintsaying, must have very extravagent lifestyles if they struggled along on $90,000 and $70,000 respectively. Many people I know of get along very well supporting a family on much less than that, and they live in Auckland.

[nzmarty]

with 2 kids, a mortgage 2 cars and gas at $1.75/litre, $70k in auckland isn't going to go far. you could certainly survive, but all the toys would have to be sold. if you're 20 and single then it's great.

[aintsaying]

Yeah I had a really extravagent life style when I lived there. Worked 6 days a week, got head aches driving along the motorway to work, it went away when I put the fan onto recirculate. Hmm wonder what would cause that? no aircare in NZ yet.
When the wife and I went to a pub for a reasonable feed and a pint I never got more than $5-00 change out of $50-00. usually we were still hungary afterwards too. Gas was cheap then at $1.25/litre, milk was just on $3.00/ 2 litres, meat like mutton was around $20.00/kg, electricity per month was always just under $100.00/ month, to catch the ferry to the south island you will not get much change out of $500-00 per direction for 1 car and passenger (ferry trip time 3 hrs)
I worked with other persons from around the globe who moved to NZ and they are all now back overseas glad to be gone.
One thing we all agree on is it was good to go there to see what its like, had fun, some of us got a good look around, many did not.
For me I find it cheaper here in north america. You might find it better than your current situation. Your new employer is the biggest factor.

[tinpis]

It were cheap when the government was subsidising everything the cockies did.
Of course there was nothing worth buying except a few mutton chops and a block of cheese.
But man it was cheap.:hmm:

[MOR]

to catch the ferry to the south island you will not get much change out of $500-00 per direction for 1 car and passenger (ferry trip time 3 hrs)

Complete bollocks.

The most EXPENSIVE fare I could find on their website was $225 one way. The only way you could spend $500 is if you took an articulated truck and 50 of your mates.

When the wife and I went to a pub for a reasonable feed and a pint I never got more than $5-00 change out of $50-00.

Yeah and I'm sure you got a lot of change out of 16 pounds for two meals and drinks at any decent pub...

they are all now back overseas glad to be gone.

As are we... :D

[Oktas8]

When the wife and I went to a pub for a reasonable feed and a pint I never got more than $5-00 change out of $50-00. usually we were still hungary afterwards too. Gas was cheap then at $1.25/litre, milk was just on $3.00/ 2 litres, meat like mutton was around $20.00/kg, electricity per month was always just under $100.00/ month, to catch the ferry to the south island you will not get much change out of $500-00 per direction for 1 car and passenger (ferry trip time 3 hrs)

Wow.

In order:

$25 pp for a reasonable pub meal and handle of beer sounds right, today. Personally I take advantage of the warm mild climate and good supermarket food / booze and have a barbecue on the deck...
I drive about 300 to 400km per fortnight for $55 in my average car.
$5.50 for four litres of milk at the local corner store. Auckland and other cities.
$9 to $15 per kilo depending on where you shop. You can pay more for specialty meats - but why would you?
$100 for power & heating sounds right for a family.


I feel like I've just wasted five minutes posting that - but if you're going to run the country down, be accurate eh?

Best of luck sorath - hope your move goes well if you decide to come!

Cheers,
O8

[noooby]

I think aintsaying must have been smoking a bit of the old Te Puke Thunder in his spare time!! NZ$20/kg for mutton!! Hahahahahahaha. They certainly saw you coming didn't they. Just went to the Woolworths site. Rump steak for $11/kg.
Sounds like somebody didn't like the fact that there wasn't a BK on every corner, or that Supermarkets didn't do bulk size in everything!!
He is correct in saying there is no aircare in NZ yet, not really a requirement for it. Christchurch has bylaws for home fires to try and redue pollution. But then, coming from a country that consumes more fossil fuels than all the other countries added together, perhaps his brain has been fried already.
Couldn't agree more Oktas8 :D :D

[MOR]

Nothing so bitter and twisted as a failed expat... :rolleyes:

[nzmarty]

some of us are very happy right here. plenty of whingers come and go, but those of us that stick it out don't find it too bad, as long as you can dodge the highway patrol, get out of paying tax, and best of all fly over the mountains, then up the west coast and down the east coast in a morning!

[pakeha-boy]

nzmarty....couldnt agree more,....you paint a great picture,was in tikitik 2 weeks ago and saw a single flying down the coast.....lucky buggar..

MOR.....hehehehe....as usual,.....like a hot knife through butter .

[aintsaying]

I did some google searches for cost of living in NZ and came up with a lot of info that supports both the smoking Te Puke thunder and actually living in nz sides.
Heres some info I found which should link to other sites to help you.

http://www.alloexpat.com/new_zealand_expat_forum/viewtopic.php?p=306
http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/housing/nz.html
http://www.finfacts.com/costofliving.htm
http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/intsalcalc.html
http://www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/employment/immigration.cfm

I'm not a computer wizard like many folks around these parts, so I hope the above addresses actually lead you to the intended info.

Please post your comments on living in nz if you do move here. would be good to see how it all pans out.
The best thing I did when I lived in nz was buy a couple rental units, when I sold up the resale value was better than I expected.

[MOR]

pakeha-boy

like a hot knife through butter

That would be NZ butter of course, none of this foreign muck... :}

[noooby]

Nice post aintsaying. Good selection of websites that seem to give a balanced perspective of living in NZ. Public Transport would be my biggest gripe with NZ (except Wellington, where it is quite good). Otherwise, I wouldn't want to change a thing. Selection for some things may not be as good as other countries, but we don't seem to be as tied down by red tape as most other countries either. Connecting utilities is easy, and pretty much instant. Not like the 2 weeks I had to wait for my phone to be connected in Italy. Sheesh!!
All countries have good points and bad points. It just depends what things you value more.
We should actually be making NZ out to be a s:mad: hole, that way we can keep it to ourselves!! :}

[aintsaying]

Sorath5

Heres some more info for you.
If you have lots of cash/assets with you, if you still head to NZ, you may be able to pick up a nice property with all these morgagee sales coming up.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=54&objectid=10391493

I'm thinking about heading home to NZ for a visit and look at some long term property investments. Don't know if the numbers are low enough yet.

[pakeha-boy]

....and to that I say....

Two Arms,
Two Hands,
Two Steely Bands,
Beneath the Southern Cross I Stand,
A fig of fern clasped in my hand,a product of my native land,
When suddenly a voice within me cried....
NEW ZEALAND!!!...YOU BLOODY BEAUTY!!!!!
so, up the ol-brown kiwi...and drink more piss!!!

poet and dont even know it...PB:}

[tinpis]

Tin looked at a beautiful Swiss Chalet style house for holiday hide out on the edge of the lake in Queenstown in 1983 had a hot tub on the balcony looking out over the mountains etc etc price $80000 AUS.(OZ$ to $kiwi $1.50 then)
Now look http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19755615-25658,00.html

[Rich-Fine-Green]

NZ?. Great Country, Great People.

I've looked at buying a holiday place in the South Island and from many trips to NZ, my opinion is NZ$70k is quite livable.

However, I think the top tax threshold bites at about NZ$60k?. :eek:

[Ratshit]

I've lived in all 4 countries mentioned.

In decreasing order of cost-of-living.

UK, USA, Oz, Kiwiland

R:cool:

[Chocks Away]

Those "alloexpat" figures are abit off the mark or old.
Price of fuel is $1.76 Kiwi!
Inflation 4% and interest rates just gone up to 8.3%

Auckland is an expensive place to live (especially if you get caught by one of the million Parking Inspectors/Tow trucks!) and compares with Sydney to an extent. South Island and outside Auckland is cheaper.

As with any place, you adjust. For example, instead of EFTPOS for transactions over the counter out of your savings account, use Mastercard/Visa to avoid massive bank fees.

Telecommunications are expensive but losening up at the moment, due pressure ON the (:yuk: ) Govt :ugh: and their monopolies.

Infrastructure is disgracefull (roads/Fwy, Pwr etc), considering the taxes and huge increase in council rates, nationwide. Housing affordability is usually out of reach due to the poor Kiwi dollar and continuing influx of overseas money buying up property.

Apart from that, you'll love the spectacular countryside and chasing the hobits around:} .

[rottenlungs]

NZ?. Great Country, Great People.
I've looked at buying a holiday place in the South Island and from many trips to NZ, my opinion is NZ$70k is quite livable.
However, I think the top tax threshold bites at about NZ$60k?. :eek:
Hi, yeah 39% tax kicks in at 60K IIRC. NZ is not a country to go to if you want to be a millionaire, however, the country and its people are superb.
As an indication, I`m on 75K supporting a mrs and a 1 yr old without any problems, which is why I`m an IT geek not a pilot. From what I can gather low level ga is not that well paid.
Median household income in NZ is about 42k or something like that. Now I don`t see how a family can live on that without a filip from Social Services.
As a, so far, very happy and reasonably successful expat pom, my only gripe is the damned interest rate - its heading for double figures and the promised economic slowdown still hasn`t quite materialised.
However, I`m basically paying in dollars what I would pay in pounds back home to smash bugs, which more than makes up for the interest rates!
Cheers
Rotten