Perth standard of living
Discussion
Hi I have just been offered a position in Perth on 35 AUS dollars per hour and was wondering if this is enough for a decent standard of living in Perth.
I am single with no dependents and as I am fairly young would like to live somewhere central and be able to go out a few nights a week, is this feasible on this wage as I know that a pint of beer in Perth is around about £6.50?
Thanks in advance
I am single with no dependents and as I am fairly young would like to live somewhere central and be able to go out a few nights a week, is this feasible on this wage as I know that a pint of beer in Perth is around about £6.50?
Thanks in advance
The below is only my opinion ..
It's a little low. It's an "average" wage for WA, but then you'll be living where it's expensive.
If you want to be 10mins from Perth, you could be looking between $500-$600 a week in rent.
Beer price varies. Some places it's $8 a pint, someplaces it's more for a bottle.
It'd be very do-able, but you'll not have loads of money to throw about. Things like cars here are quite pricey when compared to the UK.
Where/what is the job?
It's a little low. It's an "average" wage for WA, but then you'll be living where it's expensive.
If you want to be 10mins from Perth, you could be looking between $500-$600 a week in rent.
Beer price varies. Some places it's $8 a pint, someplaces it's more for a bottle.
It'd be very do-able, but you'll not have loads of money to throw about. Things like cars here are quite pricey when compared to the UK.
Where/what is the job?
In short...Yes. You wont be living in the CBD unless you can share but you can certainly live within 15 minutes of the centre especially on the Mandurah train line.
Perth is expensive but dont make the mistake of comparing $ and £. It doesnt really work like that as you are earning money here and not in the UK.
Price of a beer varies quite a lot, a bottle of Corona can be $6 in one pub and $12 in another. A pint varies as much and all prices vary depending on what brand you are drinking.
Perth is expensive but dont make the mistake of comparing $ and £. It doesnt really work like that as you are earning money here and not in the UK.
Price of a beer varies quite a lot, a bottle of Corona can be $6 in one pub and $12 in another. A pint varies as much and all prices vary depending on what brand you are drinking.
Thanks everyone for your replies, I don't mind sharing especially to start off with.
I know that you cannot just compare it the the equivalent salary in the UK as Australia is more expensive to live, but I thought that it wouldn't be a bad wage to live off as in the UK you would be able to have a decent standard of living on this amount, is Australia really that much more expensive?
Changing the subject slightly I have been speaking to a few people today and they reckon that Perth is more for families and that the city centre is dead at night and that for an young single person I would be better off looking somewhere like Melbourne or Sydney for a job?
Surely a city of 1.5 million must have some young people and a half decent nightlife?
I know that you cannot just compare it the the equivalent salary in the UK as Australia is more expensive to live, but I thought that it wouldn't be a bad wage to live off as in the UK you would be able to have a decent standard of living on this amount, is Australia really that much more expensive?
Changing the subject slightly I have been speaking to a few people today and they reckon that Perth is more for families and that the city centre is dead at night and that for an young single person I would be better off looking somewhere like Melbourne or Sydney for a job?
Surely a city of 1.5 million must have some young people and a half decent nightlife?
It is a fine wage to live off if you are able to live within your means. It's not going to get you a new HSV and a city apartment but you can certainly be comfortable and keep yourself well entertained. I pay my half of the mortgage, have nights out and go out for meals etc, pay for my phone and my share of the utilities and still manage to run a race car on less than that.
I would say that those people you have spoken to either have not spent any real time here or are the usual moaning Perthite that sits at home watching TV and complaining there is nothing to do and worrying about the muslim family at the end of the street. For a long time Perth has been a bit behind the times with entertainment but over the last few years there has been a sudden growth in wealth and population which has brought with it a massive growth in leisure and entertainment. You still get people that dont actually go out and about though and their vision of Perth is about 15 years old.
The CBD is pretty dead at night as it is centered around business but there are other centres which are well and truly alive at night...Mount Lawley, Subiaco, Fremantle, Northbridge, Leederville etc. There are cinemas, restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes, bowling, theatres, exhibitions, gigs, comedy clubs, jazz clubs all over the place. The CBD is open late on Friday night. Honestly there is not a single night of the week that you could not find something to do.
I would say that those people you have spoken to either have not spent any real time here or are the usual moaning Perthite that sits at home watching TV and complaining there is nothing to do and worrying about the muslim family at the end of the street. For a long time Perth has been a bit behind the times with entertainment but over the last few years there has been a sudden growth in wealth and population which has brought with it a massive growth in leisure and entertainment. You still get people that dont actually go out and about though and their vision of Perth is about 15 years old.
The CBD is pretty dead at night as it is centered around business but there are other centres which are well and truly alive at night...Mount Lawley, Subiaco, Fremantle, Northbridge, Leederville etc. There are cinemas, restaurants, bars, clubs, cafes, bowling, theatres, exhibitions, gigs, comedy clubs, jazz clubs all over the place. The CBD is open late on Friday night. Honestly there is not a single night of the week that you could not find something to do.
I've been here almost 6 months (after being away almost 20 years).
In those 6 months the planned, going out, organised stuff in advance, things I've done are :-
V8 Supercars
Stock Car Racing
Melbourne Comedy Festival (in Perth)
AFL x2
Bowling x2
Go-cart racing
Belmont races (horses)
Then throw in social gatherings at friends houses (pratically every other week), going to the casino (I live 2 mins away), resturants (weekly), shopping (Perth city, malls, markets), cinema, beaches etc.
But I've also missed a 4X4 show, a hotrod show, the tarmac rally, Avon descent, all the rugby/soccer games (was invited, just couldn't find the time). I've already booked in a day at the WACA and FooFighters tickets for the next few months.
If there is something that you want to do, book it in early. As stuff sells out pretty quick. We are also just coming out of winter (and it's Tax return time) where most people hibernate.
As Deviant said, it's mainly the people who wouldn't go out anyway that complain that there is nothing to do.
The only issue is if you live out of the city that isn't near a train station, as public transport is sparce and taxi service is pretty poor.
In those 6 months the planned, going out, organised stuff in advance, things I've done are :-
V8 Supercars
Stock Car Racing
Melbourne Comedy Festival (in Perth)
AFL x2
Bowling x2
Go-cart racing
Belmont races (horses)
Then throw in social gatherings at friends houses (pratically every other week), going to the casino (I live 2 mins away), resturants (weekly), shopping (Perth city, malls, markets), cinema, beaches etc.
But I've also missed a 4X4 show, a hotrod show, the tarmac rally, Avon descent, all the rugby/soccer games (was invited, just couldn't find the time). I've already booked in a day at the WACA and FooFighters tickets for the next few months.
If there is something that you want to do, book it in early. As stuff sells out pretty quick. We are also just coming out of winter (and it's Tax return time) where most people hibernate.
As Deviant said, it's mainly the people who wouldn't go out anyway that complain that there is nothing to do.
The only issue is if you live out of the city that isn't near a train station, as public transport is sparce and taxi service is pretty poor.
madazrx7 said:
XJSJohn said:
have seen the threads, you guys ate like herding cats!!!! mind you ... we are just organising the second PH Singapore F1 meet ..... only 4 races/years after the last .... it has been a complex planning and selection process that has been whittled down to a select 3 core alcoholic PH Asia alcoholics!!!!
Colonial said:
You lot are still organising the Christmas 09 meet right? 
Sad but true, lol....I would say that $35 an hour is a decent enough wage to survive. I was on $30 an hour when i was in Perth, and although i had to live within my means i still had enough to have a two bed apartment in Northbridge ($450 a week maybe?) get drunk when required, go out for meals and run a car. Couldn't have afforder a mortgage on that wage, but i could live okay
Perth is quieter then the likes of Melb or Syd, but if you have a job to walk into in Perth i would grab it. Some of the best beaches i have seen, probably the prettiest of lady's as a general rule, and great weather.
As mentioned before, always something to do if you look.
Ok thanks everyone for your answers so far. Also I have managed to get the rate unto $45, so hopefully that should make it stretch a little further.
Right the next question is regarding bringing my car with me to Australia as it is worth a lot more money over there. Has anyone does this personally and is it better and significantly cheaper to arrange to do this yourself or it it easier although I would guess more expensive to get a firm to do this for you.
On a side note, do they still sell brand new M6 over there as I was messing around on the Australian BMW website and it still lists the M6 even though they have stopped selling it nee here for a good fee months now. Although it was £200,000 which makes a new one over here look like a bargain.
Does anyone know the purpose of taxing European cars so heavily over there and does this apply to Japanese cars and has this always been the case.
What about leasing a car, I googled it on the Australian version but could find much information. Is that common over there and are there any good deals to be had?
Right the next question is regarding bringing my car with me to Australia as it is worth a lot more money over there. Has anyone does this personally and is it better and significantly cheaper to arrange to do this yourself or it it easier although I would guess more expensive to get a firm to do this for you.
On a side note, do they still sell brand new M6 over there as I was messing around on the Australian BMW website and it still lists the M6 even though they have stopped selling it nee here for a good fee months now. Although it was £200,000 which makes a new one over here look like a bargain.
Does anyone know the purpose of taxing European cars so heavily over there and does this apply to Japanese cars and has this always been the case.
What about leasing a car, I googled it on the Australian version but could find much information. Is that common over there and are there any good deals to be had?
NSNO said:
Does anyone know the purpose of taxing European cars so heavily over there and does this apply to Japanese cars and has this always been the case.
What about leasing a car, I googled it on the Australian version but could find much information. Is that common over there and are there any good deals to be had?
Good news on the pay! I'm sure once you are here you'll be able to review it after 6 months.What about leasing a car, I googled it on the Australian version but could find much information. Is that common over there and are there any good deals to be had?
The tax is to keep the local Holdens and Fords selling (but I'm not fussed as I've never seen the appeal of Euro cars.).
It's harsh on the locals, but maybe if the UK had done something similar we'd still have high volume cars coming out of the UK that are not Micras and Civics.
Leasing is popular, you'll need to speak to the dealers really. You might have issues because of a lack of credit history.
Bring your car if you can. I sold mine, and regret the loss of money, but am quite happy I didn't have the stress of that on top of everything else that was involved with moving. Sold a Hilux and SLK for about 5k pounds, and over here they would be about 40k dollars.
There are a few restrictions like 1 car per 5 years, owned it for 12 months and I think you have to keep the car 6 months this side too. The only thing you may need to change is the rear child seatbelt mounting points.
Good going.
I lease my car. It’s one of those things that depends on tax rates as to how workable it is. Most car leases are done out of pre-tax income, so it reduces your taxable income. In my case the difference in pay between leasing (including servicing, insurance, tyres, rego etc etc – fully serviced lease) and not leasing works out around $350 a fortnight, which isn’t too bad in my eyes (VW Golf R). It’s much more cost effective for me to lease my car than have loan repayments, then fuel, rego, insurance on top of that.
Leases aren’t for everyone – but for me I change my car every 3 years and I like having known costs coming out. Makes it easier for me to budget etc.
But, I was one of the last to get a novated lease based on 25000 kms a year, which gives you a lower fringe benefit tax rate (11%). As of May 1 this year no matter how many kms you do you have a 20% FBT rate. This would increase the cost
I use a company called NLC for my lease – they have a decent enough FAQ section on their website which may be of some use.
Importing will get you a car cheaper – and you may be able to sell it on for a profit when you leave. Plenty of threads about it.
The tax issue is for all imported cars and is supposed to prop up local manufacturers because they can't compete otherwise.
I lease my car. It’s one of those things that depends on tax rates as to how workable it is. Most car leases are done out of pre-tax income, so it reduces your taxable income. In my case the difference in pay between leasing (including servicing, insurance, tyres, rego etc etc – fully serviced lease) and not leasing works out around $350 a fortnight, which isn’t too bad in my eyes (VW Golf R). It’s much more cost effective for me to lease my car than have loan repayments, then fuel, rego, insurance on top of that.
Leases aren’t for everyone – but for me I change my car every 3 years and I like having known costs coming out. Makes it easier for me to budget etc.
But, I was one of the last to get a novated lease based on 25000 kms a year, which gives you a lower fringe benefit tax rate (11%). As of May 1 this year no matter how many kms you do you have a 20% FBT rate. This would increase the cost
I use a company called NLC for my lease – they have a decent enough FAQ section on their website which may be of some use.
Importing will get you a car cheaper – and you may be able to sell it on for a profit when you leave. Plenty of threads about it.
The tax issue is for all imported cars and is supposed to prop up local manufacturers because they can't compete otherwise.
I like the sound of paying less tax but I don't think that is called Laffa as when you google it brings up so e typeof bread.
As for the leasing then I would definitely consider s golf R especially as it is considerably cheaper than an S3 even though they are a similar price in the UK. How does a novated lease work? I don't have a car allowance as part of my package so do you think that my employee would consider s novated lease?
Also how do you find the Golf R?
As for the leasing then I would definitely consider s golf R especially as it is considerably cheaper than an S3 even though they are a similar price in the UK. How does a novated lease work? I don't have a car allowance as part of my package so do you think that my employee would consider s novated lease?
Also how do you find the Golf R?
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