Brisbane VS Auckland - Pros & Cons Please

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#2062944 26-Jul-2018 12:50

Wheelbarrow01:

Well it's a negative when you've been used to daylight saving for 40 years. To me it means precious usable daylight hours for recreation after work. Each to their own I guess.

Queensland isn't Auckland. It doesn't need extra "precious usable daylight hours after work", there's already enough of those.

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Horseychick

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#2062954 26-Jul-2018 13:20

I think the other thing in this equation is your 3 young kids. If they are sporty then there are far more opportunities in Brisband and Aus generally than there would be in NZ. Schools seem to be pretty good in the Brisbane area, however, I'm not sure what you do about healthcare. That would probably be my major concern if I moved there with kids.

stinger

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#2062959 26-Jul-2018 13:42

Horseychick:

I think the other thing in this equation is your 3 young kids. If they are sporty then there are far more opportunities in Brisband and Aus generally than there would be in NZ. Schools seem to be pretty good in the Brisbane area, however, I'm not sure what you do about healthcare. That would probably be my major concern if I moved there with kids.

Healthcare is cheaper in Australia. Even non protected kiwis can get a medicare on arrival (as long as you can prove you have relocated permanently), which pays for a lot of it. Some GPs bulk bill (which means you pay nothing), others have a gap, which is cheaper than seeing a GP in Auckland. Prescriptions are a lot more expensive (but not much). Private health care is more common than in NZ. The government will pay 30% of your premiums (providing you sign up before your 31st birthday or one year after you move, whichever is later), and if you earn over $75k, you are taxed more (the 'Medicare surcharge') if you don't have eligible private health care insurance.

Having said all that, if you or your kids have a disability, you'll get royally shafted by the government if you are a non-protected kiwi (see my previous post for what that means).

HcoNmeM

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#2062967 26-Jul-2018 13:59

Cost of living in Oz is going up.. food isn't as cheap anymore.. things are getting tough, even for australian citizens..

MileHighKiwi

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#2063017 26-Jul-2018 15:26

Kyanar:

Queensland isn't Auckland. It doesn't need extra "precious usable daylight hours after work", there's already enough of those.

Sure, if you like going to the beach at 6am rather than 6pm. We spent a few weeks in the GC over Xmas and it felt really strange being in darkness at 6pm.

KrazyKid

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#2063024 26-Jul-2018 15:42

I lived in Melbourne for 10 years before coming back home. My Brother lives in Beenleigh, 30 mins from both the Gold Coast and Brisbane and has lived their for 10 years.

Overall I think the rate of pay is higher in AU and the cost of living less. Petrol is cheaper, but you maybe driving longer distances (but better freeways). Car rego and speeding tickets are outrageous.

Werid things are cheaper/more expensive. ie potato chips are cheap and beer is expensive.

Medicare covered most (but not all things when I was a kiwi living there. Eventually I became an Aussie and everything was covered).

I liked that their seemed to have more options when what to do things. Bigger place I suppose.

Didn't like the heat in the summer. Expect weeks of 35+ days. May not be all in a row, but there are a lot of them. Winter is nice an warm.

My brother had to put a shade cloth over his veggie patch :)

Lots of kiwis in the GC. Seemed every second person I spoke to was a kiwi at times.

surfisup1000

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#2063053 26-Jul-2018 16:43

xpd:

Keep hearing that living costs in AU are more than NZ, so you wouldn't be any better off. Things may appear cheaper to buy, salaries more attractive, but thats because the day to day stuff is more.......

My best mate in Aus says the opposite. Stuff in NZ costs way more. Groceries are more expensive in NZ, etc.

Several things more expensive in Aus would be alcohol and cars.

Senecio

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#2063068 26-Jul-2018 16:59

Numbeo says it all really. Comparison of cost of living across a number of categories. Upshot is Brisbane is ~10% more affordable than Auckland. This is based on rental costs however, compare an Auckland mortgage with a Brisbane mortgage and the gaps widens.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Australia&country2=New+Zealand&city1=Brisbane&city2=Auckland&tracking=getDispatchComparison

Rikkitic

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#2063134 26-Jul-2018 18:53

No deadly snakes, spiders, ticks, leeches or even non-lethal but extremely annoying cane toads, fly swarms, mosquitoes, cockroaches, occasional sharks, the odd jellyfish, etc. etc. in Auckland.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

Wellingtondave

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#2063197 26-Jul-2018 21:49

Queensland also just added a NZ gang to their banned list, so perhaps they're ahead of NZ in that area too?

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#2063200 26-Jul-2018 22:12

A few points

1. Housing is much cheaper in Brisbane a few years ago, market was in a slump

2. Pay is very high

3. Cost of living is about the same, if not slightly less in AU. Milk can be had for a dollar a litre. Fuel is cheaper. There are bulk buy places that sell stuff cheaper than the cheapest you can get in NZ. Renovations are cheaper. Materials are cheaper. But yeah if you're into posh stuff they are more expensive. Eating out is more expensive. Resorts are more expensive. But if you want to find cheap stuff it's easier to find in AU.

4. Tax rebates are everywhere. Childcare rebate is 50% minimum, going up to 80% depending on your income, for example.

5. Theme parks aplenty in the GC.

Downside - if you do not have AU PR, you do not get any social services. Last time I heard you even have to pay for schooling. I would get AU PR ASAP.

The weather - expect 40 degree summer. Winter is very mild. Flies everywhere. Ants everywhere. Snakes, spiders, crocodiles, sharks.

TLD

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#2063217 27-Jul-2018 00:17

MikeAqua:

Downside - summer in Brissy can be hideous (heat + humidity)

I was wondering if anyone was going to bring that up. My step daughter moved to Brisbane a few years back. We told her how hot and humid it could get, and she said 'bring it on'. After the cost of the move and buying a flat full of furniture, she lasted six months. She said she couldn't get any work done. so she moved back to NZ and lost a ton of money.

It's not my favourite Oz city either, although it does come second to Sydney.

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Wellingtondave

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#2063222 27-Jul-2018 01:02

TLD:

MikeAqua:

Downside - summer in Brissy can be hideous (heat + humidity)

I was wondering if anyone was going to bring that up. My step daughter moved to Brisbane a few years back. We told her how hot and humid it could get, and she said 'bring it on'. After the cost of the move and buying a flat full of furniture, she lasted six months. She said she couldn't get any work done. so she moved back to NZ and lost a ton of money.

It's not my favourite Oz city either, although it does come second to Sydney.

So add the cost of air conditioning running cost/ an air conditioning unit to a rental as a desirable feature. Beats sitting in the car.

Edit: I'm not sure why all the NZ'ers are adding things like snakes and spiders (eww but not really a concern), healthcare is valid but otherwise why wouldn't someone try for a better life for their family?

dclegg

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#2063351 27-Jul-2018 09:52

Wellingtondave:

Edit: I'm not sure why all the NZ'ers are adding things like snakes and spiders (eww but not really a concern)

We lived in Australia for 12 years (Sydney, and Central Coast NSW). I never saw a snake outside of captivity in this time. My wife did have a run in with a red bellied black snake, though. But that still puts the tally between us at 1 snake in 12 years.

Spiders... that's a more valid point. Redbacks are everywhere (although you learn to look out for them, and they're generally not aggressive). But the Huntsman... large, scary looking, and quite aggressive. I attempted to kill one once with a rolled up newspaper. I missed, and the little bugger charged at me.

Krishant007

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#2063355 27-Jul-2018 10:01

dclegg:

Wellingtondave:

Edit: I'm not sure why all the NZ'ers are adding things like snakes and spiders (eww but not really a concern)

We lived in Australia for 12 years (Sydney, and Central Coast NSW). I never saw a snake outside of captivity in this time. My wife did have a run in with a red bellied black snake, though. But that still puts the tally between us at 1 snake in 12 years.

Spiders... that's a more valid point. Redbacks are everywhere (although you learn to look out for them, and they're generally not aggressive). But the Huntsman... large, scary looking, and quite aggressive. I attempted to kill one once with a rolled up newspaper. I missed, and the little bugger charged at me.

<Googled Huntsman>--- NOPE...THANK YOU VERY MUCH...

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