How much does it cost to live in Australia? Many of us have moved here because it has one of the world’s highest standards of living. As most of you know, a higher quality of life would most likely also equal to a higher cost of living. In this article, I will be sharing with you a few tips that would help you save some money here and there.
To many of my dear readers, one of Australia’s attractions is the better pay rate. I have met a number of professionals, registered nurses for example, who have moved from a country where they used to earn around $270 a month , to Australia where they can earn the same in less than a day’s work. But nothing’s all rosy, the costs that you have to pay for anything is also higher. These tips below will help you to still enjoy a great Aussie life, just a bit cheaper.
Accommodation
Rent
This is probably the thing that contributes the most to one’s living costs. Unfortunately, having a place to live in doesn’t come cheap in Australia. If you’re looking at renting, a way to spend less would be to opt to live in a regional area as they tend to have less expensive properties on the market. For example, your $500 per week can get you a one bedroom apartment in Sydney or a three to four bedroom house in Kilmore, Victoria. Regional towns, though not as bustling as its urban counterparts, aren’t always as sleepy as what most imagine them to be.
However, if you just can’t live outside of a ‘concrete jungle’ but you’re on a very tight budget, there are a few things that you can consider. Maybe you could live in a suburb nearby instead of in the inner city? Instead of a house, maybe you could rent an apartment unit? There are also things like shared houses where you’d only rent a room and then the rest of the place are shared/common areas.
Buy
Now if you’re ready for that big step to buy your own property, there are a couple of things that you could to lessen your costs. These varies from state to state so it would be best to do that extra research. Some of these are:
- * First Home Owner Grant – This is a national scheme that gives a one-off government grant payed to eligible first home owners. It offers them concessions or exemptions on stamp duty.
- First Home Super Saver Scheme – This government scheme allows Australian first home owners to save up for a home deposit in their superannuation by giving them concessional tax treatment.
- Key Start – This Western Australian government initiative provides low-deposit home loans to those who aren’t able to meet the deposit requirements of the usual lenders.
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Groceries
Supermarket Rewards Program
There are many ways in which one could spend less on groceries. The first thing that you can do is to join the rewards programs of the supermarkets that you frequent. You earn points every time you shop and then you can use these points later on. If you don’t like bringing so many cards with you, there are apps that you can install on your phone where you can add all of your loyalty cards into.
Specials
Basically every time my husband and I go grocery shopping, we always keep an eye out for the yellow tags (specials). You can even find things that are more than 50% off. I have once bought a pack of beef for only￠90! Make sure that you check the expiry date for these things though because sometimes they may be expiring very soon. Online grocery shopping is also something worth checking out as there are specials that are exclusive for online orders only.
Another trick that I have recently learned is that if you go to the supermarket maybe less than an hour before the closing time, you may find cooked food, like this roast chicken here, for half price!
No-name/Homebrand
Most of the supermarkets here produce their own products that kind of serves as an alternative to brand named goods. These no-name counterparts of branded products are quite cheaper in comparison and personally, I think that most of the time, they’re just as good.
Transport
If you live in the city, they say that the most cost effective way of going around town is by using public transport. I think a big part of this are the parking fees. It wouldn’t be shocking if you spent a couple of hundred dollars a week in parking if you live in any of the major cities.
However, if you are living in a regional area, you can save the most if you drive your own car because public transport isn’t as good. I live in a regional area so I know from experience that it’s very much a hassle, if not impossible, to get around here if you don’t drive. Since public transport here is not as frequent as that of the city, you’d have to spend a lot on Uber or cab if you want to go to places easily. Second hand cars are cheap and are plenty available. You can even find a decent enough used car for as low as $500. When it comes to petrol, you can enjoy a couple of cents off by using membership discounts (from your insurance, supermarkets, or the petrol stations).
Clothes etc.
Vinnies, Salvation Army and The Likes
If you don’t really mind using things that people have used before, then these places are perfect for you. You can buy good clothes for under $5. There are a lot of other great finds here like kitchen stuff, furniture and toys, all for a low price. I remember that when we were still starting out, we got most of our kitchen utensils, plates, mixing bowls etc. at Vinnies. Nothing was really wrong with any of them, they’re basically stuff that people donate to Vinnies and then the organisation turn it to profit.
On the right is a photo of some jars the we bought from Vinnies. They were only around $2-$4 each!
Kmart and BigW
For brand new clothing and household items that won’t break the bank, these places are the go-to. Although not as cheap as the ones that you can get from the stores mentioned above, they’re still cheap enough and you can save a bit more on clearance sales or when you buy out of season.
Conclusion
Yes, Australia can be an expensive place to live in but people do earn enough to be able to afford it. Some may argue that we pay a lot tax but if you look around Australia, you’d see where the taxes are going. All in all, with the right ‘techniques’, you can enjoy this beautiful place without spending too much.
Disclaimer All content and information in this post is for purposes of sharing my experiences only, does not constitute professional advice and does not establish any kind of professional-client relationship.
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2 Comments
Barry and Belle's Aussie Story — The journey to their Australian Dream - My Aussie Story · April 7, 2022 at 10:17 pm
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