Cost of living guide
Accommodation:
A 3-bedroom rental ranges from $2700 per month for a basic, no-frills house or apartment to $3300 a month or more for an “executive home”. You can pay up to $8000 per month or more for a luxury property with all the bells and whistles.
A no-frills, 3-bedroom city apartment can be purchased for as little as $179,000, with more average prices in the $300,000s and $400,000s. Luxury units range from the $700,000s to the multi-millions.
A simple 3-bedroom house can be purchased for around $300,000 in the outer suburbs, and as with apartments, prices range up into the multi-millions for more exclusive locations. If looking to live close to the city centre, budget around $450,000 to $750,000 for a decent-sized house.
Utilities:
- Water: Average bill is $30+ per month for a family of 4.
- Electricity: Average of $100+ a month for a family of 4.
- Gas: Average of $100+ a month for a family of 4.
- Phone: Average of $80 per month for a landline + ADSL2 broadband
Food
(These are regular, everyday prices for name-brand items)
- 1 litre Milk – $2.85
- 50g Butter – $5.69
- Dozen Eggs – $6.00
- Loaf of Bread – $3.00
- 1kg bag of rice – $3.00
- 1kg potatoes — $2.00
- 500g pasta — $2.49
- 100g Instant Coffee – $9.77
- 1kg Apples — $4.45
- 1kg Tomatoes – $5.50
- Head of Lettuce – $2.00
- 1kg boneless chicken breasts – $15.00
- 500g block of cheese – $5.00
Transport:
- 10 km taxi fare — $32.00
- Monthly commuter ferry pass — $145
- Link Bus single trip — $1.90
- Petrol pump price — $2.15 per litre
Leisure:
- Cinema ticket — $16.00
- Opera/ballet ticket — $49.50 up to $187.50
- Gym membership — $99 joining fee, $190/month
- Meal for 2 in an upmarket restaurant — $200 including wine
- Meal for 4 in the family restaurant $120
- Satellite TV: basic package starts at just over $60 per month
- Home internet: varies, average $80 per month
- Mobile phone charge: 72 cents per minute prepaid, $20 per month minimum postpaid
- Landline: $40 per month
- 1h of housekeeping: $35
- 1h of a babysitter: $20
- Shirt dry cleaning: $7.00
School fees:
- Public school $0-$600 per year per child. You do not have to pay these fees, but some schools won’t release books to children until the ‘school donation’ is paid. You can claim anything paid back on your tax at the end of the year as a donation.
- Private school: Starting at $20,000 per year or more
