Want to take a look at some comparisons? Want to know how grocery shopping and bills compare for example? You are in the right place!
If you have any comparisons that may help those moving to Australia, add it to the form below!
Shop Equivalent
”Everything Stores:
Brodie
B and M - Kmart
Home Bargains - Big W
Matalan - Target
”Food Shops:
Brodie
Tesco, Sainsburys, Waitrose – Woolworths
Aldi, Lidl - Aldi
Asda - Coles
”Clothes Shops:
Brodie
Cotton on
Next is now here too online
Primark - no equivalent that I’ve found but Kmart, Big W and Target do reasonably priced clothes.
”Electrical Store
Brodie
Curry’s - Good guys
Harvey Normans
Argos - Big W
Apple Store – Apple Store
”Pet Shops:
Pets at Home - Pet Barn, Pet Stock, Pet City
”Furniture Shops:
Brodie
IKEA - IKEA
B and M - Kmart
Big W
”Fast Food
McDonald’s - McDonald’s (they don’t have curry sauce over here but do have Aoli which is incredible!)
Burger King - Hungry Jacks
KFC - KFC, Chicken treat, Red Rooster
Nandos - Nandos
Dominos - DominosChinese and Indian take away just aren’t even close to the UK’s so make the most of them before the move!
Brodie
”You can't buy alcohol in Supermarkets in SA. You need to go to bottle shops. The best is Dan Murpheys - its like a giant warehouse of booze!
Lisa
Bills
”We live about 20 mins from Adelaide in a 4 bedroom + office + pool house.
Lisa
We payed $710k for our house.
Our electric is about $320 per month, gas is about $60 per month.
Food is about $350 a month.
”- 2 adults and 2 boys (aged 4 and 7)
Dave
- South of city, Coromandel Valley
- $600 pw rent
- $300 pw food
- Around $200 pm elec and $40 pm gas
- OSHC for eldest and day care for youngest totals around $2600 pm. If on temp visas it would be double that
”Costs for a family of 3 - 2 x adults and 1 x 16 year old
Sarah
Rent per week: $700 pw
Home Insurance per year: $168
Electricity per year: roughly $900
Gas per year: approx. $280
Phone contract/s per month: $25 dollars per month x 3
Internet per month: $53.99
Rego per year: 1 vehicle roughly $800
Car Insurance per year: $664 for a 5 door car - Nissan pulsar
Health Insurance per year: $3576
Steaming services per month: $49 Foxtel streaming full package
”Who is in your family?
Jules, September 2024
Myself, my husband and a toddler
Rent (per week):
$485
Electricity per year:
$2136
Gas per year:
$552
Water per year if applicable:
$476
Phone contract/s per month and number of contracts:
$22.50 for one phone plan
Internet per month:
$59
Rego per year and details of vehicles:
$804 for a Toyota Kluger
Food shop per week and where do you shop?
Roughly $180 from Woolies
Take aways/eating out cost per week:
Usually around $40. I have been shocked by the delivery charges being around $8 and a $4.80 service fee.
”Who is in your family?
Katie, September 2024
2 adults and 2 kids.
Move date:
June 2022
Mortgage (per month):
$2000
Council rates per year if applicable:
$1800
Home Insurance (per year):
$900
Food shop per week and where do you shop?
$200
”Where do you live including State?
Genie, September 2024
Mount Barker, South Australia
Who is in your family?
Myself, my husband and our two year old son
Move date:
Moved to Adelaide in March 2023, and to Mount Barker in August 2024
Rent (per week):
In Marion, Adelaide, we paid $635/week
Home Insurance (per year):
In Mount Barker, around $2100 a year
Electricity per year:
On average, about $2400
Gas per year:
On Average, about $1000 a year
Water per year if applicable:
On Average, about $500 per year
Phone contract/s per month and number of contracts:
We used Boost’s annual package of $200 for 200 GB
Internet per month:
$85 per month
Rego per year and details of vehicles:
$650 for a Skoda Supurb (2017)
Car Insurance/s per year and details of vehicles:
$850 for a Skoda Supurb (2017)
Health Insurance per year:
About $3500 per year
Food shop per week and where do you shop?
$200 a week from Cole’s
Alcohol cost per week and where from?
$30 a week from BWS
Take aways/eating out cost per week:
$40 a week
Grocery Shops
”Shopping
Brodie
Our basic food shopping for a family of 5 - 2 x adults and 3 x young kids averages about $350 every 2 weeks. This can vary but gives a good indicator for what to aim for as food here is a lot more expensive than the UK especially at the minute after covid. Some examples of food are (as of the 18/6/2022 based on woolies):
Bread Tip Top The One White 700g - $3.70
Butter (Table Spread) 1kg - $2.45
Milk green top 3l - $5.35
Eggs 12case 700g - $5.30
Beer Emu 375ml x 30 case - $56.00
Wine White Yellow Tail 750ml – $10.00
Chicken 1.1kg - $14.30
Mince Meat 1kg - $13.00
Bananas 750g - $3.90
Strawberries 250g - $6.50
Nappies size 6 little ones pull ups 40 pack - $11.50
Baby Wipes 480 pack - $10.00
Dog Food pedigree dog food 8kg - $25.00
Toilet roll 24 pack - $ 12.60
”For a family of 4 (2 adults and and two boys (12 and 10), we spend around $350 per week on food. This is split over Aldi and Woolworths. We cook most food we eat, and don't really eat out too much and like to each well. Aldi isn't the same as the UK, but over the 3 years we have been here its gotten better. The chocolate from there is from Germany and Belgium and beats any Australian chocolate! (SA)
Lisa
”2 adults and 2 kids - South Adelaide - $300 pw
Dave
”2 x adults and 1 x 16 year old, we spend approx. $150-200 at Aldi as it's cheaper and you get more for your money.
Sarah
”Roughly $180 from Woolies for 2 adults and 1 toddler
Jules, September 2024
”2 adults, 2 kids - $200 per week.
Katie, September 2024
Other
”Cars!
Dave Wilson
Being a bit of a petrolhead I'm quite in touch with car values. I soon realised that here in Australia used vehicles are so much more expensive! My first car to get me to work and back was a 2001 VW Golf. I paid $2000 (£1100) for it but back home it will have been a £400 scrap car! A year later, thanks to COVID, I sold it for $2750! One positive is that certain states don't require annual vehicle inspections (MOT's), SA being one of them... on the other hand you may be buying a total wreck if you don't know your dipstick from your gear stick!
”Cost of living - (a quick snapshot to give you an idea)
Amanda
Home loan - much higher than UK (however, we do have a bigger house and pool)
Shopping (food) - about the same as UK
Clothing - can be cheaper than the UK
Furniture - similar or as above, can be cheaper
Fuel - about half the cost of the UK
Rates - again higher than council tax (bigger house)
Electricity - same (then we installed solar so much less)
Health Insurance - don't have to pay in UK so an added expense (you can survive on Medicare, publicly funded health care insurance in which UK has a reciprocal agreement in place)
If no healthcare then Ambulance cover is required - again an added expense
Insurances - I'm sure they are similar to the UK
School - choices between public, Catholic or private (you do not need to be Catholic to attend their schools. Public has a charge but not much, we are unsure as our little one attends a Catholic school which is just over $4,000 annually rising to approx. $8,000 for year 10-12, and private fees are higher than Catholic fees). There are many well performing public schools, you will figure what's best in the area you settle.
”Incomings -
Amanda
Husband's wages - similar to the UK (he is a fitter supervisor)
Mine - much higher than the UK (Project Manager in State Government)
Hope this helps a little, as we were under the impression, everything costs more before we moved over and as above indicates, it certainly doesn't!
”The sun and UV here are so strong. Don't bother with anything below factor 50, use mozzie repelant too and seek shade! It's not the UK.
Jade
”For a family of 3 - 2 x adults and 1 x 16 year old
Take aways/eating out cost per week: $100
Sarah
School costs per year: $650