How much monthly income do I need to have a decent life in Auckland, NZ?

Question

I am married with two kids.

Answer 1

Check out resources below to set your own definition of 'decent'.

Rents/house costs etc look at http://www.trademe.co.nz , http://www.open2view.com or www.realenz.co.nz.  Expensive suburbs are in the best public school zones eg Epsom, Mt Eden, Newmarket, Takapuna.  Public schools are not free and require 'donations' which vary - more affluent suburbs have higher 'donations' ($300-900 per annum) than lower socio economic suburbs eg Mangere, Otara ($10-$30per annum).  In some instances it is cheaper to rent/buy outside of expensive suburbs and send kids to private schools.

Beachfront properties are expensive

Groceries - check out http://www.foodtown.co.nz (online shopping)

Cars http://www.trademe.co.nz or http://www.te.co.nz - auctions are great but buyer beware. (same as buying on line).  AA has pre purchase checks http://www.aa.co.nz.  Car is a must as public transport is not the best especially on weekends.

General household goods low end of market : http://www.thewarehouse.co.nz

Highly recommend some health insurance especially surgical, check out http://www.southerncross.co.nz.  Been around for ages and good suppliers.  Register with Family Doctor and visits during normal working hours is approx $10, kids free.

Entertainment - Heaps of free outdoor activity for kids; parks, walks, beach etc.

Check out http://www.emigratenz.org/cost-of-living...  Some of the prices maybe a bit out of date.

Answer 2

The question is, what you do understand with a "decent life".

Owning a house, or renting. Doing a lot of things that cost money (gym, opera, theater, going out) or not?

some people can live with 35K per year while others are unsatisfied with 100K per year.

Rents depend on how you want to live, you could get something suitable from 300 per week for your family, but could also end up paying 800. Do you eat any kind of food and adjust to what is cheap in New Zealand, or prefer European cheese (as an example) that is really expensive?

With more details, it would be easier to answer your question

Answer 3

I lived in Auckland for about 8 months and found it relatively comparable to a city in America.  It is not as expensive as New York or Atlanta, but is closer to a Nashville.  Of course, to save money on housing it is a good idea to get a place further away from the city (i.e. Mt. Eden, Onehunga).  In terms of transport, if you want to buy a car, go to the weekly car auction or (what I did) go to the Backpacker's Car Market.  There you can get a mechanical check, negotiate price, change ownership, and get insurance (although insurance through your bank will be cheaper, but NZ does not require insurance anyways).  Let me know if you have any other questions!

Answer 4

Squillions - forget it, the inflation rate is so high there you'd need to take 3 jobs to pay the all the bills.

If you can live on the land - the scenery is beautiful, however looks alone don't feed your family or pay the bills.