Is way of life cheaper in NZ??

Question

Ive got a job starting in July in NZ, im getting paid $400-$450 per week, this is about £150-£170. Is it cheaper to live in NZ, because i want to try to save while im there. Is this a good wage or not?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I would also say I worked on the idea that 1$ =1GBP....not in exhcange rates, but in general, but I can say the pound goes a LOT further in most cases......if you get food/accommodation included then it should be ok...it depends on where you are living....some places you might find more pricey.

You get used to things here.....and if you don;t like it you can always try and get another job...it may be easier to do when you are here or go back home!

I personally think the life STYLE makes up for any costs of living!

Answer 2

Is this in the hand after tax or before tax?

After tax $400 to $450 in NZ money is not bad and it probably is cheaper to live here.  When I visited the UK I found it terribly expensive.  You could do quite well on this wage although cost of living, like anywhere is rising.

Answer 3

I'm not sure where alexhmac gets his facts from but I can assure you one pound is not equal to one New Zeland dollar!

(i've been to London and I know for sure that chocolate bars in NZ do not cost 33 cents which is how many pence I paid for one over there)

$400-$450  a week is an OK wage for NZ (if its before tax then after It would be more like $320-$360 a week).

Still as someone says if you are nannying and not paying for food or rent then thats an awesome wage and you'd probably be able to save almost have your wage each week and still have fun!

even if you were having to pay rent you'd still get by but saving would be harder (particularly if it was only $320 you were getting a week after tax).

Petrol could possibly be your biggest cost if you happen to be driving around much, petrol prices are now at almost $1.86 a litre but in general our cost of libing isn't as bad as other parts of the world, namely, London.

Hope this helps and enjoy your time in NZ

Answer 4

Generally what you can buy for a pound in the UK you can get for a dollar in NZ. So getting $400-$450 per week will roughly get you the same living conditions as 400-450 pounds a week in the UK.

Answer 5

I see you are going to be a nanny...so if this means you don't have to pay for your living costs (rent and food) then this will be fine.

If you have to pay your own rent and food you could get by but I doubt you will be able to save. I am a recent graduate and I earn about $200 more a week than that I have to flat with 5 others to save money. It also depends where your job is - I live in Auckland which is relatively expensive.