Advice on the cost of living

Welcome on Expat-blog Jillu!

First of all, I suggest you to have a look to the Australia Guide, there are lots of info.

Hope this helps,
Christine

Hello, Here are a few quick answers to some of your questions.

I live in Canberra and jobs like working as a cleaner, working in a restaurant, or working in a shop are somewhat easy to find.  I would suggest to apply online, and apply to jobs advertised in newspapers, AND ask in person in shops. The more ways you apply, the more opportunities you will be offered.  I applied for everything I could find and I was able to get a part time job in a few days, and was able to find a full time job in less than 2 weeks.

Rent and owning a home in Canberra is expensive ($1500-$2000/month and even higher) and it would be best to respond to an ad in the newspaper to someone looking for a housemate/roommate and not initially live alone (unless you are bringing a significant amount of money with you). Hopefully you will have somewhere to stay when you come, anyway?

A new Ford Focus is about $25,000 (includes taxes and fees) and a new Toyota Camry about $35,000 (includes taxes and fees)  A good efficient second hand car like a 5 year old Nissan Pulsar could be had for about $12,000 or less.

Also, you will have to be a Permanent Australian Resident to apply for any sort of credit or loans, so keep that in mind if you are not one yet.  Also some employers will only hire people with an immigration visa that lasts longer than 2 years.

Hopefully some of this helped a little. Good luck to you.

Hi Jillu

Firstly, welcome to australia in Dec 09.

there are a few questions which you need to ask yourself to help yourself further.

1. which state and city will you be settling down in?

2. what kind of job are you interested in? do you have the necessary experience? The job market is picking up now which is good news. The kind of job you would like determines the salary of cos, but generally speaking, Australia does pay good salary mainly because the tax is high(I think)


3.Baby day care is very expensive. I do not have a child so I can't tell you the exact figure but I have friends paying about $50 per day for child care. alot of mums end up staying at work taking care of their kids because it works out to be cheaper for the household.

4. the price of use car can start as low as a few thousands, depending on its quality and a new car like the Getz can start as low as 13K.

5. Rental is another subjective topic because each states has different standard of living. If you were to rent in sydney or inner sydney, the rental is definately higher than renting in places like Darwin or Adelaide. Brings you back to Qn 1.

6. I reckon every place has its up and down to live in. If you don't know, pick one and there's always the option to relocate and who knows, you might relocate because of job, family, etc..many reasons.

7. My advice is don't spend the effort looking for a job online. Most employers want to see you and chat with you before they will hire you. This also gives you a chance to see if you like working for them. There's always plently of job around if you are not fussy. Enjoy your move and have a fun time. You will have your entire life to work so don't worry about it before hand.

Hope this helps.

Joanne
http://whatsupjo.blogspot.com

Hi again, If you want to apply for a job at Coles, Woolworths, Safeway, Kmart, or Target you have to apply online.  In rare cases where they will take a resume from you in person, you will still be directed to apply online.  There are many of these stores around in many cities and towns, and Woolworths is one of the largest employers in Australia, so don't rule out such shops as potential employers if you don't have qualifications that will instantly get you work when you arrive in Australia. Good luck.

Hi Christine,

Thanks for your reply. I glanced through the Austalia Guide and yep it gave me lot of information.

Thanks
Jillu

christine25 wrote:

Welcome on Expat-blog Jillu!

First of all, I suggest you to have a look to the Australia Guide, there are lots of info.

Hope this helps,
Christine

Hi Joerobson,

Thanks for the reply. Iam currently working in a reputed airlines as a business analyst. Can u throw some light on this type of job vacancy.

Thanks
Jillu

joerobson wrote:

Hi again, If you want to apply for a job at Coles, Woolworths, Safeway, Kmart, or Target you have to apply online.  In rare cases where they will take a resume from you in person, you will still be directed to apply online.  There are many of these stores around in many cities and towns, and Woolworths is one of the largest employers in Australia, so don't rule out such shops as potential employers if you don't have qualifications that will instantly get you work when you arrive in Australia. Good luck.

Hi Jo,

Thats a lot of valuable info.Thanks a ton for the same.
U know what? Iam confused in selecting which state /city to settle ? Can u guide me to select a good place bcos after selecting the place only we are planning to start the job search.Iam currently working in a reputed airlines as business analyst. My Hubby is a Software engg.How is the job market over there in these fields?
Ooops...the expense list seems to be v v high.anyways i will be prepared for the same.
Again a big thanks for your suggestion/informations.

Luv u ,
Jillu

Joannes wrote:

Hi Jillu

Firstly, welcome to australia in Dec 09.

there are a few questions which you need to ask yourself to help yourself further.

1. which state and city will you be settling down in?

2. what kind of job are you interested in? do you have the necessary experience? The job market is picking up now which is good news. The kind of job you would like determines the salary of cos, but generally speaking, Australia does pay good salary mainly because the tax is high(I think)


3.Baby day care is very expensive. I do not have a child so I can't tell you the exact figure but I have friends paying about $50 per day for child care. alot of mums end up staying at work taking care of their kids because it works out to be cheaper for the household.

4. the price of use car can start as low as a few thousands, depending on its quality and a new car like the Getz can start as low as 13K.

5. Rental is another subjective topic because each states has different standard of living. If you were to rent in sydney or inner sydney, the rental is definately higher than renting in places like Darwin or Adelaide. Brings you back to Qn 1.

6. I reckon every place has its up and down to live in. If you don't know, pick one and there's always the option to relocate and who knows, you might relocate because of job, family, etc..many reasons.

7. My advice is don't spend the effort looking for a job online. Most employers want to see you and chat with you before they will hire you. This also gives you a chance to see if you like working for them. There's always plently of job around if you are not fussy. Enjoy your move and have a fun time. You will have your entire life to work so don't worry about it before hand.

Hope this helps.

Joanne
http://whatsupjo.blogspot.com

Hi Jillu, I'm sorry, but I can't assist you with job vacancies.  Don't be discouraged if you have to settle for a lesser job upon your arrival in Australia.  If there is a shortage in Australia for people skilled in the work you do, you should find a job quite easily.  If you are interested in living and working in Canberra, try this site--

http://www.capitaljobs.com.au

or this one--

http://jobs.canberratimes.com.au

Keep in mind, that if you are not an Australian Citizen, you can't work directly for the Australian government unless you are contracted to them (like through an employment agency).  Good luck.