Post
by Eternal_Howl » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:57 am
Cost of living becomes cheaper the further south down the country you go. The further out of the main centres such as Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch you go the more affordable it tends to be.
Property ownership prices range from around $280k at the lower end in Dunedin (southern part of South Island) to $500k in Auckland. The average home price is probably around $350k in NZ - this is for an average 3 bdrm house. But again, this is not the definitive figure - it's just a rough guide. The housing market here has gone through the roof as the demand has increased.
The population if the country is around 4 million. New Zealand still has a lot of fairly untouched regions and space. Over a quarter of the population reside in Auckland.
Utilities like phone and power range but it might be safe to say that for a high user or 4 family household the cost of heating/powering your home using electricity (The main form of energy) is probably around $200 per month. This can be cheaper, but you have to remember to turn the lights out and don't use the clothes dryer unless you absolutely have to. The average phone bill for landline with NO tolls and no other extras would be around $38 through a major provider. Internet ranges between $10-$100 (depending on whether you go dialup, broadband, wireless, whether it's flatrate or has a traffic limit). Mine is $50 unlimited per month - just to give you an idea.
Climate - NZ has a moderate climate. Winter temperatures will range between -5 and 14 Celcius on average. Summer averages probably sit around 24 degrees as an average. I'm not taking this info from a website. I'm just giving you a rough idea of what I know - so if there are some discrepancies, it's because I'm using my head and my local knowledge not statistics. Auckland has a warmer climate so even in Winter it may average 14 and a low of 8 - while in summer it will probably be in the mid 20's.
Wage/salaries vary a little. Naturally, in places like Auckland and Wellington where the cost of living is higher, the wages tend to be a little higher compared to places like Christchurch and Dunedin where the cost of living is a little bit cheaper.
Transport: in some cities public transport is a very viable and reliable way of getting around. In others, it's not so reliable. Owning a car means that you have to register it with the Land & Transport Safety Authority. For a private motor vehicle it's around $200 per year. The car has to be roadworthy and so we are also required to have a 'warrant of fitness' to prove this. These tests cost around $45 and the tester will advise what you need to do if your car fails this warrant. If your car doesn't have a warrant or registration - it will not be covered by your insurer in an accident. Insurance isn't manditory, but even just having 3rd party is highly recommended.
Work: To legally work in NZ you must pay taxes. If you have your own company or work for yourself then you must register for GST (goods & service tax). Some people think we have a high tax rate, but compared to places like Holland, this is not so.
Health: We do have a public health system that is tax payer funded, but it is strongly recommended you have private medical insurance in case there is a waiting list to be able to be seen by a public health specialist. These waiting lists are common and unfortunately they are getting longer and longer. If anyone is a doctor, nurse or radiologist, I encourage you to sign on for our skilled migrant category - we need more of you! Medications etc are fairly affordable as the government subsidises many of these prescriptions so that on average many prescriptions will not be more than $15 for the 'average' person.
Auckland is a nice city. I like it, but I wouldn't want to live there. Why? It is a big city so you would be strongly urged to find accommodation near your work as there is a lot of congestion in auckland traffic due to insufficient accessways and too many cars on the road. Prepare to spend a lot of time in traffic if you live a reasonable distance from work. It rains a lot in Auckland. Not to say it rains ALL the time, but it rains many days, even if for a short while. But it is warmer up there compared to the south island, so even if it rains, it's probably not too bad.
If you like music and want to see a band play, chances are, if it's an international artist and they take a trip to New Zealand (and many bands do bypass us because we are so far away), then they're likely to play a show in Auckland. So I would think it safe to say that if it's happening in NZ, it's happening in Auckland.
Getting a taxi in Auckland is a nightmare if you do not know your way around. Because chances are, the taxi driver doesn't know where you're going either - personal experience.
In NZ there is more space. In NZ there are a lot of different landscapes in a short travel distance. Beach, hills, mountains, lakes, plains - generally within a couple of hours drive maximum.
Attitude: Because I think some people get the impression that all NZers are going to be friendly, I do feel compelled to advise that this is not always the case and some New Zealanders can appear to be a 'stiff-upper-lip' sort.
