Lifestyle and Leisure
NZ cost of living higher
Andrea Chambers moved to New Zealand in 2005 with her husband and two children and found that the cost of living wasn’t as low as they had hoped
We emigrated to the Bay of Plenty in October 2005. My husband Michael is a podiatrist and we entered the country on a nine-month long-term business visa which will hopefully be extended in April for a further 27 months. At the end of that we will be able to apply for residency. This, of course, all depends on how well Michael's podiatry business satisfies the requirements set by immigration.
When we arrived in New Zealand after visiting in 2004 we quickly realised how much house prices had risen over the previous 12-month period. They had, in the Mount Maunganui area, risen by 30 per cent and this was where our business was based. We also arrived at a time when house rentals were at a premium in view of the fact that Christmas was forthcoming combined with the long Kiwi summer holidays when most Kiwis take extended leave to spend it in places like the Mount.
House prices were still rising slowly, mortgage interest rates were due to increase and there was also, at that time, a shortage of rentals on the market that suited our criteria. We therefore decided to purchase a house using some of our capital from England and obtaining a mortgage for the remainder. We also thought that this would strengthen our future visa application for residency in showing the authorities that we had invested in the economy of the country and our intention to remain here.
Having now lived in New Zealand for four months we have discovered that the cost of living is not as cheap as we had expected it to have been. Food here is probably on a par with food expenses in the UK, although there are not the choices of cheaper food outlets such as Aldi and Lidl. Therefore to cut food costs in respect of fresh food it is wiser to buy seasonal foods which are a lot cheaper and something the UK no longer appears to cater for. Fruit here is not as good quality as the fruit available in the UK (it appears all the perfect fruit is exported to other countries)!
Cars appear to be cheaper than in the UK. We purchased two second hand Japanese imports and despite the fact that both cars are over ten years old they appear to be brand new in condition and low in mileage. Fuel prices are still a lot cheaper than in the UK and there is no such thing as car tax either. Insurance costs are also a lot cheaper and are optional as accidents are covered by ACC (social security) payments which are taken at source by the government through taxes.
The climate here allows for a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle and the warmer temperatures means there are less viruses around as there were in the UK. Electricity prices are quite high, however, gas consumption is low due to there being no central heating costs. Books are very expensive to buy, an average paperback costs from NZ$20 to NZ$50. Clothes in this area are mainly imported from Australia and are designed for the surfing communities. Designer labels are available but at a price and the range available in the UK cannot be found here. At the other end of the scale clothes can be obtained from supermarkets such as KMart but the quality is not as good as, for example, the George range from Asda! There are no 'in between' priced clothes such as the equivalent of a Next or Marks and Spencer.
When we were considering emigrating to New Zealand people's perceptions of the country gave us the impression that the country was at least 30 years behind the UK. What we have discovered is that in some areas it probably is (local television, radio, frozen yorkshire puddings, old school desks) whilst in other areas it is a lot more advanced such as the café culture, architecture and interior design.
The Chambers used Halo Financial to transfer their currency and would recommend the company to other Brits emigrating to NZ
Search EmiLinks for dozens of New Zealand lifestyle sites
Register for your FREE emigration starter pack
Subscribe to Emigrate New Zealand newspaper. Read more ...