# 65K salary in Melbourne - would it be enough?



## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

Hello All,

I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.

My question being - how tough/easy would it be to survive on this salary supporting a family in Melbourne?

My priorities are finding a decent place to live with a school nearby. Not so much on eating out and partying. With the rent, utilities, transportation & groceries gone, would I be left with something at all, or would it be a hand to mouth situation?

Do let know your thoughts!


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## tk123 (Jul 28, 2016)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> 
> 
> ...




It will be very very tight, especially with the family. I have been doing research recently before I move to Sydney next month. 

1- Taxes (18K to 37K @ 19% tax, 37-87K @ 38% tax) -- you can do the math. 
2- Housing (atleast 450-500 per week) --- you can do the math again. 
3- Transport -- 60-70/week
4- Utilities - min 300/month

Luckily hospital and education is covered, so thats a big blessing 

i am not discouraging your move, judt be cautious in chosing. Why dont you go alone for a few months, so you get to save a bit of cash and also get better idea about location prior to a long term lease commitment. 

good luck 



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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

tk123 said:


> It will be very very tight, especially with the family. I have been doing research recently before I move to Sydney next month.
> 
> 1- Taxes (18K to 37K @ 19% tax, 37-87K @ 38% tax) -- you can do the math.
> 2- Housing (atleast 450-500 per week) --- you can do the math again.
> ...


Hey, thanks for your reply! That's what I thought too. But wanted to check with people who would have actually done it already and then learn from them.

By the way, not sure if you already knew, for the tax calculation there's this tool @ pay calculator

Using this I found, that for 65K, the take home would be close to 4K per month. It would be indeed a tight situation :-(


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## zaback21 (Jan 18, 2017)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...


4K/ month is not bad, if its your 1st job in Aus. Unless you are a very high demand applicant and have loads of other job offer, I would take it. Job market is quite competitive + you have no experience of working in Aus (I presume), so 65K is a very good salary indeed, its close to the average annual salary of Australia.

In 1st job you will have to accept that you might not get much, but future promotion and work exp in Aus is what you usually should be aiming for. Plus 4K is not barely surviving, but living kinda well off with a nice apartment + food + free education + free medical.


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## tk123 (Jul 28, 2016)

gopiatweb said:


> Hey, thanks for your reply! That's what I thought too. But wanted to check with people who would have actually done it already and then learn from them.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




there is a catch, that most tax calculators wont tell you  .... 

here it goes, if you move now, lets say landing in April, then your pay for this financial year will be 65/12x3= 16.5K ... which is below the 18K tax free threshold, so no tax for the first three months 


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

zaback21 said:


> 4K/ month is not bad, if its your 1st job in Aus. Unless you are a very high demand applicant and have loads of other job offer, I would take it. Job market is quite competitive + you have no experience of working in Aus (I presume), so 65K is a very good salary indeed, its close to the average annual salary of Australia.
> 
> In 1st job you will have to accept that you might not get much, but future promotion and work exp in Aus is what you usually should be aiming for. Plus 4K is not barely surviving, but living kinda well off with a nice apartment + food + free education + free medical.


Thanks! With all the basic expenses taken into account I realised that it comes around to 3.5k a month. With the kind of salary I would get, I felt it might be a tight situation. And hence asking around the experts on their opinion. I do get that as an applicant who's just trying to get into the Australian job market, I may not have much choices to make. But I also do not want to get stranded by jumping the ship too soon. Anyways, thanks for your opinion. 

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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

tk123 said:


> there is a catch, that most tax calculators wont tell you  ....
> 
> here it goes, if you move now, lets say landing in April, then your pay for this financial year will be 65/12x3= 16.5K ... which is below the 18K tax free threshold, so no tax for the first three months
> 
> ...


Hmmm... Cool. That's something I knew but didn't realize at all. Thanks for pointing that out  

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## Saadi (Sep 5, 2013)

mate, look, if you have decided to migrate then there is no need to let these things stress you out. Melbourne is far more affordable than Sydney. So if you are drawing a salary of around 4 K a month , you can manage to live a happy life provided that you know how to cut your coat according to your cloth. 

Rest assured, in a year or two you will jump to 80+ with local experience you will have more options to choose. 

BTW, 55 K - 70 K is the starting salary here. So you can imagine, how far you can go. 

Good luck.


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## andreyx108b (Mar 15, 2015)

its gonna be tough in my opinion.


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## Attentionseeker (Jan 15, 2016)

Funny I had a similar discussion with a friend a while ago. As someone who's single and live in Inner West Sydney, the situation with the similar income level is not that good (with minimal savings). Maybe if I was living out west, things would be different. But the living costs are massive in Sydney. That makes a huge difference. ofcourse having a family wouldn't help.


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## Srujan (Jul 25, 2016)

*75K in Sydney*

I'm facing a similar situation but my pay is 75k and city is Sydney. I'm single and will be moving alone so family responsibilities are not yet on me. Hoping to make it happen!


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

Saadi said:


> mate, look, if you have decided to migrate then there is no need to let these things stress you out. Melbourne is far more affordable than Sydney. So if you are drawing a salary of around 4 K a month , you can manage to live a happy life provided that you know how to cut your coat according to your cloth.
> 
> Rest assured, in a year or two you will jump to 80+ with local experience you will have more options to choose.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the encouraging words! I guess, I am mentally ready, but just waiting for the final assurance to take the plunge...


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

andreyx108b said:


> its gonna be tough in my opinion.


Hmmm... How tough would you think it would be? Like 'supplement my salary for supporting a living' kinda tough??


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

Attentionseeker said:


> Funny I had a similar discussion with a friend a while ago. As someone who's single and live in Inner West Sydney, the situation with the similar income level is not that good (with minimal savings). Maybe if I was living out west, things would be different. But the living costs are massive in Sydney. That makes a huge difference. ofcourse having a family wouldn't help.


So what did your friend finally do? And when you say 'not that good', how 'bad' exactly? That's something I am trying to figure. It's OK for me to not have savings for the 1st year or so, which is me giving up to get into the market. But I don't like the idea of supplementing my income from another source, just to support my living.


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

Srujan said:


> I'm facing a similar situation but my pay is 75k and city is Sydney. I'm single and will be moving alone so family responsibilities are not yet on me. Hoping to make it happen!


Comeon! You are teasing me here.... 75K & single. How much tougher is it going to be for you? But then, you might be having a totally different outlook towards life - partying, eating out, etc perhaps...


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## zaback21 (Jan 18, 2017)

gopiatweb said:


> Comeon! You are teasing me here.... 75K & single. How much tougher is it going to be for you? But then, you might be having a totally different outlook towards life - partying, eating out, etc perhaps...


I know $65K and $75K and they are talking like its really bad. Most of the people in this board when they will first move in to Australia will have hard time to even land a good casual job (considering the competition and small market of Aus) and survive in the first few months to a year and they are complaining about $65 and $75K even before they landed in Aus. But then again, I guess they might be earning 3-5 lac at home in a high level job and hence the worry.


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## Saadi (Sep 5, 2013)

mate to make things more appealing for you , you know what a person drawing a salary of 75 grand and other 60,900 are ending up with almost same weekly payment of around AUD 925 

So , if possible, talk to your employer to reduce your annual salary from 65 grand to 60,900. This way you can impress your employer and you may also negotiate in a way that by lowering your annual salary, the employer can give you some fringe benefits or incentive 

Ask your employer to give you 60,900 and rest of 5100 in the form of rent allowance or other stuff , you know what i mean.....


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## andreyx108b (Mar 15, 2015)

gopiatweb said:


> Hmmm... How tough would you think it would be? Like 'supplement my salary for supporting a living' kinda tough??


I would say 85k is something family of 2 can live on decently and at least save something. 

However, I will add - if you have no other offer, jump on it, you can live on it, you can claim some benefits.


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## Saadi (Sep 5, 2013)

andreyx108b said:


> I would say 85k is something family of 2 can live on decently and at least save something.
> 
> However, I will add - if you have no other offer, jump on it, you can live on it, you can claim some benefits.


85 K will fetch around 1043 per week whereas 65 K will bring around 808 per week. so there is a difference of around 235 per week. 

And does it really make a huge difference ???? You can earn this much with cash in hand kind of a job by working on Uber Meal / some food delivery jobs in one day . 

So , just come here and figure it out yourself how you wanna live here. People usually forget that the annual salary got deductions of super for 9.5% and income tax depending upon what you draw per year. 

:washing:


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## agnel25 (Jul 28, 2014)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...


Congratulations on your job offer.
65k with super translates to $3941/month ( as per paycalculator.com.au which is always accurate) which for a newbie in Australian market is a decent salary. And like few members mentioned in the replies it is the starting salary for many here. 
If I were you would take this offer for Melbourne. 
I live in Melbourne and roughly this is what you can expect
- Accommodation in City for an unfurnished 1Bedroom apt would cost you somewhere between $1400 to $1700. I pay $1825 for a furnished apt close to train station ( I had taken it last year). Again you will find cheaper ones too, but might be older buildings or in terribly cramped new apartments. You can look in realestate.com, for all available listings. If you opt for suburbs, similar price or slightly lesser you will find a bigger place to live. 
Again getting a house/apt straightaway in Australia without a rental history is tricky. Some of my friends have got it, people like me have struggled . So it would be wise that you come here first, get into shared accommodation, settle in your workplace, rent a house/apt and then ask your family to join you in a month or 2. Moving here and running around for rented apartment straightway with a 2 year old baby might be a challenge.
Your workplace I guess is in the city and if your wife is not working, she can go around with the kid in the city during the day without any hassles. You do not need to worry about school until your child turns 4-5 years (by then you will be settled in Melbourne)
- Even if you spend another $1000-1500 on your bills, groceries etc you are still left with some savings.

Also as others mentioned, you are entitled to get all your tax money back when you file the returns post July as you would have would have got less than 6 months salary. And that is again your savings 

Cheers


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## cpham (May 8, 2016)

Srujan,

Congrats on your first Aussie job! 
How were you able to get your job from here itself? Any pointers here which can help us.



Srujan said:


> I'm facing a similar situation but my pay is 75k and city is Sydney. I'm single and will be moving alone so family responsibilities are not yet on me. Hoping to make it happen!


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## Enga (Sep 29, 2016)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...



$65k including super is on the low side. BUT it is very competitive in the job market right now. So while it would be a little tough, I think it would be manageable in Melbourne.

Based on what you have shared & assuming you have no other offer & that you've already tried to negotiate with this employer, I would take this.


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## Enga (Sep 29, 2016)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...



$65k including super is on the low side. BUT it is very competitive in the job market right now. So while it would be a little tough, I think it would be manageable in Melbourne.

Based on what you have shared & assuming you have no other offer & that you've already tried to negotiate with this employer, I would take this.


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## ritika1988 (Jan 27, 2017)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...


hiii, Melbourne is not so costly like sydney, you will be fine, first, dont take apartment or good house near the city, go for any suburb like glenroy or springwale which is at 45- 1 hour distance and rent a UNIT, you ll get it on 150 dollars a week, utilities won't cost too much if you live simple, dont go for high fi furniture, buy utensils and cloths etc from your native country. 
you will be fine in 65000. dont go for car etc, use public transport, ( cab never ) you ll get 130 dollars per month myki card for unlimited travel i guess.
i managed to do this even when i didnt have a job and got 3000 in my pocket. 
i used to buy 3 lt milk in 3 dollars, fruits, sandwiches, banana bread. and then i got a job and they used to provide milk, bread, toast etc on job itself so more saving. 
you ll be fine believe me but rent a unit.   and bring 2000-3000 dollars with u.


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## ritika1988 (Jan 27, 2017)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...


I am adding in my previous reply,
its difficult to manage for students because they have to pay health insurance and fee and they can't work full-time. don't worry you ll be more than fine,,68000 is more than enough in Melbourne. 
don't think about saving too much but you can save for shopping as well. and you can get credit card from bank as well ( not sure i never had one)
but you should not decline this offer. try to buy clothes and other things from india because clothes are costly there as compared to india. and your wife and kid will be covered too. so they can stay at home and i dont think they ll be burden on you because its just food and baby products extra other rents and utilities are same only whether you bring them with you or leave them here. but if you wanna leave them here for a month that would be fine too.
try to find a unit online from realestate
and select suburbs which are far away from the city. and could you please tell me where do you get the job?
regards,
ritika


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## ritika1988 (Jan 27, 2017)

gopiatweb said:


> Hey, thanks for your reply! That's what I thought too. But wanted to check with people who would have actually done it already and then learn from them.
> 
> 
> 
> Using this I found, that for 65K, the take home would be close to 4K per month. It would be indeed a tight situation :-(


you will save a little not too much but lets suppose you got only 40000 after tax, 3500 a month is awesome.
lets say 250 per week on unit house(2 bedrooms)- 1000-1200 a month
utilities 200-300
food- 100 dollars more than sufficient for me it is  
( 3 L milk only 3 dollars, bread may b 2, 12 eggs 6 dollars, onions, tomatoes fruits are also cheap n if you wanna cook indian food then also 150 dollars are enough.

and 150 for transport
that's it 2000 a month. and you can save 1500 dollars.

come on not big a deal, i lived in chapman avenue glenroy. but Sydney is costly


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

Enga said:


> $65k including super is on the low side. BUT it is very competitive in the job market right now. So while it would be a little tough, I think it would be manageable in Melbourne.
> 
> Based on what you have shared & assuming you have no other offer & that you've already tried to negotiate with this employer, I would take this.


Understood. There are a lot of people telling me the same thing. Maybe I should consider myself lucky for the initial break and not look at the numbers in despair. But then there is always the worry at the back of the mind on leaving back something concrete.

But thanks anyways. I get the gist!


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## gopiatweb (Oct 28, 2015)

ritika1988 said:


> you will save a little not too much but lets suppose you got only 40000 after tax, 3500 a month is awesome.
> lets say 250 per week on unit house(2 bedrooms)- 1000-1200 a month
> utilities 200-300
> food- 100 dollars more than sufficient for me it is
> ...


Thanks for the detailed reply Ritika. You gave me the picture more or less 

I got the job via one of the organizations here in India who also have an office in Melbourne. They are an MNC, but a very small one, with just close to 300 employees all over the place. I consider myself lucky to even have got an offer without even stepping onshore, but then had these doubts which I wanted to clear before I make a decision.

But thanks anyways! With yours and the other's opinion, I now seem to be a little more confident than I used to be.


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## Enga (Sep 29, 2016)

gopiatweb said:


> Understood. There are a lot of people telling me the same thing. Maybe I should consider myself lucky for the initial break and not look at the numbers in despair. But then there is always the worry at the back of the mind on leaving back something concrete.
> 
> But thanks anyways. I get the gist!


Yes very few manage to secure a job prior to arriving.

Most end up searching for months prior to arriving.

So you would be earning an income from the first month.


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## mustafa01 (Jan 29, 2017)

I think it should be sufficient as this would be your income after tax


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

gopiatweb said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I am on an Australian PR with a job offer of 65K (including super), with a wife and kid (2 yo) to support. I know it's not the top of the line salary, but I am trying to break into the market, before I eventually try elsewhere.
> 
> ...


$65,000 - taking out your Super - this would leave you roughly $ 48,400 after tax.

Then you can get back some of your tax by claiming family tax benefits, which in your case works out to $8,400 roughly.

So your take home pay will be around $ 56,800

Some thoughts:

Do not scrimp and try to save on rent by living in a high crime suburb. I wouldn't recommend Springvale at all. For around $350-400 a week you should be able to find a 2 bedroom apartment in a decent suburb not too far from the cbd. Make sure it is walking distance to a railway station (but NOT too close).

Monthly expenses

Rent: $ 1,500 (plus a 4 week rent as bond which is usually refundable)

Utilities (Water, Gas, Electricity, Mobile, Internet) - $400

A monthly Myki for you would cost around $164.

Groceries - $500

Miscellaneous (hair cuts, pharmacy, basic clothes, eating out occasionally...etc) - say $500

So the above works out to roughly $3,000 a month.

You should be able to save around $20,000 in your first year. You could use it to buy a car outright. Meanwhile you could use Uber when all of you have to travel together (easily available, cheaper and very convenient when you don't have a car). 

Also, budget for driving lessons and getting your drivers license. 

As long as you're renting and don't have a mortgage to service, don't plan to take overseas trips in the first 1-2 years, not dine out frequently, take packed lunches to office, not indulge in too many lattes at Starbucks then you should be comfortable on this income.

Hope that helps.


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## Bbay2Oz (May 10, 2010)

Bbay2Oz said:


> $65,000 - taking out your Super - this would leave you roughly $ 48,400 after tax.
> 
> Then you can get back some of your tax by claiming family tax benefits, which in your case works out to $8,400 roughly.
> 
> ...


*Edit to add to the above post:* If you're not shipping your household goods then budget around 5k for basic furniture, kitchen utensils, cutlery, microwave TV, washing machine and fridge.

You will enjoy a good quality of life - having a job on arrival and not draining your savings whilst looking for a job is a huge plus for a new immigrant.


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## prashanthulavale (Jan 20, 2012)

Hey mate.. Grab that opportunity with both hands. You will survive with 65kpa or 4.2k pm till you have some experience under your belt and then you can definitely move on and flourish.
Remember " The beginning is always hard "


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## expatobe (Mar 20, 2017)

Don't forget to include Non resident on tax calculator since you are required to pay more taxes(just found out ;( ).


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## expatobe (Mar 20, 2017)

expatobe said:


> Don't forget to include Non resident on tax calculator since you are required to pay more taxes(just found out ;( ).


Not sure about PR though, can someone enlighten :ear:?


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## tahanpaa (Mar 1, 2014)

Mate,
65k not bad initial stage but if you compare with people already here for long time definitely it is not enough in front of them.
Cheers!


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