# Can you live on one income in Melbourne



## MEB (Aug 31, 2009)

Hi all
We have our Visa since last january and it needs to be validated by Dec 14th. We need to decide if we are going to validate the visa or forget about it and stay here. I have lurked on this forum for a long time especially on the cost of living section and have gleaned a lot of information. My question now is can you live comfortably on one income in a nice suburb of Melbourne, for example down the south east part of the city, approx 45 mins commute time.

I am currently self-employed and don't have any major urge or need to move to Australia (fortunately). I applied for the Visa just to have it and got it after a big debate with the case officer - he didn't think I worked enough in Ireland to qualify as actually working. Wife stays at home to look after our three children and we have a nice lifestyle (we're not loaded but we have no debts) but the weather is driving us nuts and the lack of things to do for the children is a pain. We live in a small town in the midwest. I don't look forward to my daughters spending their summers, hanging out and being sucked into Ireland's booze and boredom culture.

I have looked up jobs in my area and I could get a job in sales or product management earning around $80K. However I have looked at the cost of housing - up to $2000 per month for a decent four bedroom house. Then there are car costs, medical insurance, school costs, utilities (we're not religious so have no urge to send to catholic school). I have had a look at the taxation system. I have come to the conclusion that our quality of life would actually decrease if we went to Australia. For example at the moment our mortgage is only €650 per month. As a result, we live comfortably on my income from self employment and I work easy hours. Obviously I am very fortunate to have work and prospects so I wonder if I would be taking a step backwards in moving to Australia where I think I would have to work my a$$ off, and have less time to spend with my children.

Wife is mad keen to validate the Visa at least - just in case things go totally pear-shaped in Ireland over the next few years. However I think that this is just throwing good money after bad. It would cost us up approx €12000 to come to Australia for three or four weeks to validate the visa and check out melbourne.

Any opinions:
Is $80K a good salary for a family of five?
Can you live in a decent suburb of Melb on one income?
I want my children to get out and do things so I don't mind paying for extracurricular activities - are they expensive e.g. drama, music, gymnastics, etc etc. - Maybe these are part of the school curriculum.
Thanks
MEB


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## Bamwich (May 23, 2011)

You don't want your daughters caught up in the booze culture? Have you ever been to Australia?


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## rackspace (Dec 13, 2009)

80K is just good enough to live comfortably according to my research, but with no savings.


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## tashla (Sep 18, 2011)

You didn't state which visa you have been granted and I'm not 100% sure on this, so maybe someone could provide further information, but I believe with partner visas you can take a trip over to Australia to validate your visa and then return back to your country and continue to live there. From what I understand you are granted the temporary visa but you don't actually need to be living in Australia once it's been validated and provided your relationship is continuing and you are living with your partner (in whatever country) you are still eligible for PR once the 2-years pass. Of course if you've got a different visa this is totally irrelevant to you, but hope to help anyway. Good luck.

P.S. I think you could live comfortably on 80K.


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

80k will give you close to 5k per month after deducting super and taxes, you will be eligible to get family tax benefit but not much. You can live comfortably provided you do not eat out much, live in a 3 room unit instead of 4 room house, kids can go to school, your wife can take up work from home or take something part time. Booze culture is there everywhere, tell me one country that does not have booze culture or is a perfect example for kids. But remember you will be struggling for initial few months with 3 kids but eventually things start falling in place. 

When you say 80k, where did you check? did you get an offer for that much? Because initial salary might be lower than that if the 80k mark is the figure taken from salary guide. You might end up with 60-65k as first salary and the next one can be higher..


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## lifeisgood (Mar 30, 2010)

I guess it depends a lot on which part of Aust. you plant o move...
maybe that will give more idea to ppl in this forum to guide you better..
80K seems to be a decent salary...
but again 3 children can drain away this amount pretty quickly...


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## Jayceee (Feb 5, 2012)

Private Health cover and school fees are optional costs.

Medicare is sufficient, and public hospital are top class. In fact if you have private health cover and you present at a private hospital for anything serious they'll put you in an Ambulance and send you to a public hospital.

Government schools don't charge fees


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## Jayceee (Feb 5, 2012)

Bamwich said:


> You don't want your daughters caught up in the booze culture? Have you ever been to Australia?


You obviously never been to Ireland


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## MEB (Aug 31, 2009)

Jayceee said:


> You obviously never been to Ireland


Latest statistics from Irish government show that on average, every man and woman over the age of 15 drinks 14.9 litres of pure alcohol per year. That works out at 485 pints of beer per year or 9 per week. I'd love to know who is drinking my share!! This is about 40% more than the average Australian. The booze culture is endemic in this country. When Barack Obama came to Ireland, where was the first place he went - a pub. We shoved a pint of Guinness under his nose and cheered when he drank it. Even the Queen, at 83, came overe here, the first British Monarch in nearly 100 years and what do we do - take her to the Guinness brewery and bore the woman to death while some guy shows her how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness - as if she cares. No wonder this country is gone to the dogs and the people lie down while it is happening. The country is doped up to their eyeballs on booze.


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## jb12 (Jan 27, 2012)

Hi MEB,

Check out a post about someone asking about the salary of $90K vs cost of living in Sydney : http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...stralia/104148-salary-vs-living-expenses.html

I've read Sydney is the most expensive city to live in Australia with Melbourne being 2nd. As everyone knows, you can try to plan what your approximate expenses will be. But there will always be unexpected expenses that will arise that you should set aside some money for. 

I guess what you need to think about is long term and if moving to Australia will provide a better life than what you have now. Like someone posted above, you likely will have no savings. But what someone else said above, you will be struggling at first adjusting to the new lifestyle especially how the prices might be higher than what you are used to. Then figure out what activities and expenses you can cut for a specific time in order to start saving some money.

I would agree with your wife to at least validate the visas. You will never know what will happen in the future that you may need to move to Australia due to the economic situation in your country. If you've already invested the time and money to be granted the visas, it's what you can at least do. To cut costs for your family's initial trip, maybe shorten the trip to like 2 weeks to do your research about housing, school,etc. If 4 weeks is what your family wants to spend there especially how far you have to travel, consider the trip as part of a family holiday too.


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## MEB (Aug 31, 2009)

jb12 said:


> Hi MEB,
> 
> Check out a post about someone asking about the salary of $90K vs cost of living in Sydney : http://www.expatforum.com/expats/au...stralia/104148-salary-vs-living-expenses.html
> 
> ...


Thanks that's good advice. I did read that thread - interesting.


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## lasez (May 14, 2012)

Has the costs of living gone up a lot since 2011? I am trying to estimate the cost of living in Melbourne. Family of four, with two kids, aged 2 and 6. So we are looking at a suburb with good public schools. Thanks!


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

80K for a family of 5?????? are you joking???? I used you earn more than that and struggled on my own!!!!!!!!

80k is the equivilant of earning about 25-30k in Dublin??? could you manage that!

I wouldn't consider any area which I would consider good with good schools for at least 700pw.

300-400 a week for a 3 or 4 bedroom is pretty much as cheap as you can get so you should expect what kind of area u are getting urself into.

Finally if booze culture is a problem you and your children I wouldn't be coming to Australia. The booze culture make Ireland look civilised.

very few people live off 1 income simply it's isn't possible.

Good luck but I'm sorry your mad!


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## lasez (May 14, 2012)

700pw! Wow! I saw decent looking houses on realestate site for around 500pw. Guess I need to change my estimate.


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

Just because a house looks big and nice, doesn't mean it's good. Nice new areas can still be in areas where crime are rampant and schools are useless.


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## lasez (May 14, 2012)

Was looking at glen waverley...



Weebie said:


> Just because a house looks big and nice, doesn't mean it's good. Nice new areas can still be in areas where crime are rampant and schools are useless.


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