AUSTRALIA FAST BECOMING TOO PRICEY
Australia may be the best country in the world for those born and bred here, but a trend is catching up by which people leave its shores in search of cheaper pastures abroad. According to a World Bank study, cost of goods and services in Australia rival those of pricey European states like Switzerland, thanks mainly to the mining boom.
This is prompting Australians to pack their bags and leave. Between 2012 and 2013 alone, 92,000 Australians left the country for good, never to come back. The reason, typically, is economic. Some people move to cheaper countries like Vietnam, where it is possible to take up a twenty-hour teaching job and earn as little as $15000 a year, and yet maintain a lifestyle that allows you to travel and have enough time left for social activities and solitude.
Vietnam may not come as a surprise, but what would you say to people choosing New York as a cheaper alternative to Australia? Rental apartments in New York are cheaper than Melbourne, and the pay is higher, so if you make the move, you can find yourself saving significantly more amount every month after your expenses are taken out. And not just rent, even living expenses like eating out, clothes and entertainment come cheaper in New York than in Melbourne.
Even when compared to much of Europe, Australia is very expensive. It is possible to have a full-time around the world trip with a third of the money it would cost you to live for a year in Australia.
When will this inflationary spiral stop? Will it ever?
