Society & Culture How expensive is Australia becoming?

[Scotland]

Just go full Mark Bosnich. They'll find it hilarious.

 

[Dazb86]

I don't think I could live in Berlin.

My life would spiral out of control very quickly.

 

[iluvparis]

$35 take away pizza (medium size at absolute best) in Norway.

Large now 360 NOK - or just an average $60

 

[Sublime]

Large now 360 NOK - or just an average $60

Must've been a small then! Let's just say i wasn't full!

 

[Unstable]

Couldn't get over how much cheaper Europe is than here.

Berlin for example. Can live there so cheaply. I paid $1000 rent (my own place, two bedroom) and was spending **** all on nights out (alcohol, smokes, drergs etc are so cheap) and groceries, transport etc were amazingly cheap too.

Now that they're offering free university I'm seriously considering saving up and taking a year off to study there (need to learn German though) rather than go through a degree in Australia whilst working full time.

No s**t, I reckon for the cost of the average Aussie degree (let's say circa $35,000 or so) you could go and study and live in Germany for 18 months and smash out a degree in that time whilst living in ******* Berlin. Or go even cheaper like Stuttgart or Hamburg, whatever.

Can someone please explain economically how this is possible and why Australia isn’t like this or much better?

 

[The Coup]

Can someone please explain economically how this is possible and why Australia isn’t like this or much better?

Well university doesn't have to be for profit.

It can just be one of those things that exists that taxes pay for. In australia we decided it was better that we didnt pay for them collectively and shared it as a public service, and as a result we made learning into a product and lowered the quality of the education. We followed the US model.

It produces people enslaved to debt, and not quite smart enough to question why they are where they are. Obedient and indebted. Perfect workers.

 

[The Coup]

I don't think I could live in Berlin.

My life would spiral out of control very quickly.

Some up a couple of k for two months in rehab in southern thailand, you'll be fine.

 

[DrVanNostrand]

3,000 Won pints in Korea are going down a treat, about $3.15. Once paid $17 for a pint in Melbourne at some snooty European place in the city.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

I just saw $10 pints at the food hall in James St.

 

[Silent Alarm]

There should be a challenge to find the most expensive pint in Australia.

The Raffles in Applecross would probably win. I had a $12 pint there once. In 2007.

The National Hotel in Freo has been done up. Apparently that gives them the right to charge $14.

I think they stung 10 flat for Swan Draught. Promptly left for $13 jugs.

That pub is beautiful from the outside but pretty soulless inside. Like most pubs these days. It's stainless steel benches, shiny wood floors, and granite and exposed bars and walls. At least Wetherspoon's are cheap in their soullessness. It is impossible to say what a good pub is, it's grimy and hasn't been redeveloped since the late 80s, it's got some character and heart and the old diggers who drank there in the 60s and 70s still drink there now. It's got the odd footy jumper and a bunch of momentos on walls. These nice joints springing up everywhere are just so dull – you could transport them to any city in Australia and barely tell the difference.

That's why no one goes to pubs before they head to a club; which was always, from songs and stories of yesteryear, where the most interesting s**t always went down. Everyone just pre-drinks at home now, where a shared slab equals the cost of one jug at a pub.

 

[vealesy]

Not everyone.

Just povo students.

And they've been doing it since i was a boy too.

Its not new.

 

[bombersfan4000]

Couldn't get over how much cheaper Europe is than here.

Berlin for example. Can live there so cheaply. I paid $1000 rent (my own place, two bedroom) and was spending **** all on nights out (alcohol, smokes, drergs etc are so cheap) and groceries, transport etc were amazingly cheap too.

Now that they're offering free university I'm seriously considering saving up and taking a year off to study there (need to learn German though) rather than go through a degree in Australia whilst working full time.

No s**t, I reckon for the cost of the average Aussie degree (let's say circa $35,000 or so) you could go and study and live in Germany for 18 months and smash out a degree in that time whilst living in ******* Berlin. Or go even cheaper like Stuttgart or Hamburg, whatever.

wouldn't you need to be a citizen of Germany or have citizenship?

 

[purplesoul]

Breakwater, pint of hoegaarden, $18.
Fire & ice, pint of assahi, $14

 

[Scotland]

Fire & ice, pint of assahi, $14

"pint"

 

[J_Moore]

Don't know yet. Only lived in inner-suburb Brisbane, and middle and outer-suburb Melbourne.

All three have their goods and bads. None inspire me.

I have committed myself to one more year in this country.

After that I suspect it may be 'goodbye Australia'.

Mate, give Iran a go. The people are top shelf (seriously), and you won't get banned from their internet forums for your Holocaust denial threads.

 

[purplesoul]

"pint"

Should have used *

 

[J_Moore]

Can someone please explain economically how this is possible and why Australia isn’t like this or much better?

Berlin is cheap in large part because big parts of East Germany are still very poor. Which is a bit of a theme for countries that seem dramatically cheaper than Autralia - big parts will often be doing it tough.

There are other factors at play, of course, but Australia has historically been a high-wage country with relatively equal distribution of income & wealth (though that's changing). This is a long-term structural issue that runs back over 150 years. It makes things expensive (see Scandinavia).

 

[SterlingArcher]

Large now 360 NOK - or just an average $60

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they also have free tertiary education amongst other living benefits?

I'm not too worried in a very selfish-manner (as in, I'm not worried about the direct cost on myself) about the cost of living in Australia as long as "I" remain middle-upper class. However, Like others have said, the so-called land of opportunity isn't really that to a large portion of the population, but if you get the good benefits of an easy job with good holidays and pay enabling you to travel, have friends, stay out and enjoy your hobbies (like say going to the beach 10 minutes down from your house) then I'm prepared to pay some more for petrol.

If I'm scrambling to make every cent to get food on the table for the kids, then yes I'd say (from my experiences with others) Australia is too expensive. This is where not enough people can see past their own nose. Unfortunately, each year as I grow and legitimately become more mature in my real-life persona, it seems I meet less of the former and more of the later. Give me a couple of years and I might have come full circle.

 

[J_Moore]

My ideal world has real money, and it would be amazingly easy to achieve such a world. Indeed we used to have one, until a certain group of people worked out a way to imprison the masses with usury - although that is another topic for another thread.

hahaha wow

 

[iluvparis]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they also have free tertiary education amongst other living benefits?

I'll be honest and say I have NFI - but I wouldn't be suprised.

 

[WCErevival]

We have a very small population for the size of our country and also a high standard of living. I can accept its going to be expensive here.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Their have been a few places I have been to tht I wouldn't have minded living in (early 30's it's a bit late)
In order Amsterdam, San Francisco, Munich, Toronto & NY

No it's not.

 

[MarcusP2]

Not being eligible for working holiday visas (over 30) makes it a much bigger struggle though. Can't just rock up to these countries and say 'yo I live here now'.

 

[Catfish Alley]

You sure pints weren't costing you the equivilant of $4.50 to $7 not pounds

It was a while ago so you got me wondering. No, I'm sure it was that expensive. This site says the average pint is around 4 pounds.

http://www.pintprice.com/city.php?/London/United Kingdom/

 

[Catfish Alley]

Now that they're offering free university I'm seriously considering saving up and taking a year off to study there (need to learn German though) rather than go through a degree in Australia whilst working full time.

Is that just available to citizens though?