Compared to Halifax, much much higher. It was one thing I didn't account for when I moved and a pretty chunky mistake. It's why I haven't been able to come back to see my family since 2012.
Before moving, I checked exchange rates, job opportunities and pay. Lots more jobs for my skills. Pay was double or more than what I was making in Halifax, and dollar to dollar was more or less par, so it sounded like a good move and I'd be back home once every 2 or 3 years. But the living costs are insane.
For one comparison, in 2011 when I moved, I had a 2 bedroom apartment in Bedford. Heat, hot water included, along with a fridge, laundry area, balcony and lots of space + nice area with everything in walking distance. $725 a month.
The place we moved into here in Melbourne? A concrete 1 bedroom shit hole near a noisy tram line, nothing included, no fridge, just a stove..... $350 a week. I almost shit my pants but quickly sucked it back in. Houses here have no insulation and single pane windows, so noise from outside comes in easily and electricity bills are expensive due to no retention of heat in the winter or cooling in the summer. The moment you turn anything off, heat/cooling is gone in 5 mins. And people complain about strain on the power grids and brownouts, I wonder why.
Groceries, vending machines, restaurants, everything is more expensive than what I was paying back in Canada. All in all, we're technically worse off now financially than I was back in Halifax. Due to various personal things in the family, we've been living this whole time on only my pay, which is changing soon. We get by but not much money to do anything. Compared to in Bedford, I was making about $13.50 an hour in 2011, but with just my own income, I had bills paid, food on the table no prob, and had money saving up to do whatever my wife and I wanted. Here? Not so much. She had an income while in Canada, but when she didn't, we were fine and well off. I started in 2011 at $22 an hour in Melbourne and that barely covered bills.
Im paid more now and in a good job, but you're going to certainly need two incomes coming in to live decently.
And buying a house? We're still renting. A shit hole falling down can go for a million or more. Apparently the value is in the land more than the house. Buying a new cookie cutter house that many aren't even compliant (you see a lot on TikTok from a building inspector on there), you're looking at 1 to 2 million range, then have to spend more after the fact to get it compliant because builders here are shifty fuckers. You're better off buying a 30 year old house for a million + than buying a brand new one.
And most new houses have zero yard. A nature strip at best, or maybe a back yard the size of a coffin. Houses are crammed right next to each other and privacy? Forget about it. You open your window and you're looking into the Window of your neighbour. Single pane don't forget, so everyone can hear everything..... Hope you're not shy with your sex noises.
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