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Cost of living for 1 person, when starting out


NIENIEINSA

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Hallo

My husband will be going over first to Adelaide to get a job and set up, then myself and our two kids will follow.

Please can you give me an approximate bare minimum cost for 1 person, staying in a flat-share type accommodation, eating "budget" food, which includes toiletries.

How does a cell phone pay as you go work, can you just buy a sim card and pre load it with airtime, or do you have to have proof of address etc? What is approximate cost for 1gig data and and hours talk time.

Thanks so much

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Hey,

I always advise people never to think their cost if living will be below minimum wage. I am not sure what the exact figure is. Hopefully someone else can give the after tax figure :) It is the highest in the developed world...so be ready for a shock.

Then think about where your husband needs to be. If he needed to be close to the Sydney CBD to go for interviews, his cost if living would be much higher than if he stays on the outskirts of Adelaide. Minimum wage might be possible to do in the cheapest parts if Adelaide.

I would advise you to find some examples of accommodation your hubby could stay in and the prices. It easy to assume a room share at $250 per week. But he may have to stay in a hostel at $80 per night while he finds a room share. He may also have to sign a six month lease on the room, which means he will be stuck at the hostel.

So, your figure should come out to around $3 000 per month. Remember, its 1st world here, you can't go and live in the 3rd shack from the right and live off putu :(.

As for cell phones. I would look at Amaysim.com.au. They use the optus network, so your hubby might have to walk outside to get a clear call. But they are way cheaper than Telstra. I spend around $30 per month with them. That gives me a gig of data and a few calls. I can top up the data with their app. But if your hubby only has a cell for internet, he can easily blow the 1gb.

He might be better off for the first month just to walk into an optus store at the airport and have them sort everything out.

Oh and he will have an address to give them. Just give them the address of where he will be staying for the first few weeks :). But they might post him stuff at the address he gives. So, if its a hostel or hotel, tell him to ask how he gets his mail when he checks in.

Cheers

Edited by monsta
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Nienieinsa, how long is a piece of string? I will try and measure it for you:

Accommodation

http://www.hostelworld.com/findabed.php/ChosenCity.Adelaide/ChosenCountry.Australia?source=adwordsenocetopdest&network=g&creative=51386110155&adposition=1t2&uniqueclickID=13655613834521934154&sub_keyword=hostels%20adelaide%20cheap&sub_ad=b&sub_publisher=ADW&gclid=COyrmOzirscCFVIIvAodbqUNSw

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-adelaide-cbd-adelaide/shared+accommodation/k0l3006880?fromSearchBox=true

https://www.realestate.com.au/share/share+accommodation-adelaide,+sa+5000

Food

It depends on what he would want to eat. In all of the above they should have an area where you can prepare your own food, if that is the case, I would say he may get by for around $25 per day. If he is going to eat out, then it will cost him quite a bit more.

Toiletries

That is an unknown, as we have no idea what he needs.

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Hallo

My husband will be going over first to Adelaide to get a job and set up, then myself and our two kids will follow.

Please can you give me an approximate bare minimum cost for 1 person, staying in a flat-share type accommodation, eating "budget" food, which includes toiletries.

How does a cell phone pay as you go work, can you just buy a sim card and pre load it with airtime, or do you have to have proof of address etc? What is approximate cost for 1gig data and and hours talk time.

Thanks so much

Hi there, how long will he need a place for?

Yes he can buy a simcard...I used one in my ZA mobile phone when I arrived. I still use prepaid...

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A site that may help is

Www.peoplelikeu.com.au

Just fill it in using various personal situations and incomes. It should give you an idea if how much people spend in the area.

For example, fill it out as if you are a single male living in Adelaide, earning 80 000 per year and renting. Then have a look at how much someone with that profile spends on groceries, rent, etc..

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Ok...for the last year i have been living alone so i can give you some idea. My basic expenses per week...food and toiletries +-$120...mobile phone $10...internet 250g $15...utilities $35...rent $400(three bedroom unit, nice area close to the city), not sure what the rates are for sharing...

Hope this helps...

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