Cost of living in Sydney for family of 4

[AFreshStart]

Mara,

Thanks for your input, I shared something similar in another post geared towards medical care in Aus, I just gave the bullet points here. Much like you we are with HCF for the very same reasons!

Just something that might need further explanation for newcomers is the concept of bulk billing. If you have a Dr. that offers Medicare rate bulk billing they submit the claim to Medicare directly, you don't pay up front and claim back like you might do with some private medical aids in South Africa. You are not fronting the cash and then waiting to receive the payment back (that said the process is swift). With a bulk billing Dr. charging Medicare rates you are in and out, no cash out of pocket, the claim is made directly with Medicare.

This is another reason we love living where we live, there are 3 practices that bulk bill Medicare rates within a 10-minute walk from our home, if you live further out your may not have the same choice and your Dr. might charge above Medicare rates, and like Mara shared, you will be out of pocket for this difference.

Some doctors choose not to bulk bill, particularly in outlying and rural areas, from both experience and friends that are Doctors in these areas.

One thing I should mention that insurers don't often tell you about is premium loading. If you enter Australia after the age of your 30th birthday and only register for private medical care post your 31st birthday you're insurer will load your premium 2% per year over 30 years of age, so if you come here in your 40's it's going to be 20% MORE, easy way around this is to apply for a lifetime loading clearance certificate from Centrelink that you can then provide your insurer. This even applies to citizens like me who only came to roost in Aus after 30 years of age, though in the case of Citizens you need clearance form Borders & Immigration, not Centrelink.

Cheers

Matt

Edited September 13, 2015 by AFreshStart

[mistermoose]

Great details in this thread, thanks to all who've contributed.

Just to add that immigrants to Aus are exempt from loading, as long as they sign up for private medical insurance within the first 12 months of registering with Medicare: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/healthinsurance/incentivessurcharges/lifetimehealthcover.htm

New migrants to Australia

If you are a new migrant to Australia, then you have until the later of 1 July following your 31st birthday or the first anniversary of your full Medicare registration to take out private hospital cover without incurring a Lifetime Health Cover loading.

If the latter applies to you, your Lifetime Health Cover base day is the 12 month anniversary of your registration for full Medicare benefits (i.e. when you are eligible for a blue or green Medicare card).

Medicare registration date letter - If you are a new migrant to Australia aged over 31, then you normally have 1 year from the date of your Medicare registration for a blue or green Medicare card to purchase hospital cover without a loading. If you have joined or intend to join private hospital cover within 1 year of Medicare registration, you will need to confirm the applicable date by requesting a letter from Medicare - contact Medicare (Department of Human Services) or visit your local Medicare branch. Supply the letter to your health fund on or after joining to have your loading reassessed.

Edited September 13, 2015 by mistermoose

[AFreshStart]

Mistermoose,

We are saying the same thing RE exemption, hence the need for the letter as proof, though thanks for point out you only have a calendar year to complete it in. They will load you without it because they don't know that you are a new migrant, they tend to plead ignorance on the matter. The good news is that if they do, you get the letter they, or at least in our case, backdated the payments and we were refunded the difference, though it was only picked up when we switched to another private health care provider who asked for a letter, the first company, which will remain nameless, but is a rather large, didn't, which is why I wanted to highlight it.

Cheers

Matt

Edited September 13, 2015 by AFreshStart

[JEMS]

Thanks Mara. It was the answer I was after.

[Mara]

You are most welcome.

[AFreshStart]

SJVH,

I'm pretty sure you're tired of me harping on about the benefits of city living, but just as I just shared over in another thread, by son and I ran into the Mayor on the way to school this morning while she was walking her dogs and stopped to greet us and I'm just reminded of what an asset she has been for families choosing to live in the City to be closer to work. I know it sounds and looks like propaganda, but we've experienced the same thing, the local park around the corner has been upgraded and re-opens next month because of us asking her, literally. She opened two new parks and opened the new Goods Line in Ultimo 2-weeks ago. All these parks in the video are ones we use and enjoy, the City, though dense, still has these beautiful open spaces that we feel are great for raising kids.

Cheers

Matt

[monsta]

Matt. For me, the major issue is this. To buy a house costs at least $4000 pm and you will need to live 1.5 hours from the city.

You can rent an apartment near the city for $2000 - $3000pn and have a 45min trip into the city each morning.

[AFreshStart]

Monsta,

The median rental price for a 2-bedroom apartment here in Waterloo, 8-10 minutes by public transport from the CBD (Financial District) is $695 a week according to Real Estate, in our (new) block they are going for $750, so yes, $3,000 a month, but our mortgage repayments are less than that.

We've bought a 2-bed/2-bath unit with loft space with a parking and 3 storage units, so it give us, even as family of 4 a lot of space and we are we are never reallymore than 10-15 minutes from the CBD by public transport, with buses in peak times passing every 5-10 minutes, plus it's only a 25-minute walk, or 15-minute cycle. To buy a 3-bedroom, 1 bathroom terrace 1 or 2 suburbs over would be a minimum of a $4,000 a month mortage, yes.

I guess it all depends on WHERE in the City you live which is why I've suggested in the past suburbs like Surry Hills (right near Central Station, tons of busses and trains), Redfern (Redfern Station), Waterloo or Zetland (Green Square Station). There are places with not so great transport links like Chippendale or Ultimo, which cost as much, so you need to have an understanding of the city, transport and links for sure, but this is a global issue for any first world city - London, New York, Hong Kong or Tokyo.

I guess for us it's all the hidden costs in time and sacrifice. Family is really important to us, quality time together. I prepare morning breakfasts and early dinners and I like us all being able to eat together, to talk to one another and go over the events of the day, to play and rough house around.

In South Africa we had a terrible work life balance, my wife commuted 1-hour or more each way and would leave at 6.45am and only get back 12-hours later. She missed meals and had to warm them up in the microwave, she did this for 10-years. We'd had enough, now she leaves at 7.30, some days closer to 8, she makes the kids lunches while I make breakfast and we can talk and play, she's back by 6pm and we all eat together at the dinner table. We love this, that I guess for us is the draw of being closer to work, even if it means smaller apartment living. The joy it brings us as a family outstrips the need for bigger space and it's what we can afford, both now and for the foreseeable future.

Cheers

Matt

Edited September 14, 2015 by AFreshStart

[ottg]

Hi Matt,

A bit of topic but I noted that you often refer to the community garden you involved in. I saw this interesting approach to a community garden on a much larger scale and thought you may find this interesting. They established a working farm, hosting youth from regional high schools to participate in farm-based programs and activities. The community garden also works with educators and community collaborators in diverse urban, suburban and rural settings to help students apply what they’ve learned at this community garden in their daily lives

An interview with the entrepreneur and driving force behind the concept

http://steveblank.com/2015/11/04/entrepreneurs-are-everywhere-show-no-9-jered-lawson-and-chase-adam/

The community garden here:

http://www.pieranch.org/food-education.html