Costs of Living in Victoria, Eltham? Are 40000 A$ enough for an one-pers.-household (rent, car, food etc.)?

Question

Hi,
I got a job-offer as an engineer near melbourne. My salary will be about 40000A$. Is this enough for an one person household with all costs of living? I am from Germany and if I work here, i will earn 1,5times more than in Australia. That's the reason for this question.

Oh I missed something, the salary is before tax and per annum.
Thanks a lot for answering!

Thanks for your answers!
It will be my first "real"-employment. I think that could be a reason for the little wages! But I am also thinking, it is an great opportunity and it will increase my experience more than anything else here in Germany.
I worked hard in industry (Design, R&D, Construction) during my studies and I am allready a skilled worker in mechatronics. I don't have to pay any medical insurance because of the business temp visa. And if I work far hard, then my salary will rise.

Where do the rents be cheaper? Can you tell me a suburb?

Answer 1

Your salary after tax would be about $33,500 (rough estimate), leaving you approximately $2,800 to spend each month.

Eltham is not a particularly cheap place to live, and it is more of a family suburb, so 1-person households in Eltham would be difficult to find. To give you an idea, a 3-bedroom house would be about $1,700 per month, but you'd be able to rent the other 2 bedrooms out. If you had a choice, it would be better to live closer to the city as the rent is cheaper. You would be able to find nice share accommodation for about $400 per month in the inner suburbs.

Petrol at the moment is about $1.10 per litre.

A pint (570ml) of beer is about $7.00.

A ticket to the movies is about $15.

A used car will cost you about $5,000 depending on the model and how "used" it is.

A loaf of bread is about $2.

Mobile phone will be about $50-70 per month.

Nightclub entrance is about $10

I live alone - my electricity bill for three (3) months varies between $100 to $200 depending on the season as my heating is electric. My gas bill for three (3) months is usually about $50.

Men's haircuts are about $15-30, depending on where you go.

My internet bill is $60 per month for 10gb download 512/128. Internet in Australia is rather bad compared to elsewhere in the world.

Coffee is about $3 a cup. You can get a great lunch for $15 at most cafes.

If you think of anything else you'd need/want, I'll try to answer it.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

Is $40,000 a year enough for you to live off? Yes, I would think so.

But $40,000 a year before tax sounds like a very low salary for an engineering position. I don't know the exact details of your job offer, but I would be suspicious that your potential employer is trying to rip you off. Here is a link to an employment web site that shows annual pay scales for a variety of jobs http://content.mycareer.com.au/salary-centre . Apart from anything else, it says the average Australian salary is $70,000 a year, so the $40,000 offer is not a huge salary by any stretch of the imagination.

Answer 4

don't worry about how much you earn - I honestly think that is enough to live on and get by.

I wouldn't mind getting a salary for 40K p/a.
Being an engineer wouldn't you receive more than that?
Major construction companys are always looking for engineers especially Downers their head office is in Melbourne if you want something more permanent they employ many overseas workers.
Good Luck!

Answer 5

There are cheaper rents than at Eltham you could look around The money would be enough for you to live very well.~~

Answer 6

you will live well on that, your money will go farther here than NY or CA, 850 1,2 br, car 400, gas 23, electric 85, car insureance 100, no state income tax but federal good luck

Answer 7

Rent-To-Own Homes : http://RentToOwnHome.uzaev.com/?vHhv