It seems like lately everyone’s talking about the cost of living. Grocery, fuel, rent, and mortgages are all going up. Australians are doing it hard … but New Zealanders have long had a perception they’re doing it harder. Every year, tens of thousands of New Zealanders migrate to Australia in search of better job prospects and higher wages. They’re currently Australia’s fourth largest migrant group – around 2.3% of the population. And that number’s just going up.
I’m one of them. I moved over in January to study at AFTRS and hopefully make a bit more money. In my day job cleaning toilets and mopping floors at a supermarket, I already make $10 an hour more than I was in a similar job back home. Better weather with higher wages? It sounded like a dream to move here. But with the Australian cost of living as high as it is, how’s that dream working out for everyone else? I spoke to three Kiwis in various stages of migration to Australia to get their perspectives.
First I spoke to Robbie Hankin, a recent university graduate who moved from Christchurch to the north coast of New South Wales a month ago. He’s already noting the difference.
“Back home there’s quite a sense of doom about economic conditions. I think that living in New Zealand, especially young people are kind of asphyxiated in what they’re able to get up to, considering their wages – long work hours for not really much compensation.”
“It’s cheaper than I’ve expected, especially compared to what you get paid. Living kind of well and being able to save is far more achievable here than New Zealand. Aside from rent, I’m finding it a lot cheaper generally.”
Juliet Ardolino is a former communications professional and current AFTRS student. She moved from Auckland to Sydney in 2012, and has seen firsthand the impact of Australian cost of living on housing prices.
“Things were never cheaper in Australia, the salaries were just higher. New Zealand has a lower wage economy and there’s not as many job opportunities. And the problem is the salaries haven’t kept up with the increased cost of living. So pound for pound, we’re poorer now than we were 10 years ago.”
But for many New Zealanders, Australia still looks like a good option. I spoke to Gabriel Collins, an actor from Auckland who’s been thinking of moving to Australia, to find out what the perception’s like back home.
“It sounds quite nice to me. It sounds like a bit of a promised land type of situation, where like you’re so broke for so long and then your friend starts telling you about this wonderful place just across the sea.
I don’t think for every New Zealander the goal is to go to Aus, but it’s definitely becoming more of a goal for young people, like gen Z especially.”
It’s clear that things are hard on both sides of the Tasman. Grocery, fuel, and housing costs are affecting us all. With lower wages and fewer employment opportunities in New Zealand, Australia still looks better for many, but the reality of living here can be different. While I’m paid much more in my job, with no HECS-HELP, I’ve found myself sleeping on the couch in my mum’s apartment to be able to afford to study. I suspect that the New Zealand dream of moving to Australia may not quite be dead, but it’s certainly not as easy to live here as some Kiwis may believe.
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