C.O.L.A. Adjustment - The Costs of Living in Sydney

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According to UBS's ranking system Sydney fell from the 17th most expensive city in the world to live in 2008 down to # 38.  Now I don't know a whole lot about their ranking methodology but I'm going to have to call BULLSHIT on that.  Let me break down for you MY methodology for making this assessment.  Listen up you statesiders considering a move to the wonderful land down under!  First, in absolute terms, you will make about the same amount here that you make doing your current job in the States.  So, if you're getting underpaid at a crappy job making $60k/year in US dollars then you're going to be underpaid at the same crappy job here making the same $60k/year in Aussie dollars.  This is important b/c you will quickly learn that EVERYTHING that you buy costs more than what you bought it for in the states.  Allow me share a few indicative examples:

Chap Stick (yes, I have big lips so this is an important item for me)
US Cost - $1.89
Aussie Cost - $4.80

Case of Corona
US Cost - $23-$30
Aussie Cost - $58-$70 (a 6-pack will cost you $20...no lime included)

Organics Veggies (come on - we lived in LA where everything but the smog was organic)
US Cost - Super Cheap thanks to weekly farmers markets
Aussie Cost - Don't even think about thinking about it unless you see Whole Foods as "cheap eats"

Gasoline (we are so spoiled in the States)
US Cost - $3.09/gallon
Aussie Cost - $1.28/litter (Don't worry, I'll do the math for you...that's $4.83/gallon!)

Cheap Chinese Dinner for 4 (2 kids, 2 adults)
US Cost - $30-$35 (depending on how fancy Mands gets)
Aussie Cost $50-$60

So as you can guess, since arriving we've ceased all driving activities, eat only pesticide laced foods, avoid all restauants that don't have a big, yellow "M" in the logo and my lips are chapped as hell.  It's like Chinese water torture and the costs seem to sneak up on you.  My electric bill went from $180 for 3 months to $500 over the winter and I'm still waiting on the frostbite on my pinky toe to thaw out.  So, what are a couple of ballers like me and the lady Mands to do to maintain the lifestyles we've become accustomed to?

We take it back old school baby - dinner parties!!  We're like English royalty up in this piece hosting dinners in front of the fireplace (keeps the heating costs down and everyone stands there anyway b/c the rest of the house is so damn cold) and sipping on high end wines that the guests contribute.  We've become the poor man's international recessionista.  But I digress...

There is an upside to the high costs of living here in Sydney.  First, I don't see any needles on the ground, curse out my neighbors at 2am for playing loud music, or feel bad about not giving the guy who lives in his car any french fries everytime I walk by.  Mands says that's a good thing.  Second,  Taeus and Cypress are developing these wicked Aussies accents that'll make them all the rage when they go back to the States.  And third, the police don't look at me suspiciously all the time (which I kinda miss).  To top that off, I just found out Costco is on the way to save us from the tyranny of the 2 major grocers!

Still would love to have you for a visit  but don't come without bringing me 15 cases of Blistex!

Thanks for reading.  Leave a comment if you dare.  Black2Oz out.