I'd like to know what Curls does for a living. Kiwis on the average salary have all but been locked out of home ownership when only 20 years ago a house was still doable on such a wage. You can't pay $500 week rent and save a deposit for a $800,000 "starter" home, and then afford several thousand per month in mortgage payments. Power is not cheap. Curls' example is quite unusual. Mum, Dad and one or two kids will be paying anywhere between $250 and $300 for basic power in winter, and if they heat their home with electricity you won't get much change out of $400 a month. So most Kiwis are forced to accept the cold and only turn on the heat at night and in the morning. NZ used to be one of the wealthiest nations but has fallen dramatically down the scale in recent decades. We used to pull off that trick of having reasonably high wages and low costs but that is now almost totally reversed. Homelessness is a huge problem. The government pays for many thousands of Kiwis to live permanently in motels. Crime is high and education standards have fallen dramatically. If you're close to government, well, you're doing OK because salaries are high and the perks are good.

@tranquiloofficial24

Ай бұрын

According to you, How much should I make to support a family of four?

@rosselliot8971

Ай бұрын

@@tranquiloofficial24 In a small provincial city you couldn't do it on $1,000 a week by the time you paid $500 week rent for a basic two or three bedroom home, the rest eaten up in the most basic bills including very simple food. Savings? Forget it. A general rule for full-time working couples with no kids on average incomes is one income pays the mortgage and one pays the cost of living.

@tranquiloofficial24

Ай бұрын

@@rosselliot8971 what is the average salary in New Zealand?

@rosselliot8971

Ай бұрын

@@tranquiloofficial24 $65,000

High living expenses in NZ and stagnant salaries is one of the reasons I left the country.

@DomingoDeSantaClara

Жыл бұрын

I left for very different reasons, but would go back in a heartbeat if I needed to. It really depends on an individuals requirements, for many people money is low down on the list, lifestyle, safety, education, outdoors etc can often be a priority.

@bingo000

Жыл бұрын

@@DomingoDeSantaClara All of which are in an abundance in Australia. In this economy, I'd say it's hard to believe that money is low on the list for many people especially when you have a family with needs that need to be met. I wouldn't say money is everything in life, but definitely a good deciding factor for myself at the least and so many other families I talk to and friends back home in NZ.

@DomingoDeSantaClara

Жыл бұрын

@@bingo000 you're right I meant money isn't top priority rather than low priority. I did try Aus off and on but really couldn't get on with the heat, the money in the big smokes is certainly better, but cost of living puts a dent in that. Some things in NZ can be surprisingly cheap, once again it depends where you are. I don't think the differences are as great as we think, and remote working has opened up NZ to a new breed of migrants. I'm not likely to go back to either but NZ still seems like a better option for me if I ever decide to head back. Its great that we have the freedom to have these options, many don't.

@James-ip8xs

11 ай бұрын

Not that stagnant, NZ wages have overtaken UK salaries

@richardsmall8940

8 ай бұрын

​@James-ip8xs higher then the Australian minimum

Left NZ in 96 and used to come back and feel like a king now im too scared to go back. Those prices confirm my suspicions.

This is one of the reason that like you content Curls. You give the good, the not so good. New Zealand is a great place to live for the most part and like all countries we have our issues. I completely agree about the dentist. Went to a dentist in Lower Hutt ooh about 3 yrs ago, ended up costing me nearly $1K for a check up, and 3 fillings. then during the second lock down, one of the teeth that had been "fixed" broke (turned out they had used the cheapest product possible that they could get away with, but i still paid premium). went to a new dentist, cost me $350. Went back for a follow up appointment, and over the course of last year paid out close to $3k on dental work, correcting the previous work and fixing cavities that the first dentist missed. I knew there was a reason i avoided the dentists.

Great honest vid Curls. Fan for life.

@itscurlsbaby

Жыл бұрын

Thanks mate! Really appreciate that

Always good to get an international perspective on our tiny islands in the middle of nowhere 😀 which to be honest with the way the rest of the world is heading feels pretty good.

@rosselliot8971

Жыл бұрын

Tiny islands? 10% larger than the UK. Twice the size of England. 9 times the size of The Netherlands. 4 times the size or Ireland. Twice the size of Greece. Never judge a country by its size, or lack thereof.

@Chris-NZ

Жыл бұрын

@@rosselliot8971 Hi Ross, are you coming to the defence of NZ well done , however are you sure NZ even exists except in Lord of the Rings , I mean a lot of maps leave NZ off entirely there is even a Wiki reference to this . Cheers

ACC is New Zealand's best system. Free medical care for an accident is HUGE! Plenty of people are going bankrupt here in the US from accident injuries.

@kiwibob8967

Жыл бұрын

As well as medical coverage, an often overlooked aspect of the ACC legislation is that it is a "no fault" system. In addition to covering most medical expenses, it also removes the ability to sue for injury (in most cases). Which means you won't go bankrupt due to the cost of medical treatment or litigation in court. Below is a summary of the scheme. Accident Compensation Act 2001 New Zealand’s accident compensation scheme provides accident insurance cover for accidental injuries to New Zealand citizens and residents and to temporary visitors to New Zealand. Most ACC claims involve physical injuries caused by accidents. However, sometimes nervous shock and other mental conditions are covered too. Sometimes physical conditions may be covered even though they’re caused gradually (for example, through long-term exposure at work to substances like asbestos. To make a claim, you don’t have to show that some other person was at fault and caused your injury, and so ACC is sometimes described as “a no-fault scheme”. Whether you fell over at home, or twisted your knee playing sport, or were injured in a car accident when another driver failed to give way to you, you’ll be covered by ACC. The ACC scheme has been running since the mid-1970s. When the scheme was introduced, it took away the right to sue in the courts for injuries covered by the scheme. However, if your injury isn’t covered by ACC and was caused by someone else’s actions, you can sue them in court for compensation (“damages”). For example, you might sue for negligence. Note: In some cases, you may be able to sue in the courts for what are called “exemplary damages” even if your injury is covered by ACC. Exemplary damages are awarded by the courts for particularly blatant and reckless behaviour that causes an injury to someone. They’re awarded to punish the wrongdoer (so they’re sometimes called “punitive” damages), and they go over and above an amount that’s necessary to compensate the person who was injured. Costs covered under the accident compensation scheme include: *medical and other treatment *loss of income (weekly compensation) *social rehabilitation (aimed at restoring your everyday independence outside the workplace) *vocational rehabilitation (aimed at restoring your independence in your working life) *lump sums for permanent disabilities (“permanent impairment”).

@annethomson4920

Жыл бұрын

If you can get it

Pak N Save had apples for 1.50 a kg last week. If you eat seasonally, shop the bargains, and base your meals around those parameters you can eat well, and cheaply. My grocery budget for myself and my husband for a week is between $100-$120. And that includes things like laundry soap, toilet paper, toothpaste etc. Its the entire shop. And we eat well. I also got 33 chicken drumsticks for $14.79, 2 kgs of pork for $11.72 (which makes four meals), bags of courgette for $2.00 a bag ect ect. It can be done! :) I moved to Aotearoa in 2005 and I would live nowhere else 💚

Yeah part of the issue is there are only two supermarket chains in NZ which act like a duopoly

@lennifrost2006

Жыл бұрын

There are only two parent companies which own the half a dozen or so supermarket chains.

We left NZ in 2016 and returned to the UK, we just couldn't afford to live there. We earned average salaries and owned a average house in Dunedin and our lives were so bland. We had less money every month and we did nothing, apart from work and walk the dog. My cousin who lives in Dunedin is over here at the minute and laughs at Brits saying there's a cost of living crisis in the UK at the minute, he says NZ has gone from crazy to totally bonkers when it comes to the cost of basic stuff. My mate in Dunedin sent me a photo of a $12.99 cauliflower last week!!!

@davidfinley7766

Жыл бұрын

We did the same last year and absolutely no regrets. We would never be able to retire in NZ and here in the UK we are already mortgage free, free GP care, free schooling and even in a financial crisis we are still paying less than half of what we would on groceries in NZ Nice place for a holiday but there's more to life than beaches and sunny weather.

@spartan6520

Жыл бұрын

Same, moved to Australia recently, already more opportunities and more things to do, especially better wages.

The price of alcohol really does depend on your area, in Invercargill SIT was(and maybe still is) free/cheap to study but the price of alcohol in the region was really high. If you were to drive out of the city and buy alcohol at a smaller town you'd pay less as the taxes on alcohol helped pay for your tuition. I'm not sure if that's still the case but what's for sure is that it does fluctuate. Great video.

Depending where you live some places are high in rent. Each N.W have different prices same with paknsave. Not all supermarkets are equal. In my area you can buy 6 eggs from $3.49. Free range is approx $5 depending on brand. Each region may have different brands also even though it maybe the same supermarket chain.

Pretty much everything is expensive in new Zealand because we are in the middle of ocean at the bottom of the world. There are pros and cons with everywhere. As a proud kiwi there no where else I would rather be living. Higher wages and more available of rentals would be great but theres always a catch

For some reason the south island has cheaper fuel prices than up north I'm in Dunedin,I filled up with 91 for $2.33 a litre and it's been pretty consistent for prices, doctors visit is $45 at the GP , rent is definitely up there though, keep the video's coming Curls 👌👍 great work mate

@richardsmall8940

8 ай бұрын

What's wellington like? Nelson sounds nice to

Love your content bro! I think depending where you are coming from will definitely impact your views on cost. Lived here for a year pre pandemic and absolutely fell in love. Coming from Canada I do find it pretty expensive though. Some stuffs more some stuffs less but overall quite a bit more pricey. The big one for me was my profession In NZ paid $50,000NZD less yearly than what I would have earned at home. Being a single guy at the time no big deal I could work around it but couldnt imagine trying to afford a family. Also NZD is worth 20% less than Canadian currency so if you spent 20-30 years here and for whatever reason left you'd lose a good chunk of savings. I hope one day to come into a large chunk of change as I'd love to come back and stay permanently.

@tstcikhthys

2 ай бұрын

*affect

hey curls, on the topic of beer, when are we going to get a new zealand beer review

That is hell cheap for the power. Most 2-3 bedroom houses are spending around $250-300 a month.

"Dental is expensive! I went to get a wisdom tooth checked out; it was $200!" [Laughs/cries in American]

Allways looks amazing the rentals are a ridiculous amount of money per week food looks super yummy have fun matey thks for sharing 🇬🇧🌎

Comparing the cost to the pound is grand if you're there on a holiday, but if you plan on moving there you're wage will be NZ Dollar, what's the pay like?

That's an expensive GP! I thought mine was expensive at $42 lol. I pay way less for mobile too, like $16/month. But yeah, food... Ouch.

Since the restaurants are mostly good, we get kinda fussy when we choose which restaurants to eat at

The reason for the price of food at the supermarket being high isn't what you might think, NZ being isolated and often forgotten is the reason things like new computer components and new cars cost a premium here. but when it comes to food NZ is actually a net exporter, we export enough to feed an estimated 40 million people but still have insane food prices. this because all supermarkets are owned by a duopoly of multinational corporations owned by Americans Australians and south africans who's business goal is to siphon at much money from kiwi families as possible, not to deliver a fair price. Then again it's not an issue limited to NZ as the UK supermarkets also have limited competition due to being dominated by a supermarket oligopoly

How do you have a power bill of only $30/month? Are you never home? On the other hand your GP is ripping you off, mine charges around $30 and you can get an appointment within a day or two. My annual dental checkup is around $100-$150, although it’s at least another $100 if you also want them cleaned (that only changed a few years ago, you used to get everything done in the same visit, now the dentist does a quick check and you have to pay again to see a hygienist for cleaning 😢).

It costs me $19 for a gp visit in Auckland. People under 65 pay $42 with a cs card or $60 without a card

Been in NZ for 16 years and finally giving up and going home to the UK because of the cost of living and low wages.

@James-ip8xs

11 ай бұрын

Not much better in the UK, although the trick is to live somewhere up north on a Govt salary as it doesn't scale by region so it you are on say £60k in London you would be able to get the same quality of life in Leeds for £40k UK needs to majorly improve its transport infrastructure as high house prices and poor public transport is squeezing incomes as people aren't able to commute between economically deprived where they live and economically active areas for work.

It's immigration upping rent but apparently pointing out that supply and demand is a thing that exists is not allowed.

Curls bro you need to change your GP, Up here in Whangarei i pay $19 per visit and im sure theres cheaper ones than the ultra exorbitant $75 your paying, Hope it comes with dinner and a movie bro

How is an agricultural behemoth like NZ so expensive with food?

1 litre of vodka or gin is usually on special somewhere for $40NZ. How much in Oz? Sorry, this was supposed to be in reply to a comment, not the whole thread 😮

Would love to know more on how the process was for you in terms of applying for a visa? Did you do it yourself of go through an immigration lawyer?

@James-ip8xs

11 ай бұрын

I think he is on a working holiday visa most likely, British people can stay up to 3 years

I am a kiwi and have left nz three times to go live overseas and make money.. if you weren’t married at 20, both working good jobs pulling over 60k each and bought a house by the time you were 25 you will find it tough as nails.. nz is very expensive relative to what you earn

Looking at moving over there on with an offered salary of 120,000 per annum, will that do?

Dominos costing 7.50 now instead of 5 dollars makes me cry 😭

Yeah the government a few decades ago allowed the amalgamation into two big grocery groups owning brands. Under the guise of bigger will be cheaper and of course within months they proved the opposite would happen. They did the same with Auckland City, it used to be 5 City Councils the argument if they all merged they could get rid of duplication of staff and so on... and of course rates rises have always been bigger since then. The number of staff has sky rocketed btw in just 15 years. They claim its to cope with government regulation, but anyone with a brain knows two things occur: The more staff the more meetings to talk about nothing but future meetings and: The more staff I manage the bigger MY salary will be. They merged all the dairy companies into one huge company. Its now the worlds biggest dairy company btw. The day after the merge, all the milk went up about 33% with the ceo claiming thats what the milk costs overseas. Fast forward 20 years and their principal brand of milk is often twice as expensive in a NZ supermarket than the same NZ brand is sold in London. ie: between the milk company and supermarket they have agreed to a high price... and go shove off if you want competition.

At Night 'n Day they have bread for $1.90

awww sounds depressing all of that expensiveness out there....I was so much looking forward in wanting to move over there. How do the New Zealand citizens then live? If its ridiculous pricey ( expensive ) over there?

I’m trying to move there with my family. I still think it’ll be better than South Africa.

Nz is hella expensive I live in Auckland city an pay 600 a week for a 2 bed apartment I could get a 4 bed 2 living rooms 2-3 bathrooms double garage with a yard back home in Melbourne for a lot less (450) with higher wages this year probably be my last year here

It feels quite cheap overall compared to France... I thought it a lot more expensive than that...

bruh you are paying a lot for the GP. I go to my uni GP for $14 per visit but even my parents pay $60 per visit. GP's are subsidised based on neighbourhood incomes so you might just be going somewhere flash.

@danharvey3096

Жыл бұрын

He's probably not registered to a GP Practice & so is paying casual rates. You only get the subsidised rates if you're registered with a clinic or have a community services card. As a Kiwi who came back to NZ from Melbourne in mid 2020 & hasn't needed to see a doctor until February this year. (other than a dedicated Sports doctor to get a referral for an MRI for a MTB crash). I found this out the hard way when I got shingles. I needed to see a doctor asap, but found that all clinics in Christchurch had a registration waiting list of 4 weeks as there were massive staff shortages. So I had to see an urgent walk in clinic & pay casual rates. My appointment was $120. This is as a Kiwi who had a previous community service card but it had expired. It doesn't matter what level of class the clinic you go to is. It's whether it's private/walk in, or subsidised, & whether or not you are registered that determines the price. And unlike in Australia where they have Medicare & you can get Medicare rebates if you go to a non bulk-billing clinic (aka a private clinic), there is no such rebates in NZ. But what NZ does have right in terms of health is ACC. Without it Queenstown would virtually not exist as there would be too much liability for injury on facility owners & providers to make adventure tourism a worthwhile risk. Without ACC I wouldn't have been able to get an MRI from my MTB crash lastyear in Christchurch, or afford any of the necessary rehab. But where it comes to general health, NZ could very much do with a tax deductible Medicare levy paying for the health system. At the very least so there's more money floating around to pay nurses well to keep them here in the numbers that are needed.

As a kiwi in Asia I’m amazed how unaware so many kiwis are that the cost of living crisis is not only in their suburb. On housing you can but a house in Nz with a ratio of less than 10 years. HK it is 45! And the size of that HK place will be less than your studio. Beersies in HK/japan/Malaysia go at Nz $18 + . People are working into their 80s with limited welfare . Also unlike in many parts of Asia NZers have democratic elections and freedom of information … unfortunately it looks like those on the right of centre are letting misinformation muddy the water. Potentially supporting policies of a party renounced as an authoritarian government in the free world.?

Woah... im in the BOP and my doc approach is less than $20 😬

Where I live, you won't get a doctor for seven days unless you have an emergency.

@annethomson4920

Жыл бұрын

Same most places sadly unless its an emergency.

Alright guys i need to make a decision here. I have two choice to work as a nurse. One of them new zealand, the other is UK. Which one do you recommend to me immigration? The problem is i do not have a great money accumulation so i need to use my all resources while having my CAP course in NZ. Do you think is having a CAP course and part time working doable?

@colinmacdonald5732

7 ай бұрын

Come to the UK. Specifically sunny Aberdeen. You can get work as a nurse in a care home, allegedly £20 per hour, if you do night shifts you could well spend half the time sitting on your ar*e. 4 of those per week, well, you work it. There are perfectly decent apartments for sale for £40,000. If you've got good English you'll get a job in about a microsecond. If you're English is unintelligible you'll get a job in about... a microsecond.

@alpo67

7 ай бұрын

@@colinmacdonald5732 thanknyoubsir. I can't belive this is like 4 months ago. Now i am in bristol

I remember paying $ 60 a week rental for my flat in the late 1970s in Auckland.. If it's still a rental , i can imagine how much more it would be today.

@HannahMitchell-Art

Жыл бұрын

I was paying $160 in a share house in Grey Lynn Auckland 2005-2007

@carltwidle9046

Жыл бұрын

@@HannahMitchell-Art I had a one bedroom flat in a converted old villa in Grey Lynn / Ponsonby area. It was in Scanlan Street. I had a problem with mice. But I found out where they were getting in and blocked the hole up. HA! You were onto a good thing with your rental. Where in Grey Lynn was it ?

@HannahMitchell-Art

Жыл бұрын

@@carltwidle9046 Schofield Street. We called the Schofield Mansion, 6 double bedrooms!

@HannahMitchell-Art

Жыл бұрын

@@carltwidle9046 wow, $60 for a one bedroom apartment!

@carltwidle9046

Жыл бұрын

@@HannahMitchell-Art It was back in 1979, when i was 19. It was my first flat. I had a job with the National Film Library which was situated on Great North Road in those days. I lived there up to 1983. Then the library moved to Newmarket and i moved into a flat in Mt Eden. I liked the flat and i had old Art Deco furniture in it. I do remember Schofield Street. I liked shopping in Ponsonby Road, and I would go to the Gluepot pub to see bands such as Dance Exponents back in the day. Thanks for your reply Hannah and have a good day.

private rent all comes down to greed of the private owners, they need to pay their mortgage and they take advantage of struggling families to get their goals, they don't gaf about your situation

There is no housing shortage in Wellington or Auckland. I have rental properties in both cities and i cannot find half decent tenants. The ones who cant find houses are jobless single moms who don't have enough money. Housing shortage is a big big lie. Same as skilled labour shortage.

Rent is not 200 too 300$ its nore like 500 me and my partner ate lucky as we pay 460 but for a cold house

$75 is not what residents pay for a gp consult - more like $20 - thats ten pounds

Don't know why you included gym membership on here, it's very much a choice. Walking and running and exercise of any kind are free.

New Zealand power is mainly from renewable resources as we are a Nuclear Free country (which I'm SO PROUD of) so we DONT have Nuclear Power Plants. Mainly is hydro and some geo thermal.

about three times expensive as it was 3 yrs ago😮

Price of living is to much!!! Mind u if I was a high roller it be different lol

OMG $75 for a Dr visit I hope that comes with a prescription for your glaucoma 😅

2 words: too much😁

Also, re: dentist - have you tried not having teeth?

'kin oath it is.

Just live within your means here bro. Don't overspend, and relax with all your decisions. It'll be costly if you spend extravagantly, and there's really no need to outshine anyone here lol.

thanks but no ,not coming 😁

The housing crisis is pretty much worldwide across the G7 now ☹️ It sounds like your Electricity bill is a LOT less than Australia ! But, our medical bills are a lot less. How much is a bottle of spirits from the Bottlo ? You're out of focus mate...

@barrycuda3769

Жыл бұрын

One upside to NZ over Australia is not having a stamp duty .

@sassmate5042

Жыл бұрын

I don't know if that's a typical power price. I live by myself and my power bills are usually around 100 - 120 a month. In saying that, it might be cheaper in the North Island...

Sure is a privilege to live in little old NZ! Even though it is more expensive!!

i think Britain is much cheaper than nz

Currently I earn about £1800 a month after tax and everything working remote in the UK, although there's potential to earn more. But next year I was thinking about the NZ working holiday visa, & just keep doing the work i do, & working at night, so that I don't have to think about a new job. But looking at rent, fuck me, there are 1bdrs that will cost basically the entire wage a month just in rent alone.

Nz cost of living is a joke

You can come to America. Petrol is cheap, food is affordable. You’ll just have to deal with the mass shootings. And if you manage to survive that, the hospital bills might get you.

Try school uniforms

I live in Wellington cost 500 a WK food rent power wifi I live off the government with subsidise rent and get 220 in hand after expensives But someone asked me to work for them and offered 25 and hour 40 hour a wk, around 1000 a wk, sound ok right but if it cost 500 and I get 315 from government that equals 815, so for a full wk if working I get 1000, so 1000 take away 815 equals 185 in hand that's less than what I get from the government and I don't have to work my ass off. So why would I work If you don't earn over $50 an hour don't expect to buy a house or have enough money for holidays or savings The funny thing is there's a labour shortage in New Zealand but New Zealand employers and business owners would rather reduce the annual profits even to the point of financial bankruptcy than stabilising their market share an overall profits by paying workers more so they stay but they don't pay them MORE so their workers leave Then they go on the news screaming there's no workers I hope all their businesses burn The fact is since the early 80s New Zealand economy has been designed to exploit the working and middle class. It just came out millionaires in New Zealand pay 9% less tax that a person on minimum wage WTF. DONT MORE HERE IF YOU ARE WORKING OR MIDDLE-CLASS YOU ARE FUCKED.

Fish and chips bro

The foods expensive because its good and not full of carsonagenics.

You have two bottles of scrumpys first costs a twenty pissed as a lord then go out costs another hundy then puke on the uber dude and thank him for driving you home... microwave a frozen steak and cheese pie. Sweet as