@@ykook7000 better wages in Australia. Cheaper houses. NZ slowly catching up on wages but housing is bloody stupid. Basically, its alot easier in australia than NZ.
Maybe other factors play a role in the cost of things, trade agreements and regulations, politics etc. I've found that buying a Samsung product in NZ is cheaper than in Korea. By quite a bit! Which is crazy because its made in Korea. One reason NZ may not have as much of an abundance of designer goods is there isnt the demand. Most Kiwis don't value material items as much as other countries. From what I've seen travelling, people in NZ are far less likely to judge someone based on what they wear or have. It's more about who and how you are.
I think you're right about the lack of demand for designer goods. And I think Tall Poppy Syndrome plays into it as well. High-end products like that are a display of wealth that will make people quickly sour against you in NZ. In other countries, middle class people use designer goods to show off how successful they are and it's culturally accepted and expected, whereas in NZ, everyone will turn against you if you display too much wealth.
You are wrong. The reason Samsung is more expensive in Korea is because the Korean govt allows Invisible trade barriers to be put up, which make foreign imports more expensive. Local firms are then protected from foreign competition, and take advantage of this and fleece their own people.
@@Ccb88888 Apple seems to almost dominate the market and appears to be cheaper than Samsung in Korea. I've recently purchased Xiaomi products on coupang in Korea and they're alot cheaper than NZ. Maybe you're right, but from experience it doesn't seem to add up to that logic.
Great video! You make me dream haha As a Canadian(Montreal!) too, I could go on and on and about why I love NZ so much(so I'll try to keep it short haha). I lived in Auckland about 5 years ago for a while, but the company I worked for unfortunately closed, so long story short, I had to come back home. Not to sound too dramatic, but there's almost isn't a day that I don't think about NZ because I always wanted(and hope I will) to come back and live the rest of my life there. The people, the AIR(soooo true haha), the laid back feel, the beautiful scenery(Canada has some great scenery too, but come on...it doesn't compete since you basically have Canada on the South Island hahah), etc made me a happier person. I thought I wasn't a stressed person, being from Canada, but I found that I reallly was when I got in NZ haha It's not too political of a country(compared to Canada and the USA), work life balance is great, etc I saw a doctor once in 15 mins when I'm used to like 4+ hours...it was crazy to me haha If someone from Canada reads this, NZ is not that expensive to be honest in a way. You have to think that you pay way less taxes in NZ than in Canada on your salary, there aren't tips(which is a huge when you are used to that haha), taxes are included in the prices you see, etc etc I mean, it's not a cheap country, but I was more comfortable there than in Montreal overall. But Chantal, you are right, for some stuff like food and clothes, you have to look more to get better deals ;) Warehouse (the equivalent of Walmart or Zellers) had some great deals on shoes, shorts, t-shirts, etc To me, NZ always felt like Canada(or at least Quebec), but just a tad better ;) It's far, yes, but the more you get older, priorities change and I prefer to be in a country where people are laid back with a beautiful scenery everywhere. It's a little heaven on earth :) Kia Ora.
Was interesting to read your post. I’m a Kiwi living in Western Canada and looking forward to moving back in a year or two. I’m from Auckland, but I’ll probably move to Nelson - top of the South Island. It’s beautiful there and I already know it well.
I’m a kiwi who has lived in Quebec, love both Quebec and my home country. Don’t miss the snow though 🥶🥶🥶. Work life balance is very important here in NZ. Stressed workers are unproductive and a tired stressed worker equals work place accidents. Happy work place, happy home equals happy healthy people and a more productive economy.
Hi guys yes NZ is expensive but manageble I feel people only move here for its culture beauty and lifestyle overall NZ producers workers not millionaires which is good for gdp😎❤️🇳🇿
Thank, Chantalle, for the nice insight video. I tried Spain for 11 years; wonderful and very cheap, but.....no jobs. I live in my homecountry Belgium now, which is gruelling on taxes, lawyers and fines. Housing is much cheaper though...Anyway, New Zeeland looks like a very exciting country. Good luck! 👍👍🇧🇪❤
Really the only way you can measure if a country is expensive or not, is to take the income of a middle of the road job like truck driving or office administration roles. Then subtract all of your expenses for the year. The amount left over is the true comparison. Then if nz works out to be more expensive and let's say you have 10k left in nz and 20k somewhere else in the world although I doubt that would be the case, it's then up to the individual to say to themselves how much would I pay for this quality of life and real freedom. New Zealand will rank in the top 3 to 5 countries in the world for quality of life and general happiness of the people. When you factor everything in New Zealand is cheap as.
Exactly! All things considered, the quality of life here far exceeds the cost of living. It's more than a great deal, it's a lifetime return on investment.
Exactly. And even a not so glamorous jobs can own a home, I for one doing only a cleaning job and my husband is a tradie and we own our home with big section here in Auckland.
@@Kiwigrunt im in fisheries and i earn more than teachers and nurses and that doesnt seem right. Not struggling but not globe trotting either unless you call going back and forth to aussie globe trotting 😂
Im a kiwi and have traveled extensivly around Asia and its always amazing how cheap it is overseas compared to here. Even expensive places like Japan. I appreciate having my own garden but actually I could never afford to buy it now. So grateful I bought it 20 years ago.
@@johnnyboy1586 I think its up to our government but they are pretty gutless when it comes to policy that would help houses prices drop or even stabilise
By my calculations a family needs around $2600 per week to pay for an average lifestyle on the city fringe if renting. For most of the population both parents work and teenagers have part time jobs which unfortunately leaves very little time to spend in nature and visit national parks
My childhood in a nutshell. I mean Saturday was family time where we would go to the beach, market museum but home before 5 cos dads got work and have never been to any of these cool places you see on the internet due to not being able to get the same days off, pricing and travel. All the local stuff we got to do but enjoying the whole country was a "one day" thing we never did.
Well there are a lot of places one can live here in NZ, just like any country. We moved to the far North of the North Island. We were told work opportunities are limited, beware of the criminals etc etc.what a load of bull poos. There is plenty of work opportunities, every community has a bad element, housing is cheap and cost of living is dependant on what one is prepared to live with. Our off the grid home and block of land cost less than a small house section in a city centre. We no longer have a mortgage. Rates are less than half. We can grow fruit and vegetables year round. The kids enjoy a country lifestyle away from the internet, as internet is limited. Yes it can take up to an hour to drive to work but that’s a rarity, and not the norm if you lived in Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch. We actually have savings at the end of the month for the first time since leaving the big smoke. A lot of big companies who have branches in the smaller centres struggle to get good staff because of the closed thinking of many people who are not prepared to consider their options to living out of the cities.
@@libbysevicke-jones3160 this! I understand that alot of people moving to NZ end up in cities (we did too for a few years) but just being that little bit flexible can open so many doors. We currently live rural but for a few years we lived in Invercargill, on one income and could still buy a house on a 1/4 acre section in TOWN. Now we rent out our house, live rural on 1 income still and can still save $200 per week after our costs. Family of 5 by the way.
You infer that the NZ health system gives free medical services for everyone. That is not true. Children up to the age of 15 (I believe) get free doctor visits. Almost everyone else pays to go to a GP. There are special rates for low income and disabled people, but others pay between about $35 and $60 for a standard GP visit. However, if you have a life-threatening emergency that requires you to go to hospital, your time in hospital and subsequent specialist follow-up costs nada for anyone. I recently had a perforated appendix and the whole treatment cost me nothing. Things are different for non-life-threatening surgery such as plastic surgery or a hip replacement. While this can be free of charge, you have to go on a waiting list. There can be quite a wait, and that's why many people have medical insurance. Most -probably if you chop your finger off and go to the hospital emergency department, there will be no cost for that, even though it's not life-threatening.
This has been a really interesting fascinating post. Wide range of replies. Glad to see so many New Zealanders starting to resist the wickedness of the Government. I once thought of the current prime minister as a cute little social justice warrior who could not do much harm. BOY WAS I WRONG. A wise American once said, "The people should not be afraid of governments, governments should be afraid of the people".Common law is the highest law in every English speaking country, including America(they just tried to enshrine its meaning into a document). Governments are ONLY there to serve and protect the common law rights of it`s citizens.And not pander to the wishes of the powerful as in America.Hope my Polynesian brothers living in their cars will come to understand this.
Thanks Shantal. Lots of valuable information. Heard many good things about NZ but have not visited yet. Definitely on the list. Cheers, Dan (Toronto). 😀👍🇨🇦
You would find the overall mentality very similar to Canada and similar systems when it comes to govt healthcare etc... but it's more laid back. Maybe like the East Coast of Canada.
Growing Up Without Borders I know what you mean Shantal, I grew up in Halifax and have only been in Toronto for about 9 years. . Will probably return to East coast someday. We all go home eventually. Dan. 👍
NZ housing is very expensive relative to typical household incomes. A very recent govt. report confirmed that supermarket food is fairly expensive in New Zealand compared to other developed economies. The high cost of living in New Zealand is especially high in NZ's largest city, Auckland. If you retire in New Zealand, you will not owe NZ income tax on USA Social Security, nor will you owe US income tax on NZ's old age pension. You will owe NZ income tax on the balance of your worldwide income. If you qualify for NZ's Old Age Pension (called Super), NZ will deduct from that pension your entire Social Security benefit.
Yes your right i think the reason why housing more expensive in nz.nz a victim of its own success and the demand exceeds the supply to have a house in nz. Also to note the min wage is $18 per hour and restraunts are expensive but you don't tip.if you do shop around you can get discounts and cheaper prices also there's a website called firsttable.co.nz where you can book to eat at certain time at restaurants at certain times and its 50% off.
Big thick wooly socks in winter to cut down on power cost with heaters, rugby socks, norsewood wooly socks are the best, slippers or ugg boots. Or home made brown sheeps wool jerseys( wool jumpers) or the Canterbury rugby jerseys. Wooly hats/beanies. I grew up in Hawkesbay, worst place in summer if you have bad hayfever and forgot your tablets,meds. Oh what I miss now I'm in Australia, is fejoas and L&P fizzy drink. Anyhoo without writing a novel I'll leave it at that.
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like what it was like for me growing up in Canada when we heated a big house with a wood stove. Wool socks all the way. I’m sure you miss the feijoas they’re so delicious! 😋
That is only for old houses. All new houses now that are fully insulated and double glazed because of government regulations and as you can see many new built houses around especially in Auckland, I'm in Auckland on the North Shore. Despite the negatives I still prepare here compared to my country of origin as workers here have more purchasing power than most countries. I own my home here in Auckland with almost 3000 square meters of land and me and my husband is just an ordinary worker manual jobs.
With Countdown (supermarket), they mostly sell fruit which is NOT from NZ (eg. Australian oranges, USA fruit, etc). With New World, at least they sell a good variety of fruit/produce that is actually from NZ. Countdown doesn't sell PAMS products. I'm with Vodafone NZ and their service is better and cheaper than Spark, but yes, mobile data in NZ is expensive. As for home, I'm on Vodafone's ultra fast cable pack which includes unlimited fast data at up to 400mb/sec download speed and 90mb/sec upload speed... which is very useful for getting big videos up onto RU-vid fast. Along with Vodafone Freeview TV, and landline. All for NZ$92.93/month. Don't get Sky, it's a rip off. A lot of companies in NZ do actually only pay the minimum wage. If you yourself get paid over $48,000+ per year before tax, you're considered Middle Class.
My Countdown sells NZ produce. Not much is imported in season. Mostly things that cant be grown in NZ or out of season. No different to my local New world.
We came to New Zealand from the UK in 2007. Back then I feel the cost of living in both countries was fairly comparable. Since then there have been things like the financial crisis and corona where NZ has done comparatively well. Because of that, NZ has become more expensive over time. It's the price we pay for our success as a country in recent years.
Good morning. In terms of the average person looking for a rental, Wellington has the highest rental prices in NZ. And when you compare on Trade Me the prices Auckland and Wellington offer, Auckland is a bit more fairer. 2 bedroom decent rental averages $500/week and 1 bedroom/Studio decent rental averages $340/week. Some rentals in Wellington can even be as high as $700/week. Auckland is cheaper in terms of rent. With people moving out to the outer region suburbs to pay a little less but face longer commute times. Minimum Wage is $18.90/hr. Australia's minimum wage is AU$19.84/hr (NZ$21.27/hr). NZ Living Wage is $22.10/hr and is the minimum amount necessary to earn in a 40 hr week in order to provide for the basic necessities. If you're on the minimum wage, you'll be struggling to get buy and would have to stick to a stricter budget. Australia pays a lot more and even though NZ citizens can live work and go to school in Australia without any restrictions or visas, you're not treated as a real citizen and get limited health care options vs what a full Australian citizen gets.
Expensive Rent, Expensive Houses... Where a place like Tauranga has half the shops empty for lease in the city centre and has one real leisure centre and restraunts that barely cater to vegetarians which is now 1 in 10 New Zealanders. House prices in Tauranga are now average $900,000 and it has nothing on Auckland City... Go figure!
Instead of complaining about lack of vegetarian places create them. Alot of vegetarians are complaining theres no options for them in kfc that literally has chicken in their name 😑😑😑😑😑 chicken is their main product ffs. What youre really complaining about is that some eateries etc arent changing their product for a small percentage. That is why there are options and different places to eat. Rather than complain about maccas not having a vegan option just go to a place that does. As you said yourself. Its a small market and the only ones that can do vegetarians are vegetarians themselves. Maybe, complain to your own community
@@jeringatai3156 Great idea... I'm going to start a vegetarian restraint chain tomorrow... maybe I can inflate the food prices aswell... win win for everyone...
@@jeringatai3156 also I would not call 10% of the country a minority... A 100 people walk into KFC ten of them are vegetarian... I Beleive you are also referring to a recent article where KFC have usually had a Vege Burger on there menu to cater to the 10% but simply took the item of the menu even though all the ingredients consist of one of their meat burgers including the hash brown they use as a paddy... I agree with this woman... its absolutely ludicrous to take it of the menu... unfortunately most restraunts close at 9pm so we are only left with Wendy's, KFC, McDonald's, Burgerking if you are lucky enough to have one in your town... alot of people work night, shift work or even eat late... So to nate cater to 10% of the people is Bullshit... You will find with Bill Gates owning the most farmland now in America, in the near future meatless products will start to forced on people rather then allowing the option to eat meat... so eventually New Zealand will catch up... we hope...
@@bevanpalmer err... By definition anything less than 50% is a minority. It can be a large minority, a small minority, a plurality (that is, the largest minority when no majority exists in the context being measured), and may be big enough to warrent the effort of serving, financially, or not, but it's still a minority. So... You may not call it one... But you'd be wrong. Not that that has any particular bearing on the rest of your point, mind you.
The way I say it is NZ is and has the best of everything... Food plentiful Supermarkets always full.. Dairy nation...plenty of selection of high quality meat....one of the best trout and salmon fishing spots in the entire planet.. Rivers and oceans mostly pollution free...mussle farms...trout farms salmon farms and plenty in fresh country stream... We don't have to travel far for snow sports or mountain or river / sea sports / entertainment.. Our hospitals are free . Free healthcare.. and beautiful clean unpolluted coastlines and beautiful forest parks...and all this mostly can be achieved by short and cheap travel. As far as I am concerned New Zealand is our home and proud of it....
I live 7 months in Austria near Slovenian and Italian border. The other 5 months I live in Nelson. I ldislike winters and I am early retired. At current exchange rates housing in Nelson is 100% more expensive per m2. Supermarkets around 50%. Restaurants the same. Sunshine hours slightly higher in Nelson. As I live only in summer in Nelson the low building standards do not matter. If I were to live permanently in NZ I would pay higher taxes.
Hi Manfred, we're in the car driving between Blenheim and Christchuch and just before you sent your message we were talking about living in Slovenia and NZ! We would love to connect with you. Can you reach out to us by email through our website Growing Up Without Borders.
Yes, since then the house has gone up 50%, that means it earns about an average salary every year. I will be putting in central heating soon. It's an 1880's home
I know. It’s hard to get used to when you come from a northern country that experience is -20 C. We have insulated windows and insulated everything to keep the cold out in the winter.
So... Trying to get a handle on this... Are you listing prices in USD or NZD? I'm trying to convince my wife (we're retired) to move to NZ and I need good talking points. Thanks!
The cheaper the products get the more mass produced and cheaper the quality. So it’s worth paying more for locally made groceries as your supporting the local man or woman in NZ to live Which is good
You’re right. It would be nice to somehow see this happen in the clothing industry too. Simply because of the poor working conditions for many but I know that probably won’t ever happen.
I can say in some parts of the U.S. renting by the week isn't totally unheard of. Granted it's not often advertised nor is it really should I say set with families in mind. So I being a single man not needing a family dwelling I'm guessing I'd find it cheaper?? I've rented in a men's boarding house for $100/ week. And I did rent my own place for $185/ week. Granted they're via 3rd party landlords.
There has been petition to the Government while back to remove GST from food items here, don't know if the current Government has looked into it. but I agree.. 10 years ago prices have definitely gone up.. contributing factors as I see it, we are two isolated islands in the bottom of the pacific Demand and Supply of goods which we are reliant on imports, Inflation (Consumer Price Index) Trade agreements where we are held in ransomed to pay for goods at fix cost. (even imported goods are cheaper than our own) Deflation of our currency our dollar purchasing power is not what it use to be. and Immigration, our boarders have always been open to overseas visitors who want to relocate here we have been a small population now the influx of people moving here need somewhere to live which has cause a major spike in real estate.
Removing GST from fruits and vegetables is something the Labour Party has talked about wanting to do for a while now, but whenever they're in government, they've always got so many expensive fires to put out that it doesn't end up happening. With how healthy the budget was at the end of their last term, we might have got it this term but then covid happened so I wouldn't hold my breath.
@@michaelheliotis5279 We have the resources to be self reliant even supplies of energy source in the ground. however because of our strong stances on protecting the land there will always be opposition to the idea. We have gas, oil refinery, and exploration of oil reserves in the ocean.
A lot this is completely generalised. Especially with the heating. At least in my experience and that's coming from a Dunedin born Cantabrian. Sounds like you've been staying in some questionable accomodation hahaha FANTASTIC video overall though!
A very good summary! Christchurch and Dunedin houses are less expensive than Auckland and Wellington. As for where I live you can get a decent 3 bedroom house for 400 - 500k or maybe less. Our own cottage( with a good size garden) is worth about 300k and we love it
We're actually heading to Dunedin for the first time next week! Let us know if you have any recommendations. We're just looking at home exchange options now :-)
@@GrowingUpWithoutBorders My fav suburbs of Dunedin are St Clair and Maori Hill. Visit Larnach Castle and Otago Peninsula, also Coast Road to Karitane is very scenic
@@GrowingUpWithoutBorders Dunedin is a great place. Wander around the Botanic Gardens and check out the Peter Pan statue there. Also, a wander around the University campus can be inspiring. Dunedin is a big Uni city. Hanging out at The Esplanade at the beach is nice too. I live in Timaru and love to visit there. Oh, the insulation in NZ housing has vastly improved over the last 15 years and the use of log burners or wood burners in NZ is common and produce the best heat for homes. Enjoy Dunedin!
Wow you're really doing your homework. One thing i find that is an advantage to most foreigners that move here is if they come with money, because of exchange rates it'll go that little bit further especially when buying property, for example imagine what 500,000euro would buy you in any city around the world to what it could buy you in rural NZ if you can live mortgage free and work then cost of living is not so much of an issue on a NZ wage. Also your ROI on property is very good plus we have a very stable government and allways have. Have you ever looked at our star system at night without that pollution?
Yes overseas folk have more purchase power than nzders in general Every plane load of immigrants basically pushes out a plane load of poor kiwis at the other end
Thanks for sharing this information Please I'm From nigeria how can i get New Zealand Citizenship From nigeria here I really ❤❤❤ New Zealand so much. I'm ready to relocate to New Zealand & ready to learn New Zealand language & Culture ✌✌✌💙💙💙💙💙✌✌✌✌✌
Food is expensive here, though she didn't exactly represent it honestly ; she presented the more expensive products, while claiming that it was the lower end of costs. The cost of bread, for instance, begins around $1 ; the cost of cheese begins around $7. Most people aren't bougie in Aotearoa ; we don't mind cheaper brands.
No it's not. Things we buy are more expensive than many other places (Partly because we pay/receive decent wages), but the things we get for free or subsidized due to them being tax-funded offset that. Also, it depends where you live and where you shop. No tipping. Sales tax (GST) is included in the ticket price. If you live in the USA you need to add the sales tax before making the comparison. Chantal mentioned cellphone plans. When I last visited the USA I couldn't get a month by month reasonably priced plan like I could in NZ or the UK. I pay NZ$16 (US$11.42) per month pay as you go. It's worth bearing the exchange rate in mind-NZ$1.40 =US$1.00 / NZ $1.00 = US 71 cents at the moment.
Cranking up the electric bill to get warm? Isn't that what jerseys (jumpers) and blankets are for? It doesn't get that cold, at least in the north that another layer of clothing won't see you right and you have never known true bliss before you've experienced a hot water bottle on a cold night, it also gives much more impetus to the sharing of body heat, nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
In the 60's and early 70's NZ did have central heating but was oilfired. The 1973 oil crisis made it uneconomical to keep the burner and it disappeared from the nation.
You’re in Cambridge? Let me know if you want advice on places, cafes, activities etc. or want to meet up for a coffee / lunch. Or want to go horse riding.
I find it interesting how these videos from a visitors perspective are nearly always from a middle class point of view. If you are reading this from abroad do not get the impression that New Zealand is paradise. Sure New Zealand has nice scenic places to visit but there are a lot of people and families doing it hard barely managing to make ends meet each week. There is poverty and homelessness in New Zealand and there is also violent crime. You need to be careful. New Zealand is not the Utopia that some people make it out to be
Yes poverty is real and also there are gangs like the Black Power and the Mongrel Mob. Going into the wrong areas could mean the difference between life and death, also, there are some that won't speak English to you even if they speak it. Why? They don't like outsiders or the government. Fair enough! But there are alot of amazing things about NZ too.
Very true, but if you have travelled you will know that every country has poverty, homelessness, and violent crime to some extent. In relative terms NZ is better than most, and its government's attitude is better than most. At least our government sees those things as problems to be addressed. These videos are almost always from a middle class point of view, because that is the group that can afford to migrate here without financial support, and which are most likely to get work visas.
I mean crime and poverty exist in every countries , Canada , USA , Europe , Japan etc. but like really depends on an area in right , most of the time middle class has no issues at all
Earthquakes. If you can duck under a desk or step into a doorway they suggest you do that, then if you're near the coast you do need to be aware there might be a tsunami, so tuning into the radio for any evacuation alerts (or they just advise people to move to higher ground if you feel a large earthquake). Many people have a reasonable emergency supply of stored water and food so there's not a lot else you can do about them other than being prepared.
Thank goodness new builds must now be insulated including double glazing for glass doors, windows. the healthy home standard is now mandatory for rentals so hopefully NZ get up to Speed sooner than later in providing warmer homes
@@GrowingUpWithoutBorders mandatory for new builds. For Rental (not new builds) insulation in the roof space if able to, underfloor insulation if able to, but not compulsory for walls
But.... not mandatory if you are living in own home ie not rental. The new build legislation under the building code started for quite a number of years now. So basically if you are building new, you must abide by the law. I also think that there is something in the building code or council bylaws that mentions about renovations. Just too much info to mention as it covers all kinds of different scenarios.
Im curious if your know about our Ambulance service that is voluntary, and what you think of its costs, and that our emergency number is 111, its called St Johns, and if this is a flog topic?
Thanks for the details. I recently saw NZ on a Top 10 list of places to retire for less than $2000 per month. I have no idea how that conclusion could have been resched based on your information.
i rent in New Zealand one bedroom house for $360 a week that includes power -heating-and internet and section gets mowed 😊 i find this way is cheaper for a single person than a mortgage and put money into my super etc. really its the only option i have got -plus im on a good wage . food is expensive for a family but a single person can do very well also
It's still expensive to live there I lived there for 8 years in total ( I'm a Hungarian native, returned to Hungary thank you Lord.) $360 can get you 3 bedroom home in Budapest monthly expenses. Food is a fraction of the price and wages are about the same. There are many cost in New Zealand that are not backed by the government there dental care notoriously expensive couldn't believe it the wages are low compared to cost of living petrol is insane and decent anything is absolutely absurd all these things listed are fraction of the price in my native country Hungary. Recent reports state that Hungary is 88% cheaper than New Zealand that's average for average across the entire board whether it's Auckland there or Budapest here ( both cities in both counties are above the national average).
I found Kiwi wine to be a lot cheaper in London,that's right,London,i was shocked,and our Whittakers chocolate was cheaper in Vancouver,not by much though.
Had a look what an apartment cost in rent in Ticino in Switzerland and in Tauranga...roughly the same taking exchange rate into account. I am certain building standards are not worse in CH.....
Hi Chantel, informative and precise chat, well done. I like all the fruit trees there ... is that an avocado tree behind you ? We had all those trees plus a garden that recreated itself every year without any digging ...just left the fallen tomatoes etc. to sprout naturally. Never needed supermarket F & V except in emergencies .... many of our neighbours had a similar thing which is probably one reason why they are expensive. 😁👍
That's amazing!!! The fruit behind me is passion fruit which pretty much self seeded. We've been making juice out of it. I've always wanted to have a garden and we're just loving it! 🤩💕
@@GrowingUpWithoutBorders Sorry, I meant the large green tree down the property a bit. I like passion fruit too ... you should try it on a pavlova with Kiwi fruit and raspberries/blackberries. ... and cream of course. 😋
With all of your travelling around how has it affected your daughters education? Have you got them enrolled in a local school while you're hear in New Zealand?
Hello Chantelle, you have given us heaps of information and personal comment on the costs in New Zealand. And I am so pleased you stressed the quality of life aspect which is vitally important in these times. Much of the world with the daily stresses of Covid may envy the major South pacific countries. Your mention of the Numbeo website rings a bell because I use it extensively in my travels to Europe and it is a vital tool for me, or any traveller to assess costs that can be expected. A comparison with Auckland and Bern, Switzerland, which you would be familiar with, would scare the pants off most Kiwis so NZ is a good, cheaper Covid safe (safer) place to be stuck in. The last item on the Numbeo comparison is revealing because it gives the average after tax salary between the cities. Hang out in the "too far away end of the World" as many call us down here because we are safer than most in the world. I have watched many of your videos over the years and wonder if this is the longest stay in one country? Lionel, Australia.
Hi Lionel, Amazing that you do the same site to see the costs when traveling. It's always amazes me and yes it's great to see the average after tax salary of each as well. Yes, this is the longest we've stayed in one country. We're breaking a record on this one. We've also fallen in love with the land, its people, and and the easygoingness of the country.
Just watched this , being from NZ we are used to the price of things , some things are backwards I know but your video is very informative and helpful for the first time visitors, great job , I wish housing wasn't so expensive I pay $980 wk but it is a $2.7 million large 7brm two level home in Auckland , North Shore . Keep the good work up . @Growing Up Without Borders
I mean guess the question which you probably wouldn't know the answer would I be able to find a boarding house having to live with a bunch of other guys for as low as $100/ week??? And I will say as in my previous comment not all too many exist for females in the U.S. unfortunately. I mean obviously you're not too opt to live with men you've never met before. And I sapose it's because not all that many females are looking for such a situation of cheap semi short term living is why less then 10% of the places are set up for females. So being a male in the U.S. you do have more options for boarding house and short term rentals. I do wonder if that's also such the case in New Zealand?
@@GrowingUpWithoutBorders well by what economic comparison? I know that they're not going to get away with paying $8/ hour in New Zealand. I should mention that I did find a place to sleep for a couple years for $75/ month. Well they call it public storage. Yes I was sleeping in a storage unit 2016 and 2017. Is why I then went into a boarding house. I then had things such as electricity and running water. Never went to 24 hour fitness to actually work out. Just went thier to take a shower and plug in the phone. If I were lucky watch the news assuming all the men in the locker room didn't opt to put on sports center as apposed to CNN. But honestly I find a big problem with many Americans they want too much.. and why??? A big house 3 cars??? Why???? Especially being a single man I DON'T need that. I've progressed because I'm no longer sleeping in a storage unit. Even found a private room to rent as so I'm even beyond a boarding house. Americans just want too much. I've seen in your video also even well off people will go to New Zelands equivalent of Good Will or the family dollar. As you know as well as I no place as such will even exist in well off neighborhoods in the U.S.
Yes wages/ pay would / should be higher, but in a market of only 5 million people, a pro, becomes a con, more people= more competitive prices etc, but they don’t wanna be a UK and squeeze 65 mill in and become unliveable...
Bloomberg says it's the biggest housing bubble in the world. It's not reasonable to pay 7 figures for a house in a geologically unstable area. If the cancer rates, suicide, taxes and dependence on foreign oil were lower there would be a stronger case. However, there are other micro nations that score higher in all these areas which will grant citizenship by investment with better housing costs. I think the NZ gov is stepping in on behalf of the locals for whom the median price is 17x ave. anual earnings. At any rate, NZ is going to have some pretty unhappy investors at some point. Great video. Thank you.
Is it hard to be a citizen in New zealand? I have a skillset in quality control and quality assurance and I am a investor. What are the necessities to be a citizen of New Zealand? I been dreaming about it for quite some time now and want to be there for a lifetime. It's too much political in the US. I really prefer the laid back and kind people of New zealand.Is it possible to travel there yet with covid restrictions?
Thanks for the video, I've just been approached by a company from NZ to relocate and work there, your video and the link to the cost of living are great help.
I’m a NZ kiwi On Average Jobs here in New Zealand Are not stable anymore like they use to be I was talking to this Guy that lives here in New Zealand from overseas he said since he has been here in New Zealand he has been though at least 5 Jobs and he told me overseas he was at his job for at least 10 years so NZ is not perfect not unless you own your own business and don’t have to put up with bosses here in NZ otherwise you will be in and out of Jobs
Kiwi here. My country's becoming more and more a billionaire's playground, especially places like Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown. Wages are stagnant, unless you're a CEO of a private company or government department. And house prices are skyrocketing faster than an actual rocket. NZ used to be known, amongst developed countries as being absent of a homeless problem. Homelessness is now is a national epidemic. Working families struggle to secure private rental accommodations and buying a home is pretty much out of the question for the majority of first-home buyers, without parental/family help or a dead uncle's trust fund. Don't come to NZ unless you're loaded, and if you're from a country that's not Britain, USA, Australia or Canada be prepared for the racism. Very few countries do covert racism like good ol' Aotearoa.
@@imaxximmink2098 Sorry worse than a place which had racism inbuilt into it slegal framework which is what SA had. For goodness sake they had miscegenation laws on the books. I'm not naive to think NZ hasn't got racism, but by going way over the top you end up completely undermining you own good intentions.
I’m a NZ’er living in BC, Canada and I find it pretty expensive here. The taxes on goods and services are absolutely ridiculous here. When I was in NZ I had to pay $60 dollars to visit a doctor and I’m a Kiwi! Have things changed? Here in BC medical care is absolutely free, doctors, specialists, operations etc. It’s wonderful. Power here (BC Hydro) very cheap. I pay like $50 every 2 months running a one bedroom condo. My heating is hot water heating provided by the strata so that would account for some of that, but it’s still inexpensive. Bananas and Tomatoes for some reason always cheap here. Gasoline is ridiculous in the Lower Mainland. I live in White Rock and pre-pandemic could nip across the border using my Nexus card to get cheap gas, but sadly the border has been closed for that purpose for more than a year. I’ll be moving back to NZ at some point, but still enjoying my overseas experience for now! Hope you continue to enjoy that little slice of paradise that you can call home for now!
I am a New Zealander living between Switzerland and Germany(resident in Germany). I am shocked by the videos I`ve seen by you and another American living in NZ. You have almost convinced me to never return. I have never paid more than 600 Fr per month for rent here. When I was younger every NZr had the opportunity to own their own house with land enough for garden and fruit trees, very few people rented. The idea was that everybody regardless of social status had their own house and by 60 it was all paid off and they could live comfortably from the NZ pension.When I was young NZ was an absolute paradise for ALL.Now they seem to be hell bent on turning it into a playground for the rich and to hell with the lower classes. Apart from the coast I find the secret paradise of southern Germany and Switzerland more beautiful and more socially responsible(Germany more so). The NZ of my childhood is gone forever. Helen Clark was probably one of those who started the downfall but the present prime minister is an absolute horror.
I’m not sure what they’re working on for the housing but it is a problem here. It’s the same in other countries as well. Canada is going through the same thing. Overall I do believe NZ has loads to offer with regards to having land.
@@GrowingUpWithoutBorders The housing problem was deliberate, they knew what would happen if they let so many rich people simply buy their way into the country. Same with Canada.They just lied saying, they will invest and the country will boom and we will all benefit. Well, tell that to my Polynesian people living in cars in South Auckland. Yes lots of beautiful land available, but for who????
I'm Australian and have never been to NZ which is crazy being it's only a few hours away but I'm planning to go this year if covid allows travel and keeps it open. where are the best places to go?
I.m not sure if you have gone yet. But if not I would recommend Wellington city Cuba street has lots of good food places there and quite a few stores. If your into natural nature rotaroua is great. Has tons of mud baths and heat pools very natural place