Cost of living: Kiwis take to social media to salivate over Australian pay rates

  • 12/05/2022

Many people are looking to jump the ditch to Australia for a better life as the cost of living in New Zealand continues to rise.

And it appears Kiwis are becoming more and more tempted by the day, as they salivate over Australia's hourly pay rates.

A Facebook user in a private Auckland group started the discussion when he shared a Brisbane job advertisement earlier this week. The advertisement was by the container loading company 4C Group, seeking high reach forklift operators paying AU$35-$39 per hour (NZ$38.60-$43), container unloaders for NZ$33-$38.60 per hour and warehouse staff for NZ$30.90-$34.20 per hour.

"You know when you need to get out ov [sic] Auckland," the user said, accompanied by the job advertisement.

It didn't take long for fellow Kiwis to salivate with him.

"I can earn way more doing what I love… and can move out of Auckland," one commenter said of Australia's pay rates.

Another commenter pointed out it wasn't just Brisbane advertising such pay rates - but New South Wales too.

One freezer works picking job in Sydney was offering NZ$49.60 per hour for weekday work and NZ$71.70 for weekends.

However, some ex-pat Kiwis have expressed different opinions about moving across the ditch - saying the grass wasn't always greener. A Facebook user in the group 'New Zealanders living in Australia' said she was considering moving to Aussie from Auckland due to the cost of living - and it garnered a mixed response.

"I would stay in NZ if I was you. Things are not any easier here in Australia," one person said.

"I've been telling people for 10 years now if you have it good in NZ stay there," another ex-pat Kiwi wrote. 

Dmitro Mikalshevskiy, who recently moved to Melbourne from New Zealand, told AM last week he was spending less money on petrol and groceries and was now able to save - something he couldn't do back home.

"When you get here… there's a lot of hoops to jump through," he said. "But once you get there - totally worth it.

"Work here in Melbourne is abundant; pay is better… it's just cheaper to live."