Cheaper in the UK?

[gmartin010]

Hi Guys

Am off to the UK soon and have been a touch concerned about how far our currency will go there. My sister reckons that it shouldnt be a problem because most things are cheaper in the UK then they are in Australia. She gave the example of razors.


Does anyone else have any other standout examples of things I should look out for that are much cheaper in the UK?


Thanks

 

[Mal]

The answer is pretty much everything...

 

[simongr]

Apart from Ralph Lauren Polo shirts which are about the same price in Selfridges as they are in David Jones.

 

[casanovawa]

If you think about the averae annual wage in any place, and i saw on another thread that someone said an average wage in the UK might be about 30,000 pounds (~A$45,000), you will usually find that most things will bear a general relationship to that average wage in terms of it having become an established liveable wage... So while fuel is often higher in the UK and throughout Europe, u will probably find many things like food and transport and non-discretionary items at stores cheaper than here to be affordable in relation to the local wage rates.

 

[simongr]

The comparison has I think shifted dramatically over the past 15 years. When I first visited Oz in 1999 it was about 40p = A$1 - now it is 70p = A$1.

So when I visited in 1999 things were dirt cheap on a UK salary - a $100 shirt was GBP40 - the same shirt is now GBP70 - a 75% increase :shock:

The other huge difference between here and the UK is "luxury" cars. A standard Jaguar XF is about GBP40K - over here it is closer to A$90K which is about GBP63K :shock:

 

[nickfromeastryde]

The comparison has I think shifted dramatically over the past 15 years. When I first visited Oz in 1999 it was about 40p = A$1 - now it is 70p = A$1.

So when I visited in 1999 things were dirt cheap on a UK salary - a $100 shirt was GBP40 - the same shirt is now GBP70 - a 75% increase :shock:

The other huge difference between here and the UK is "luxury" cars. A standard Jaguar XF is about GBP40K - over here it is closer to A$90K which is about GBP63K :shock:

A 75% increase in 13/14 years is pretty reasonable

Recently took on an Australian guy into my team on a salary of about 100K. He had been working in London in IT for about 10 years but lost his job like many others. Came back to Aust because of this with his wife who also found work here. They lasted 6 months before heading back, apparently way too expensive here especially if renting an inner city location at about double the price for similar back in London. I don't know what his old GBP salary had been but I do know that they went back with no firm job prospects

 

[drewbles]

Apart from Ralph Lauren Polo shirts which are about the same price in Selfridges as they are in David Jones.

And Apple products. In fact, most IT stuff is more here (am in the UK at present).

Ralph Lauren is stupidly expensive. It's pretty much the USD price, replacing the $ with a £. Buy in the USA online with discount codes and have it shipped overnight to your hotel (which is what I do with Ralph Lauren frequently in the USA).

 

[Princess Fiona]

Agree with all of the above. I go to the UK a couple of times a year and find almost everything except fuel to be much cheaper. The strength of the Aussie dollar has certainly increased the differential over the years.

 

[Edge]

everything's cheaper. especially with the $AUD @ 40 year highs vs the pound.

only thing you'll pay a lot for is a decent hotel room. shopping, eating, entertainment... so much cheaper

saw a concert there for 45 quid, same band, same tour back in melbourne was $150

 

[simongr]

A 75% increase in 13/14 years is pretty reasonable

I thought I needed to be more clear in my example - the 75% increase would be just due to exchange rate movements assuming the underlying price had not changed.