Cost of living? (rentals, how much, homes)

[helox200m]

Can anyone please tell me the cost of living in New Zealand or fiji?
I am soooo tired of the BS here in the USA, I just want to leave and go live on the island.

Everyone keeps talking but nothing is being done, they keep spouting off about freedom & rights, but we don't really have any from the moment we are born...

I will do anything....ANYTHING....that has to be done to move there.

[Richard7666]

The cost of living in Fiji is most likely your freedom, I can tell you that much. If you don't think you have freedom or rights in the US, living in Fiji might just make you reconsider that position =/

It's a poverty-stricken military dictatorship.

[hopingtocomehome]

Auckland, New Zealand (Aotearoa) / Mark Kanning / Gone Like the Wind / Cultural Fatigue

Cost of living in New Zealand is pretty high, even if you live frugally. Internet is very expensive and my power bill has gone up even more. My neighbours lived in a 2 bedroom duplex and had a woodstove in addition to electric heat and their power bills were 300 a month in the cold weather. The heat just went out the thin walls and gaps. Most homes were not even as well-made as theirs and lack insulation or double glazing on windows. Wages are also low. Jobs are scarce, Kiwis are preferred for the few jobs available, and I have noticed shops closing, migrants running into hard times and going home, or moving on to other places such as Australia or Singapore. I agree with you about freedoms and rights, but I'd pick somewhere else if I were you. If you have always enjoyed a certain level of financial comfort, New Zealand life can be a shock. Some find there are compensating factors such as natural beauty and are happy here in spite of that, though.

Costs of Living
It is EXPENSIVE to live here. Due to so much having to be imported, the prices are high. Examples:

1 litre of petrol = approx. 1.20 (about what it costs in the states for one gallon)
1 packet of cigarettes= $10
Movie rental from Blockbuster= $8
1 Day of Skiing with lift ticket and rentals= $100
Average lunch for me= $15
Coffee= $2.50
Postcard to the States= $1.50
1 print from digital camera= $1
Books= expensive no matter what way you look at it; just bought "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"= $27.00
1 muffin at the bakery= approx. $1.15
McDonalds Quarter Pounder Meal= $6.55
Parking in the Central Business District= $1 per hour
Internet use: varies at internet cafes but average is about $2 per 15 minutes use

When you are looking for cost of living information, don't pay attention to government or immigration sponsorship sites. Their statistics are not accurate and some comparative indices simply compare Auckland to New York and London, without considering that many rural small towns in the UK and U.S. are actually much less expensive than anywhere in NZ is, re: COL.

[Richard7666]

Or that many smaller places in nz are cheaper than the aforementioned as well. It works both ways

I agree cost of Internet in Aus and nz is awful though

[pukeko]

Originally Posted by helox200m

I am soooo tired of the BS here in the USA, I just want to leave and go live on the island.

Everyone keeps talking but nothing is being done, they keep spouting off about freedom & rights, but we don't really have any from the moment we are born...

I'd be careful there -- did you know that New Zealand does not have an inalienable bill of rights? Free speech can be curtailed by a relatively easy parliamentary vote. And with Fiji's government consisting of a recently installed military junta... hmmm... You don't want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.

[Jonotastic]

Originally Posted by helox200m

Can anyone please tell me the cost of living in New Zealand or fiji?
I am soooo tired of the BS here in the USA, I just want to leave and go live on the island.

Everyone keeps talking but nothing is being done, they keep spouting off about freedom & rights, but we don't really have any from the moment we are born...

I will do anything....ANYTHING....that has to be done to move there.

That is similar to saying...

I want to live in either Canada or Haiti...completely different climate, government, population, culture etc.

[Fijime]

Cost of living in Fiji is relatively low, the US$ goes a long way. Most things will now be about 30% cheaper than the cost in Australia or NZ.
Yes, the government is run by the military, but it's Fiji! You can't get anymore relaxed. When the president took over, he waited an extra day because he wanted to watch the Fiji rugby team play!

[Battleneter]

Originally Posted by pukeko

I'd be careful there -- did you know that New Zealand does not have an inalienable bill of rights? Free speech can be curtailed by a relatively easy parliamentary vote. And with Fiji's government consisting of a recently installed military junta... hmmm... You don't want to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Please tell me your joking, the chances of a New Zeeland Government passing something like the horrifying Patriot Act or starting up a prison like Guantanamobay is absolutely zero.

New Zealand is one of the worlds few "true" democracies where major parties are restricted to how much they can spend during elections and they are not paid off by big business.

What have the bill of rights done for Americans? which respect? blacks didnt have true equal rights until the 60's for a start. In NZ women and Maori's have had equal rights for well over 100 years.

[meandthee]

For all you folks looking for something better - I would love to see you go find it! rots of ruck

[patricia23]

I agree with these estimate... Also the cost of living can be vary depending on where you choose to live in New Zealand. If in Auckland, it is more expensive city in which to live but it seems that the further South you travel the less expensive the cost of living becomes.