MY FAMILY recently moved to Sydney, Australia, and we are still trying to come to terms with the high cost of living here.

The prices of most staples, such as bread and rice, are double those in Singapore.

To give you an idea of how expensive the Australian city is, here are more examples of the prices of some common items and services.

A five-minute bus trip costs A$1.80 (S$2.30) and a one-station train journey sets one back by A$2.60 - one way. A 10-minute taxi ride can be as costly as A$8.

The cheapest newspaper costs A$1, while a movie ticket is about A$12. A simple meal of noodles can cost as much as A$6.50.

As for homes, a two-bedroom apartment in the suburb costs about A$350 a week to rent, and that does not include
any furnishings. To live within 5km of the city, one must be prepared to fork out at least A$600 a week.

If one wants to own a home here, it costs about A$400,000, with a mortgage repayment interest rate of 9.25 per cent per annum.

So far, I have not come across any government housing.

Due to the high cost of dining out, my family eats out only once or twice a week. Eating out at a food court, for example, costs about A$30 to A$40 for a family of three.

On the plus side, however, we have more family time together, as we cook at home and brainstorm ideas to make home-cooked meals delicious.

Moving to Australia has made me realise something: We should not grumble too much about the cost of living in Singapore.

Many cities in the world have high costs of living, but in Singapore we have world-class infrastructure and facilities at relatively reasonable prices. It is no wonder that many foreigners want to settle in Singapore.

Mr Gilbert Goh Keow Wah
Sydney, Australia

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