Depends really, but if you want to borrow 600k you're looking at 3.5k worth of repayment a month across 30 year on average. For around that mark you're looking at a nett rent of 500 a week or 2k a month. So you must ask if you cough up that 1.5k every month (which will usually include some form of LMI and insurance which drives the figure up)

If you're considering doing it as an investment and like me are fine to live in a cardboard box because the company takes care of my lodging 80 percent of the time (my rent is only 400 a month and my makan costs 200), I would say you can take the plunge around 80 to 90k per annum, assuming that you're using some form of negative gearing and reinjecting gains back into the property.

You should get a PR as anyone under a TR will need to jump through the extra hoops put in place by the FIRB and restricts the kind of property you can buy. If you want to buy any property unrestricted by FIRB regulations you'll have to live in it, which defeats the purpose of an investment.

Thanks for sharing.

That amount of repayment is definitely not affordable in my position, even if you gave me a few years. And not owning any home means I would probably buy to stay rather than invest (because it is expensive to rent a decent place even for 1 person).

Newtown got many hippies or wearing some weird outfit. I suggest you walk around city centre or shop around and have a cuppa. Nothing much you can do to be honest, unless relaxing yourself, scouting some beautiful girl in chinatown...hehe or ang moh girl in kingscross

Im in my early 30's, fairly settled in Malaysia with a good job and reasonably secure financially. But seeing how tis country is slowly rotting, im seriously considering migration to either Australia or Europe (Germany). Ive travelled extensively in Europe and have been seriously evaluating multiple options to facilitate migration to Germany. Australia is an easier option but i have a few concerns:

1) General economic outlook for Australia
2) Rising unemployment
3) Difficulty in securing a long term job (technical field) compared to Germany

Im open to views.

1) Short term view is very uncertain, there is no long term view. I don't think it will affect us individually much unless there is a GFC like event happening.
2) If you believe the official figure, it had been pretty low and maintained pretty low for quite a while.
3) Yes and no. Luck and you'll have to work for it, but not impossible. Can't compare to Germany cause I know nothing about there.

think u and your children will find it much easier to adapt and integrate in australia than germany.... already a fair number of malaysians living in australia, most already 2nd/3rd gen...

Well yes integration is a problem but im more concerned about the factors ive mentioned above. Australia's economy isnt doing all that well and unemployment rates are rising.

Frankly speaking, Australia economically doesn't do that well these few years.With the Abbott administration, it's getting worst now. So far, there's a big budget cut which i myself feel the pinch. Thanks to Julia leaving a shithole for Liberal to fill. I would say, Abbott giving full of promise which doesn't fulfill. Education cut, rise in electricity, fees, rego...ganasai. I realised local Ozzie here they don't really stick to a job more than a year. Hoping around pretty frequent. It's not becoz the job is not good, it's the pay they're expecting.

Boganland might not giving the best offer to everyone but better than Bolehland.

So far, we're quite adapt the living lifestyle here and not foregoing our culture. My kids still speak my mothertongue, mandarin and english and still we got malaysian community around. So i would say not that bad, just the life in Perth like kampung...Ipoh or Kuching lifestyle. Sleeps at 830pm, wake up at 5am. Planning whole day, getting healthy and do some gardening work...If you guys wanna have some happening lifestyle, Sydney or Melbourne is the place. But we're tired of city life.

Yes ive got close relatives staying in Brisbane, Perth, Sydney and Melbourne. For those already there, the story is a bit different. But for those making the move now, the challenges are different. Career and employment is most important next to quality of life. But with rising unemployment and the Australian Gov's stand to reduce migrations, its very difficult to gain entry compared to countries like Germany. Plus, i dont want to migrate to Aus and then eat hand to mouth.

Hey Everyone,
I am hoping that those who are already working in NSW could share some opinion on my case. I am currently working in Singapore and am already a SPR. But recently there’s a company in NSW (suburbs) that offered me a job with a $75k package. I have always wanted to go to Au to work but the thing is, the salary package offered is actually lower than what I get in SG (even after taking the currency exchange into account). Well of course there’re many other factors to consider apart from salary package alone such as House, Car, Living Expenses, and Lifestyle. So my question is, will 75k suffice in Au?

$75k is more then enough for single, can barely survive for family but still possible.

Australia's economy is not doing beautifully. But look around. Malaysia? Brunei? Western Europe? Africa? Australia has done very well (or gotten very lucky) in the past few years. It hasn't faced a single recession in some 20 years, if I'm not wrong.

It certainly isn't on the brink of a massive crisis like some European economies. I think there might be a very small but potentially harmful systemic risk, something like the situation in Canada. But the authorities have things under control.

Unemployment in Europe is not going to be great when immigrants are flooding into Germany looking for jobs. Surely you've noticed this.

With 75k you can live very comfortably, and yes you would even be able to support a partner. But things like an expensive car, owning a house in a nice location are gonna have to wait.

that of catching the Hamilton lifestyle agenda, u dont need those. Most overpriced here are eventually spend on better goods at overseas, -eg SG or USA...building empire..like murdoch family.

I have just returned from Singapore and loved the life in Singapore though most will disagree. The public transportation, convenient access to food, close to home. Too many happy hour sessions there are people seems to dislike to go home/

There's a large number of suburbs in NSW... anyway that's not the point.

There's so many factors to consider to know if it will suffice or not as everyone lives a different lifestyle.

1) Housing - Depends on which suburb you choose, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, parking, in a unit, a house etc. This will have different impact. If you want to own a huge place right smack in the city when you are living alone then of course it can be pricier. If you were to stay further away depending on suburbs, the price varies. If you think you dont stay home much & do not have much furnitures and belongings that you are bringing along, you can also consider sharing a unit which brings down the costs significantly. Plus points if you score sharing units with ladies, where they will keep the place clean and may cook for you as well.

2) Car - if you live near your workplace and in walking distance, why bother with a car? Good to be near train lines and / or buses. Therefore if you go out and party and get a lil drunk you still have transport home. else catch a cab, but overly priced. You can get a second hand car for a decent price if you definitely require a car. Is it really necessary?

2) Living expenses - Food shouldn't set you back too much though it is pricier than food court / hawker center pricing in Singapore. Average price around my work area is about AUD9 for a good lunch meal in the food courts. If you cook at home this will bring the price down significantly

3) Lifestyle - If you are into the clubbing scene, whereby most of the spots are in the city or King's Cross, a good night will set you back possibly 100 - 200 a session. If you are into fishing, get a license online and head to the many fishing spots in NSW. ferry wharfs are legal fishing spots too. Fishing license I believe is AUD30 for 3 years or some sort. haven't checked it in a while

4) Savings - Should be plenty if you spend right and not waste them away and visit places like "Mastige"

How old are you? How many working experience you've got and what profession are you in?

This would justify the income and the your expectancy in Oz.

Those are labor employment not the skilled expats they need under the EU Blue Card system and mainly from eastern European countries which are not the prefered skill base which Germany needs. Germany is now pushing hard for professional expats to come in as the country prepares for the next 10 years ahead. Their own population cannot keep up with the massive technological growth they are facing now. Right now, there's a shortage of about 250,000 engineers in Germany not to mention IT specialists, doctors, scientists, etc which are under the 5 key employment sectors where the biggest shortages are.

Hi witchx, thanks for your reply.
Yes, the main factors of holding back my decision was the location. Au is very far away from home (I still love Malaysian food). Okay, to answer your question, I have done a little bit of survey already before this...

1) Housing - The house price for a 3-bedder, 2-bath and 1 garage house will cost anywhere around A$350 - 600k around the suburb of that company. This will mean I have to set aside around 2 - 3k a month for a loan of 15 years. And that's half of my monthly salary gone already.

2) Living expenses - Although it's more expensive than in SG, I plan to cook my own food so should not cost more than 1k per month for two person.

3) Lifestyle - Travels a lot, so might need some amount of money to cover petrol expenses every now and then.

4) Savings - Taking into account the few above items, I think at most I can save only around 1k+ per month which is alot lower than I would be able to save here in SG.

Does not look like a good deal to me... in the mean time, I have to wait 3 yrs before I can buy a resale hdb in SG... bummer.

I'm 30 this year, and am in a mixed profession of Engineering (manufacturing) and Software Programming and I have close to 10 yrs of work experience.

Well, if the salary is lower than yours in SG, then following are suggestion:-
1) better don't come down under, tax is high and if you're single, nothing but a dull place here.
2) if you intend to buy house here, better have some cash in hand like 5-10% of the property value. If not, you'll have to save for it but the house inflation is picking up faster than your savings.

If you have something else in mind, like more time, layback, enjoy sunshine, following another few suggetion:-
1) better come down under, getting cars and some of your technology gadgets pretty cheap as well
2) intend buy house here, get some housing scheme from government. WA giving 10k for new house or 3k for established home.
3) If you got gf who buying house with government scheme, means that you got 2 house per household and leasing 1 out.
4) cars is cheap. far cheaper anywhere else nearby.

No long term job here. Any staff who worked more than a year in a company means long enough.

Yeah to comment on your points:
1) Yes I know what the tax is like over there, way higher than what I am paying now.
2) Been working for 10 yrs now, down payment for a house purchase is not an issue.
3) Cars cheap - yes, IT gadgets? Can always use Amazon.com if it's too expensive in local stores.
4) & 5) Can't comment but will look into it.
6) Yes cars are cheap over there - this point I like!

Are you sure working >1 yr in the same company is considered long there? I have friends (Aussie) who worked in the same company for like... 4 or 5 yrs already?

Anyway for my case, I think I won't make the jump over just yet. Figured I could save more here and have better job security.

Hi, I'm not sure if anyone over there is working in IT field over there? May need some advice getting a job over there.