Living in Darwin?

[EchiDna]

Hi All,
Well my company has offered to move the family and I to Darwin - any Darwin members got the G.O. on cost of living etc? is it really much more expensive than living in the southern states?? a few sites I read up on said 15-20% more expensive for groceries etc but 30-40% less fuel is used getting about (short daily driving distances) - is this B.S?

Any info on housing, schools etc would be appreciated :)

Thanks in advance,

[dmdigital]

Don't live in Darwin, just get to visit regularly as I live in NT. Housing is considered expensive and there is also considered to be a lot of rental housing. Cost of building materials etc is high as it is all frieghted in. The general standard of housing is good and there is a lot of modern homes being constructed mainly out of Darwin particularly in Palmerston, inner Darwin is mostly apartments but there is some housing still going in at a price.

Can't give you any details on schools.

As for cost of living, Darwin is considerably cheaper than anywhere else in NT. The groceries are usually quoted in surveys as being on par with Cairns or Townsville i.e. about 5-15% more than east coast major centres. Fuel costs will be lower (pump price is usually about the same as Vic) as you don't have peak hour, or far to drive unless you want to go somewhere out of town where it can be a long way - Jabiru 210km, Litchfield 150km, Katherine 330km - and fuel costs will definitely be higher south of Darwin.

Darwin has some great weekend produce and craft markets and most services etc. It's a great staging place to see the top end from and it is a major centre despite a population of less than 100,000. October-November are the buildup months to the wet, so it is bloody hot and also humid. The wet itself is a great time though!

[51jay]

Everyone should live in Darwin.....for a while ,at least.
We spent 3 happy years there living in someones backyard, in our self built motorhome.

[EchiDna]

thanks for the input guys...

It's been over 20 years since I was there - so I'm assuming I cannot draw on anything I recall from then!

my problem - I've lived outside of Australia for the last 9 years now, need to get my head around cost of living, wage expectations etc... before commiting... not to mention I have 3 days to make a decision and 2 months until I would have to start work!! :(
Rental properties that would suit seem to be above $280 per week - eg small house or apartment in Palmerston... bit of a bugger of a situation, but nothing to lose :)

[dmdigital]

Palmerston's got some nice areas. OK its a bit out of town but it only takes 20-30mins to get anywhere in Darwin so it's not a problem. Also you get to drive past all the off-road accessory places on the way in to Darwin:D :D

Have a look on Google earth or similar to get a good aerial view

[dobbo]

Palmerston's got some nice areas. OK its a bit out of town but it only takes 20-30mins to get anywhere in Darwin so it's not a problem. Also you get to drive past all the off-road accessory places on the way in to Darwin:D :D

Have a look on Google earth or similar to get a good aerial view


I think your in the best part of oz though Gove is beautiful especially East Woody

[disconut]

Palmerston's got some nice areas. OK its a bit out of town but it only takes 20-30mins to get anywhere in Darwin so it's not a problem. Also you get to drive past all the off-road accessory places on the way in to Darwin:D :D

Have a look on Google earth or similar to get a good aerial view

I was in Palmerston last week at my daughters. That place has grown beyond belief and is just getting bigger by the day. One house in her street has a $650k price tag on it. Most are around $375k. With the numbers of new homes going up I am at a loss to understand what the population does for work.

Trev.

[cartm58]

most mining and construction projects in mining are going to fly in fly out workforce with work cycles of 4 or 5 weeks on site 7 to 9 days off. cost of fly in an fly out cheaper than building a town like the old days and gives opportunity for population to live in bigger regional cetnres like Darwin where easy to provide full range of required services like schools teachers doctors nurses.
outback will change as result of this
cleaner on mining site camp would get $100,000 year for 45 hour week
most trades people working on mining construction sites work 13 day fortnight 10 hour day shift and earn upwards of $140000 year with full board and accomodation thrown in
mine workers have it easier working now and most are moving to 2 on 2 off shifts cycles with similar pay rates.

You didnt say what your area of expertise was or qualifications so hard to say what you should expect salary wise.

Housing is expensive up north and there is shortage of housing due to boom in resource projects top end of WA for instance not unusally for worker to be paid $400 week plus for rental assistance if the employer hasnt provided housing on site.

Mark
Range Rover 1993

[EchiDna]

:eek: ok I doubt I'll get offered $140k... hmm maybe I should become a cleaner though... $100k, 45 hour week... piece-of-pi$$ job ;)

I'm a graduate environmental scientist/engineer/manager with 14 years experience in various aspects of marine biology, environmental impact assesments, laboratory management, oil and gas analysis and project management (primarily project management all over S.E.Asia since I moved to Singapore in 1997). I work for a big multinational, multidisciplinary engineering and services company - but still the pay is :censored: compared to mining! location is permanent in Darwin with short project development trips around the top end - great chance to explore and add a bit of time camping and fishing into the job :D

According to the CPI info online, average household income in Darwin is $81k - higher than national average, but then so is the cost of living - swings and roundabouts I guess! I should be offered about this figure and the missus can do some work from home to top it up as well. So watcha reckon? give it a miss? or grab it with both hands??

100k for cleaners? really?? wtf did I study for....

[jtktread]

Does your employer provide subsidised housing allowance?? - this is why most rents are high because all the government people get a subsidy. I lasted a year in Darwin - too wet, too humid - before I went to Alice Springs (was there for 7 years and loved it) but I have mates who just loved the place and to be honest, rent aside, the price of living wasn't too bad - just be prepared for the attitude of shop keepers ie: if you don't buy it here where else are you going to buy it?? some of the rudest i've found..

John

[GregTD5]

Grab it with both hands, what is there to lose !!

I spent a few years living in Larrakeyah (between city & Cullen Bay) and absolutely loved the whole of the N.T.
Wife and I moved to Perth Easter last year and have found it more expensive here (unaffordable) for house prices. We dont think there is much of a difference in cost of living either.
We found Darwin has a great lifestyle to be enjoyed, whether it be sunset dinner on the wharf, a few beers at the ski club or just getting out and looking around.
Darwin is very easy to get around, with a population similar to many country towns, but with all the modern conveniences. No heavy traffic to contend with or sitting through a couple of sets of red lights.
Now I think about it i wouldn't mind going back myself.

[cewilson]

Go for it. I certainly don't regret living up this way. The lifestyle is fairly relaxed, the weather pretty damn stable and the four wheel driving/touring opportunities are brilliant.

However, whilst you are looking at cost, don't forget the electricity bill. Especially if you're not used to hotter weather. A lot of people run their air cons flat out when the first move up here, and after their first thee months they get a bill close to 1k and **** themselves. If you don't worry about a little bit of warmth, then you are already ahead.

Take the plunge, it's worth it!

Cheers
Chris