Should I Move to Sydney?

LDeadp00l on 26/09/2017 - 09:36
Last edited 02/10/2017 - 16:34

Hi,

This is my first post and I need some advice.

I am living in Perth and working as a Software Developer.

Current situation:
Married with 2 kids
Permanent Job $130K
Renting: $500/week

I have been offered a job in Sydney
Permanent Job, $170K

Should I accept the job offer considering higher living cost?
If yes, what is the best way to move my household stuff and two cars to Sydney?

Thanks..

UPDATE:

Finally, I have decided to stay in Perth. I have got an offer from my current employer which I couldn't decline.

As a lot of members are asking me about what I do,
I am a Sitecore developer.
No, I wasn't hired by Amazon in Sydney.
My wife is an Migration consultant. She runs her own business "Gate Migration".

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to comment your views.

Poll Options

  • 160
    Stay in Perth
  • 40
    Move to Sydney
  • 37
    Whatever wife says
Financial

Comments

  • [Deactivated] on 28/09/2017 - 18:20
    +1

    no

  • SydBoy on 28/09/2017 - 19:25

    have you decided to move or just asking how you can unpack and move !

  • aerom on 28/09/2017 - 20:15
    +4

    moved to sydney a month ago for career change almost like yours but not quite.
    My quality of life has taken a nosedive and I'd strongly recommend not moving to sydney. 40K is not worth the loss IMHO.

    • CUD on 28/09/2017 - 22:37
      +2

      Can you elaborate? How did your quality of life decrease so much?

  • CUD on 28/09/2017 - 22:22
    +1

    "Should I accept the job offer considering higher living cost?"

    You would be making $170k… What the hell are you worried about?

    • WorkSydneyCC23 on 28/09/2017 - 22:50

      CUD if deadpool is the only breadwinner. with a young family. (the central coast has many young families btw) then $170k is not worth much. however with Salary Sacrifice (like Novated Leasing etc tax minimisation) it could work.

      the best thing about Sydney and regional nsw is Opal Card. it works when compared to Myki card in Melbourne apparently??

    • ely on 30/09/2017 - 01:38

      $170k is just not all that much for a household income (depends on spousal income portion; that's ~20% more tax than two people earning $85k each), especially given Sydney expenses. Adding up the numbers is definitely something that should be done, you may end up being financially worse off in spite of the increase, and that's before taking social factors into account.

  • d86 on 29/09/2017 - 00:02

    Why not. Give it a try. But better not to live in Homebush or Strathfield.

  • AceIsMe on 29/09/2017 - 00:32
    +1

    Do your kids a favour and stay in Perth!!! I'm from Melbourne and I would not move to Sydney even if you paid me double.

    • kikiki on 29/09/2017 - 15:45

      I'm from Melbourne and visited Sydney for a holiday. I agree pick Perth.

      • ely on 30/09/2017 - 01:35
        +1

        I live in Melbourne, have visited Sydney several times and have lived in Perth. I'd live pretty much anywhere over Perth, but not Sydney… so I'd take that wage in Perth, but would not take that wage in Sydney. Can't really understand why anyone would stay in Sydney without family connections given the economic situation.

  • myfuturej on 29/09/2017 - 01:41
    +2

    I can just salivate seeing that kind of salary. Our household income is way less than your Perth income and we have no prospect of growth. But then we are just simple rural Victorians, paying an affordable mortgage, and commuting 10 mins away from work. Childcare places are flexible and always available and relatively cheap.
    I think you should consider the overall quality of life, not just the financial aspect, since you have a family. My husband used to earn a bit more working in the city, but commuting was a pain, public transport sucks, no childcare places, highly-stressful work, etc..

  • hedonistic on 29/09/2017 - 02:50

    how old are your kids? considering that you have to move your entire lives i dont know if that extra 40k is worth it per year, considering the cost of living is significantly higher in sydney. personally id move FROM sydney to somewhere like perth, things are just too expensive/ chaotic here now

  • WhiskeyBurn on 29/09/2017 - 12:58

    You need to factor in everything in Sydney is 30-50% more expensive than the rest of Australia.

    • ely on 30/09/2017 - 01:33

      Except for Melbourne, which together make up ~50% of the Aussie population (depending on where you draw the boundaries). But clearly the OP is factoring in the increased cost, otherwise 130k -> 170k is a no brainer.

  • noskich on 29/09/2017 - 15:56
    +2

    I'm a Sydneysider making as much as you. If I could get the same job as I have now in Perth I would move tomorrow.
    Here even an old gyprock house in an undesirable suburb 25 kilometers from city would set you back a million or more.
    In Perth a doublebrick house at a same distance in a less popular suburb could be bought for as much as 250K.
    Only this is IMO a reason good enough to stay West, let alone shocking public transport in Sydney, noise, crowds, stress…
    For me a big win for Perth is also direct flights to Europe and damn cheap flights to Asia. I am a European and wife Asian and this would mean no hassle short holidays in Asia whenever we like them and more frequent trips to Europe for me to see family.

  • nimnomnimy on 29/09/2017 - 19:25
    +1

    It’s not about the job because it’ll be pretty much net 0 after increased cost of living and income tax. The question is whether you prefer to live in Sydney or perth. I would recommend you take the family for a weekend or longer and see if you like it there.

  • alikazi on 29/09/2017 - 21:33

    What kind of developer are you? How many years of experience do you have? I am a software developer too 3 years Android. I am asking because I am wondering how long and what does it take to earn what you are earning? Career advice badly needed please.

  • ely on 30/09/2017 - 01:31

    Missing option: move to Melbourne. Depending on experience you could be on more than $170k, costs will be lower (especially WRT housing), and as a bonus you won't be living in Sydney ;)

  • [Deactivated] on 30/09/2017 - 02:47
    +2

    if you were getting like 50K more then yeah I'd consider it.
    But Sydney sucks for families especially after you've lived in a great smaller city such as Perth.

    I used to live and work in Sydney. Now live in Adelaide and it's just so much better.
    I save 2 hours of my day not having to take public transport or the train in the Sydney rat race, housing is cheaper. Lifestyle is better. Fresher air, less traffic.

    Your family will really miss Perth and it's not enough life changing money to change your life so much with the re-location- especially for your kids.
    Ask them for another 20K to at least consider it or don't bother.

  • ozlab on 30/09/2017 - 15:01
    +2

    Move before you are getting older and older. Go get it, the money. It's still the same country anyway. I have lived in 5 countries in my life so far and still counting for next one. I could do it as long as I'm not old.

  • UFO on 01/10/2017 - 10:37

    Stay where you are OP.

    With the proposed work location Homebush/Strathfield and the fact you have a young family, you're going to suffer and so are your children.

    Homebush is no place to raise a family and is expensive to live (either renting or buying).
    It's also a smog infested cesspool and I'd never live there again even if it was free, but that's just me.

    Your other option is to commute and live somewhere 'fresher'. And then your kids will never see you.

    Stay where you are.

    We moved to the ACT 5 years ago and our family life has never been better.

    Sydney is choking. In traffic, in pollution, in people, in everything. I visit family there and can't believe how low the quality of living is there now. In 5 years it's just gotten worse and worse. It's no place to a raise a family mate, believe me.

    You're considering it for the money, but its a loss in the end.
    After tax money, and increased cost of living, along with intangibles like increased travel time and missing out on family time, plus the pollution increase to your lungs and health…. its a lost cause in every measurable way.

    Don't do it.

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