I'm really surprised at how cheap things are here. Everyone back in North America is interested in 'how expensive is it over there?'
Here's a sampling of a few rates... all in US dollars.
- Car rental for a day, Toyota Camry: $35 (incl tax and gas)
- Haircut and beard trim: $7
- Our one bedroom suite apartment in central Sydney: $75 per night
- Valet parking, with in-and-out privledges, per day: $8.50
- 750ml bottle of beer (24oz): $1.75
- Motel room, outside of Sydney: $20 - $30 US
- Big Mac: $1.50, though you can easily find coupons for 2 for US$2.
- One month's health insurance, with no deductible, including vision and dental, for two people: $68
- One gallon of gas: $1.33. OK, it's not that cheap at all.
- Bottle of sparkling wine, mid-range (not the cheapest, not the most expensive): $6
- Movie ticket: $4.25 (for all showings, not just matinee)
- Mid to upper range menu entree (called mains here): $7 to $10
Comments
For all these prices, taxes of whatever sort (typically GST) is included.
Another benefit: there's no tipping. Anywhere. Taxi drivers... barkeeps... waiters... barbers... bellhops. Makes it wonderfully easy! Though if you get good service, a little bit more doesn't hurt!
Holy shit!
For the average Australian, are these prices expensive?
I don't know. Then again, a kilo of grapes from a Sydney fruit seller on the street (they have JC Deceaux permanent stands here, like newspaper sellers) is $3, which is cheap. In the supermarkets that same kilo is $1.49. What's that--all of US$0.40/C$0.60 a pound?!?
The car cost A$37000. There is no way in hell I could get a Toyota Landcruiser with 51000 miles on it in the US for US$19000 (which is just about what I sold my Xterra for). If I were lucky I could find a similiar Landcruiser for $30000 or so in California.
Grapes at the Dominion at St. Clair Station here in Toronto were CDN$6.49/kg. GRIN Thats shocking.
Sign me up, i think its time for trckrfckr dwn ndr
Seat sales on right now:
$1449 - Qantas
$1499 - Air New Zealand, Air Canada
I have seent $1429 as well.
If you want to add LA like I did for my trip, it's an additional $100. If you want to add Auckland, it's the same price for YYZ - SYD, AKL - YYZ, but you need to find the flight between SYD - AKL yourself.
Scott, I've added you to my Iain Down Under 2002 friends group so you can have a look at my travel plans and such. Just in case you do decide to jet off sometime in the next year.
YAY :o)
Hee hee hee! Want to come along for the ride? Or do you just need to be ridden, heh heh... ;-)
trckrfckr goes under down under? hmmmmmmm, i would love that
If i can manage it, i will be in for the ride, a part of the ride, of just a good ride :o)
Yeah, in Australia, an "entr�e" in an appetizer (which is what it means in French). Do you know how confusing that is? When I came to Toronto, I kept flicking through menus wondering where the main courses were.
I'm guessing that English-speaking North Americans mis-adapted the word from French.
What about sales tax? It's close to Ontario, including gas prices, although if there's no %15 sales tax..
PS, I mean Ontario prices. Not province of Toronto prices ;)