@era222 said:
Same @jcrdream! Haha. Quite an adjustment gaining an understanding of the denomination. Sa atin kasi, 100 (as currency value) is a small unit, but in AU, it's pricey na from what I hear.
Thank you for the tips and insights, @athelene. I actually had the same question. At least may benchmark na ng what's cheap at what's not from a Pinoy's POV hehe 🙂
I haven't lived in Manila for years, so I have no idea on what counts as cheap or expensive there. Prior to moving to Australia I was in Taipei, where food was so cheap. You can get a really good bowl of noodles or rice topping for NTD 50-75. Pagdating sa Australia, everything was like 10x more expensive, and I didn't know which places were good value for money 🙁
As @tigerlance said, anything that requires labor will cost a lot of money, because the minimum wage in Australia is one of the highest in the world. There is also the concept of award rates in Australia, wherein the minimum wage also differs depending on which industry you work in. The national minimum wage in Australia is AUD 21.38 per hour, but if you work in retail the minimum wage that would apply could be AUD 23.38 (pre-tax). So any services or product that requires labor will have to factor in the cost of a worker's salary, and they essentially end up passing on the cost to consumers. Yes, cost of living is expensive in Australia, but the pay is somehow proportional, and you can still earn a decent wage even at the minimum wage. Of course, how far your money lasts depends on your budgeting skills and your lifestyle.
When carrying cash, I think people usually carry AUD 5, 10, 20, and 50 bank notes (rare ko makita ang AUD 100 bill). At first you'll want to familiarize yourself with the Aussie bank notes and coins, but eventually you might want to join the cashless society. Personally, I prefer paying via debit card when shopping/eating out, because I can track all my expenses (which is harder to do with cash), and because the coins are quite heavy (lalo na yung 50-cent coin). Banking apps are super useful, and can definitely help you with budgeting (I love Westpac's app that you can set numerous savings goals).