Friday 7 November 2008

The horrors of living abroad part 2 : Cost of living




As part 1 in my new series of writing : The horrors of living abroad I'm going to educated you about a few miscinceptions you might have about living in Europe. To really drive home my point i'm going to load the dice against myself. I'm going to do this by comparing a low middle income south African family , to an average middle income European family.

A poster in a previous article make the ridiculous statement that houses in Germany and Belgium were about the same as South Africa. A statement of absurdity I could not just let slip by. Let's take a look shall we ? This from a website run to help people moving to Germany.

Take the example of a typical detached, one family house of average size; one with about 125 square meters (ca. 1,345 sq. ft) of living space, including garage. Such a place in the former West Germany cost about €255,000. But prices varied considerably by region. Such a house in the north cost only about €185,000. In the west the price was about €235,000, and in the south it was significantly more, coming in at just under €310,000. In cities of more than 500,000 population the price was about €300,000.

Did you get that ? In case you don't know 125sq metres is NO MANSION. In fact it's far smaller than the average middle classed South African house (and that includes the garage). We're talking small townhouse here highly likely without the grounds, gardenettes and entertaing facilities we enjoy here....for a mere 3 300 000 rand.

I've recently been sniffing around the housing market in S.A . So what would that buy you in South Africa ? There are so many ways I could demonstrate this. I could show you a picture of a huge mansion with flowing gardens ....or the 3 beautiful luxurious suburban houses with big gardens you could buy here instead. I could show you the 5-6 bigger and nicer townhouses with gardens etc you could buy in South Africa in it's place. Or the 5 typical big 3 bedroom /2 living rooms/2 bathrooms with big gardens you could by. The point is the range and scope of what 3 and a third million rand affords you in S.A relatively to europe is absurd. South Africans appreciate this...for my expats and European friends....google it and gawk.



And it's not just germany. I looked into the posters other option Belgium as well.

As an example look at this decription

545.000 € Mansion 270 m² - 2 bed. 1020 Bruxelles 2

BWAHAhahahahahahahahahahahah

7 million rand for a 270 square meter , 2 bedroom home ?

Look for yourself. Here's a site for you to check out the wonders you can expect in Belgium.

http://www.immoweb.be/en/

So case close ? Nope, it's not the whole story. I hear you rabble rousing already : But Rooster, people earn more there !

And I'd not argue. For the most part middle classed employees do earn more than middle classed South Africans. According to this article in the New York times the average household(combined income) in France (higher than Germany and Belgium by the way) is about 40,000 euros orabout $62,500.

To really drive my point home , I'm going to be very generous with you. I'm going to compare the average income of South African government employees (notoriously badly paid) and then the average White middle classed South African income to show that even for government employees the quality of life is better in South Africa.

I'm comparing to the French couple the article speaks of...here's what it says..

"I’ve become anxious about unexpected expenses,” Ms. Di Pietro said. To stretch their monthly income of about 2,500 euros ($3,900), the couple has been getting hair cuts at the local beauty school, packing a lunch for work, buying secondhand clothes in market stalls and vacationing at campsites instead of hotels. "

So the couple the article describes as typical middle classed Europeans make on Average a combined income of around 39 000 rand a month. One is a postal worker and the other is a teacher. They are 40 years old and so they are benefitting from relatively high pay scales in their respective careers. This is the 2008 pay scale for south African teachers :

In rand terms, these proposed increases translate into boosting a starting salary from the current R99 625 to a new entry-level salary of R115 492. Current maximum salaries in the region of R171 393 can ultimately top at a far higher R324 980.

So using the current pay scale (not the one next year with the up to 40% increases...there's no need for me to distort anything to make my point) let's say the S.a teacher is earning around 150 000 rand a year as an experienced teacher. That translates to around 12500 rand a month. I am struggling to find a specific info on postal workers but we can safely assume they're poorly paid by South African standards and would never be considered middle classed. I would suggest an experienced postal working clerk earned around 8 000 rand a month which is about the going rate for low income government jobs, but it could well be more depending on position. If anyone knows please tell me so I can alter the page.

So the combined salary of the poorly paid South Africans government workers is about 20 500 rand a month. At first glance half of the French workers.

Now...let's add in the tax factor. The French in this category would pay 45-50 % tax. The South Africans around 27 % ? So the income after tax then looks like this

20 000 French, 15 000 Saffers(or there and there abouts).

Already we've demonstrated that houses are going to cost at least 5 times more (with rental of any place decent and comparible to a South African home going to run into the thousands of Euros alone). To make it even sweeter 40 year old South Africans probably bought their homes 10 years back for 150 -300 000 rand and have either paid them off, sold them for huge profits or their bond payment is based on this low ammount.

So here's the math...to compare the two things you can easily see that on average a third of someones income in S.A is their bond payment while in Europe going by those prices it's over half. That's assuming the south african is living in a modest but typical townhouse complex garden and the European is living in a somewhat similiar apartment (impossible to compare any other way , they just can't afford the type of houses that we live in). The European is paying 1000 Euros a month for his bond and the South African 7000 rand. So immeditely we are comparing income after housing to R7000(european) and R8000 (South Africa).

And that's when we start to talk about the cost of living......

A few examples of things South Africans consider very important.

Take for granted the fact that you can go to the pub and have a few pints once in a while ? Not if you live in France my friend.

According to http://www.pintprice.com/

Cost of a pint of lager in South Africa ?

0.98 British Pounds (15 rand).

In France ?

4.47 British pounds (71 rand).

Nope, you won't be heading down for a few with your friends after work anymore. To be fair though other countries are not as extremely different but we are comparing apples with apples. In Germany for example it's 2.12 quid (33 rand) and England it's 2.65 quid (42 rand) on average.

A mcdonalds burger ? (though you shoudl never eat that crap but the big mac index is always useful : http://www.howmuchatyourplace.com/how_much_does/BigMac_cost.php )

France

2.95 Euros : (38 rand)

South Africa

1.8 Euros : (23 rand)

German

3.5 : (45 rand)

Do I need to labour the point ?

If you didn't want to use the governments strained (but not broken as people say) health care system , you'd need to buy medical aid in S.A , but petrol electricity, water would cost you MUCH less evening this out and more !

Conclusion

At the end of the day even as a badly payed, crappy government employee in South Africa , scrapping the bottom of the middle classed barell is doing better than someone smack in the middle of France and would enjoy a much higher quality of life.

I'm going to give you time to recover from this dose of hard truth. But don't relax too much because next I'm going to really bitch slap you by comparing the average White South Africans lifestyle.

Next : General Lifestyle

21 comments:

The Rooster said...

bwahahahaahhahahaha

Good for you. You've done well for a brainless ignorant nazi idiot. Don'd pretend you in any way represent even 0.5 % of South Africans that left without an education. Anyway I'm coming to Australia...my blog is going to be taken over with shitspreading all the holes South Africans move to and the absurdity of it for the next 2 weeks at least.

Anonymous said...

If SA is so great, o clever one, why have more than a million highly educated whites fled? Mmmhh?

The Rooster said...

That would be an interesting thing to talk about...if it was in any way true. Sadly for you it's utter bullshit. Less than 500 000 South Africans have left since 1994. Admittidely this is higher than normal expected migration (200 000 british people emmigrate every year by the way..20k of those to South Africa)...but not by much. SLike all developing countries some South African professional move to make more money and for whatever reasons they chose. good for them...some people forced themselves to leave because of crime..and most of those came back soon after realising the exact things i'll be writing about on here. Yet more would flee back if only they knew how neurotic and out of reality all this scaremongering is. That's what my site is all about...giving you a fresh perspective. When you look at the facts nothing is different in south africa since 1994...except crime is 28.8 percent lower and the country is much richer and 10 million more people have jobs , electricity houses and water. The problem is the perception is that things have gotten worse. They haven't..you just think they have. There's no reason to leave the country in the slightest. If you would live in washington dc you should live in south africa...it's nice full of opportunity and exactly the same rate of violent crime..except their economy and crime is getting worse and ours better.

Anonymous said...

Rooster, You ask for people to give you an honest answer and when they do you are not satisfied, because it contradicts the nonsense you already believe in. It is called Confirmation Bias. Look it up. You are not open-minded at all. If you were, you would do your research objectively. Something you are clearly incapable of.

BTW, you are clearly showing how out of touch you are with SA and house prices. The houses in Europe can get expensive. Just like they can in SA, depending on where you buy. The prices you are quoting here is like comparing a house in Clifton or Constantia to a house in Plumstead. You have to compare apples with apples. Even renting a two bedroom flat in Clifton will cost you R15,000 a month. When last have you checked prices in the Newspapers? Let me know if you can rent a decent house in a white suburb for under R6000 month. In Cape town you don’t get a decent house anymore for under R1,5 million. In Europe the rich people stay in the cities. That is why the prices are so high. The further you move away from the cities the cheaper the houses. If you live 30-50km away you get some very nice houses with properties of 3000sqm or so nestled in or near beautiful forests and lakes. I know, because I stay here on such a property. And I got it for a song compared to an equivalent in SA.

Further, I told you to forget about beers in pubs etc...Compare what a beer costs you in the supermarket. In Belgium and Germany it is even cheaper than SA. And There are Hundreds of choices...not just Castle and black label or that other crap...the only decent beer in SA is imported from Germany or Belgium. Even if the beer is slightly more in my local pub than it is in SA. R20 as oppose to R14. I gladly pay that R6 extra and walk safely home at night. In Cape Town I wont dare walk at night alone. How much do South Africans pay extra on insurance and security a month?

No Rooster. You will never convince me that SA is better than where I am. The proof is in the pudding. A million odd have left SA. Why? If SA is so much better than Europe, then why are all those Europeans not flocking to live and work in SA? Maybe it is because they know they will be discriminated against because they are white. AA and BEE will first have to go. There can be no equality, true equality as long as you have discriminatory policies such as that. These are the policies that drive people away or keep them away.

I am glad I could inspire you with this. Looking forward to debunking the rest of your rantings

The Rooster said...

no my friend...you are out of touch. You can still get a much nicer house than was described for 250 000 euro in S.a for 700 000 rand. MUCH NICER. I think you might need tgo look at house prices recently...as i said I'm in the market and am quite accutely aware of S.A house prices. If you're point is that you can buiy a house in the best most exclusive area of S.a that costs the same as the average shitty small house a european lives in...then I think it's a pretty poor point and quite contrary to helping your cause.

secondly...So you want to buy beers to drink at home ? Wow..real freedom you afforded yourself. Don't lie..beer is extremely expensive inmost of europea...and you're out of touch too...all majot beer brands are available in S.A...we do own 30% of all the worlds beers brands after all.

Lastly 1 million south africans haven't left south africa. Around 450 000 have and more are coming back than currently leaving.

You're not a total dickwad...you posed some decent questions...but you're just plain wrong.

By the way i did make one mistake in my article..a big distortion nobody pointed out. I put the tax rate for the saffers at 27% when it should have been 17.....they are a good 300 rand ahead after living expenses than the French.

And wait till I start to talk about maids and garden "boys" and white incomes and weather and workinh conditions and employment rates for whites etc...i promise you ..when I'm done half of you'll be packing your bags to come home already.

Anonymous said...

Rooster, you are definitely biased. You are not objective with your "research" and writing.

I am not saying that you are incorrect. But you are not correct either. Mainly because you cherrypick your comparative data.

Allow me to criticise you for a moment. I have a feeling that you're simply going to swear at me and call me names and do what you usually do to anyone who doesn't agree with you. Or you'll probably do that other thing you do: mirror what others say to you by virtually copying and pasting their comments. But I don't care.

You come across no different to an extremist indoctrinated by his own propaganda, unable to accept criticism or accept ANY kind of error without somehow trying to make a "clever" rebuttal so that you have the last word or spin, so that you don't look like you've made an error.

You come across as 100% childish and inexperienced. Your theatrical ranting and swearing and insulting might be part of your online personality and appeal, but the reality is that your credibility and authority is compromised.

For some reason, you invite comments on your topics. Then when someone gives you a comment or experience that challenges your own, you slam them and say they're talking nonsense, or you reverse-echo their comments.

You then trash every country outside of SA, as if you have some insecurities and feel compelled to try convince the world about something or other. That chip on your shoulder is very apparent. By trying to make fools out of everyone, you're making yourself look like a clown. Which is sad, because your topics have the ability to be convincing and powerful.

I've been lurking for a while now, and when you started, I was impressed with what I saw. I've lost interest because you act like a child and swear and insult everyone who disagrees with you. Your typing is appalling, and you're WAY too subjective to be taken seriously.

Pity.

The Rooster said...

You then trash every country outside of SA, as if you have some insecurities and feel compelled to try convince the world about something or other. That chip on your shoulder is very apparent. By trying to make fools out of everyone, you're making yourself look like a clown. Which is sad, because your topics have the ability to be convincing and powerful.
-----------------


More of a compliment that an insult. Thanks.

-----------------------

I've been lurking for a while now, and when you started, I was impressed with what I saw. I've lost interest because you act like a child and swear and insult everyone who disagrees with you. Your typing is appalling, and you're WAY too subjective to be taken seriously.

Pity.


------------------


Yes you're right. My typing sucks !!! But I just don't have the time to spend much time writing this blog and responsding to every comment. I however do try my best and that demands that i'm often fitting in new posts and comments in the precious few moments I have between actual real work.

Instead of the critique, I'd enjoy some acknowledgment for writing 1 -3 new original posts each day..while writing a book, running 2 businesses and keeping a job. With this in mind I feel I ought to be forgiven some typing errors. I ought to give up this blog but I really do get a lot of love and support which inspires me to continue. So excuse me if I'm a little apathetic about people who expect me to proof read my comments and articles.

Anonymous said...

Hi Rooster. How do I contact you by e-mail. I have something of interest,but it is private.

The Rooster said...

You can contqact me at bovinerebel@hotmail.com

The Rooster said...

Fowl-fuck,interesting that every emigrant is a "nazi idiot" in your view. In fact most are decent, law abiding citizens who were probably employers in the old country and are merely seeking a decent life in a first world country. It is not for everyone, but as per usual, your presumptions are bullshit and not very well researched. Fucking half wit....

--------------------

Nonsense..I've specifically and frequently defended people's rights to leave. And that's mny point...it's not for everyone. Is it not my right to point out the realities of the type of life these people can expect ?

If you're a proffesional and good at your job...sure you'll do great anywhere. In such a case I can just appeal to you to be rational and appreciate the aspects I'm goling to write about next when I deal with general lifestyle.

Anonymous said...

Where do you come with "we" when referring to blacks?? Do you still suffer from racial denial? WE ALL KNOW YOU ARE WHITE!!

I expected such a response from you. Fucking spineless apologist. I suppose the white guy's 3 and 5 year old daughters and his 7 year old son had it coming, right? To be robbed at gunpoint and then see a policeman who is supposed to protect them taking the side of the robbers then threatening their father with a gun? Little bastards, they deserved all that mental scarring and trauma, right? After all, they are the products of an "evil racist", so fuck them, right?

All I can say is that that experience will remain with them for the rest of their lives. That "kaffir" has created, by his actions, rabid racists in those children. Young lives that have been corrupted by the hell-hole that our fine country has become.

Don't bother responding. You are such a cliché. Always contradicting yourself as well. I wish that you experience this as well - absolute injustice, and I don't think that wishing for your death is wrong, you clearly only live in your head and not in reality.

Anonymous said...

OK - Fuck you!

It does not stop people coming to buy all there computer stuff from me.

Now that it is all over the fucking internet here is my company:

cybernetix.co.za

you can email me at

berto@cybernetix and I will try to get a great deal for you.

Except you rooster boy girl whatever you are.

Bert

Anonymous said...

All stats aside, everyone knows you're white, this is true.

hahahaha

Anonymous said...

"CANBERRA (Reuters Life!) - Tourism campaigns featuring bikini-clad models and images of the outback as in the new epic movie "Australia" have helped Australia win the title of world's top country brand for the third consecutive year.

An annual country branding index designed to track travel trends and pinpoint opportunities for tourism had Canada rising to second place in the list of countries with the best brand reputations after coming sixth last year.

The United States slipped one place to be ranked third in the index compiled from a survey of 2,700 travelers from nine countries by brand consultancy FutureBrand and public relations firm Weber Shandwick.

Other countries to make the top 10 in the fourth annual Country Brand Index (CBI) were Italy, Switzerland, France, New Zealand, Britain, Japan and Sweden.

The index identified China, the United Arab Emirates and Croatia as the top three "rising stars" - those likely to become major tourist destinations in the next five years."

No South Africa anywhere...

The Rooster said...

hahahahahha


What an idiot...we get almost twice the ammount of tourists australia does. And far more people travel to South Africa and express the wish to return as a percentage than those travelling to Australia. Look it up smart guy. Brand does not equal real feet on the floor.

Anonymous said...

" Brand does not equal real feet on the floor."

You're using a strawman argument. That comment didn't state that, let alone imply it even.

The comment merely pointed out that SA's brand is not ranked up with the others.

And you hurtle insults and call people stupid? Look in the mirror.

Moron.

Anonymous said...

But since you're stuck on strawman arguments, like being obsessed with Australia, let's look at the global picture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Tourism_rankings

SA is ranked 25th. Sure, Australia is ranked lower than SA, but you're the only one creating that comparison. I don't see anyone saying that Australia has more tourists than SA.

You want tourism? Try France. 82million.

Anonymous said...

The horrors of living in South Africa

10/11/2008

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2424076,00.html

Bethlehem - A Free State man appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrate's Court on Monday for allegedly raping four young girls at his house.

Police spokesperson Mmako Mophiring said the 41-year-old man appeared on six counts of rape. Another ten charges were still being investigated.

The man was arrested after some of the girls complained to their parents about pains in their stomachs and private parts over the weekend.

Mophiring said the four girls were apparently raped on Tuesday.

"The 14-year-old girl from Bohlokong near Bethlehem was with three other friends', aged 8, 10 and 12, in the house of the suspect, known to them," he said. They were at the house to cook and clean.

The man sent the girls to buy him sorghum beer and cigarettes.

"When they all got back, he closed the door and informed them that he was going to rape them one by one. He allegedly raped them."

Mophiring said one of the victims claimed this was the fourth time the man had raped her. Some of the other girls had also indicated that the man had raped them before.

He said the man was arrested after the four girls and two others - all between eight and 14 - laid charges with the Bethlehem police on Friday.

The Rooster said...

Brand does not equal real feet on the floor."

You're using a strawman argument. That comment didn't state that, let alone imply it even.

The comment merely pointed out that SA's brand is not ranked up with the others.

And you hurtle insults and call people stupid? Look in the mirror.

------------------


And why is our brand not as high as others ? Because of idiots running around making out as if the world is going to end in south africa and that it's a shit place , when in f act everyone who comes has a great time and it's self evidently an amazing country to visit. Surely no one could deny that South Africa is a far more amazing place to visit than australia ?

Take a look at that joke of a site "the death of joburg" ...they show pictures of hillbrow in 1980 and 2008 and make as if it's related to the new government. No, no my friends...hillbrow was an hell hole long before apartheid even ended.Joburg has in fatc developed now more than ever before...it's just a plat out and deliberate manipulation of the facts being used to misrepresent south africa,

Thankfully S.A.S and the likes are now so full up with obama based racism that any moderate person is going to such sites now and rolling their eye and laughing off everything they have to say. That's because it's cklearly evident they are plainly anti black for absolutely no reason...even when the black person is half white , highly intelligent and talks away things like entitlement , they still hate him. That explains 99% of what you need to know about S.a.S....they're always going to portray south africa as a bad place no matter how much this does not represent the truth.

Maybe you bought into their nonsense....but honestly...re think it. Just look at those fools...do you really allign yourself with their idiotic ramblings ?

The Rooster said...

Name me a political blog with more readership than them in S.a. The sad fact is them and their little network of friends are popping up all over serach engines when people type in things like "crime in south africa". Imagine you were interested in a trip and did that search and came across that site ...you're going to think one of two things. Wow..I need to avoid black South Africans...or "woag white south africans are racist assholes!" ...probably both in fact. It's hardl;y a great image for the country.

Anonymous said...

I'll believe you when you can prove your claim that SAS is driving away masses of tourists.

If not masses, then a few. And if a few is really only a few, then it doesn't affect the 9-mill we already get.

""wow...in a country where they eat babies and rape children , and that's just before breakfast , I'd hate black people too"."

If tourists buy that, we don't need them. They can fuck off to Australia.

That's where you fail miserably, Rooster. Your credibility is dwindling not because you challenge SAS (and kudos to you for that), but because labour and labour and fucking labour strawman arguments.

Avoid paranoid conspiracy bullshit, deal with evidence, and we're in business.

Until then, you're just as sensational as SAS.