Nell - the cost of living certainly IS different here. The mortgage is smaller for starters (moved into a house that's slightly larger than our old one - but still the same age and on a bigger block too!). So a sea change can definitely be a solution IF you find the right job opportunity. Neil is also earning a good $15000 more than he was in Geelong so that helps. Umm... we don't go out as much because we have no friends!! LOL That helps too But that won't be for long.
It's a big move to be away from family and friends tho (but I guess that depends on where you are moving.....and whether you have family and friends there already).
We've got foxtel out here and there's no way we could have afforded it with the way things were in Geelong. It was too much of a luxury. In saying that, it would have been wasted because I was hardly ever home!! LOL