How an overseas holiday could cost less than living in this Aussie city

IT’S NO secret that rental prices are steep, but it has become so expensive to live in this Aussie city that going on an extended holiday could actually save you money.

MOST people wanting to go on a holiday work hard so they can save up enough money for their trip, but the expensive cost of living is making that goal harder to achieve for many Australians.

It’s no secret that rental prices are expensive in our major cities, in fact there is one spot where costs are so high that residents could actually save money by going on an overseas trip.

READ: ‘Life-changing’ cruise will set you back $9k

Sydney is the most expensive city in the country, with the average person paying about $221 in rent each week, according to finder.com.au.

On top of that, data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that the average cost of living is $465 per week. This includes things like food, entertainment and utilities.

In total, it costs the average person $686 each week just to live in Sydney.

Saving for a holiday on top of the cost of living can feel almost impossible.

If you add paying for an overseas holiday on top of this then you can see why it might be hard for people save up enough cash.

But Sydney residents shouldn’t throw their dreams of watching a European sunset while sipping on cocktails away just yet because there is away they can do just that while spending less money than they would living in the city.

Research from finder.com.au found that cruising around for a week on the South Pacific ocean would cost around about $80 less than living in Sydney.

An eight-night trip around the islands of New Caledonia with P&O cruises will set you back around $699, which works out to just $609 per week.

It could actually be cheaper to cruise around some islands for a week than to live in Sydney.

Travel Expert at finder.com.au, Angus Kidman, said that it is crazy to think that a week visiting different islands could be cheaper than the average Sydney resident’s cost of living.

“We all know that rent in Australia is expensive, but it’s still astonishing that cruising for a week can be cheaper than living in Sydney,” he said.

Carnival Cruise Lines offers a similar trip around New Caledonia for even cheaper, at just $539 per week.

You could even extend the trip to a nine-day cruise around the islands and still be spending less money than if you were living in Sydney, with the weekly cost for the cruise working out to about $539.

Imagine relaxing on the beach while knowing your spending less than you would be living in the city. Picture: iStock

Though the idea of spending most of your year living on a cruise might not appeal to everyone, Mr Kidman said older Australians are likely to get the most value out of these deals.

“If you’re employed you obviously can’t live on a cruise line, but for retirees it might actually be an option for much of the year,” he said.

“It offers all the perks of a holiday, including live shows and more bingo than you can poke a stick, for the same cost as living on land.”