22 Eating Out In Sydney...

is #$@^!-ING EXPENSIVE~!!

As a Malaysian student living here for almost half a year, I have become more conscious of my spending (the more broke I am, the more conscious I'll be).

I admit that I am not the wisest spender, as I tend to save money on small things and end up spending more on others. Like my Dad said in his 1000 word email scolding me not to be "penny wise pound foolish". I can't really argue simply because he's the wisest spender person I know.

Well, my 'pound foolishness' is on FOOD. I'm a sucker for good food and I am all about trying something new. In Sydney, this indulgence came with a price. A hefty one.

Going out for a simple lunch easily costs me AUD10 (RM30). I don't know bout you guys, but RM30 is A LOT for me. In Malaysia, I do spend that much for a meal as long as I feel that it's worth it (usually comes with big portion, good ingredients and great taste)

But RM30 for fried rice and a can of coke here... err... you can't help it but to think twice.

And that's just food court standard fried rice. A restaurant one is another story. These are some examples from 'Thainamite' a thai restaurant nearby my place.

Special Fried Rice with Prawns - AUD12.90 (RM39)

Fried Rice with Crab Meat - AUD13.90 (RM42)

And here's a bowl of Tom Yam with chicken. In Malaysia with this small portion it will be about RM5? or perhaps less?

Guess how much is it here in RM?

A)~RM9

B)~RM14

C)~RM19

D)~RM24

Hint: Enough to buy 5 bowls back in Malaysia, which is just a sad sad circumstance for me.

Even in comparing international food brand such as McDonalds and KFC, we can see the apparent difference in the pricing. Let's take Nando's for further comparison.

Quarter meal chicken with one side - AUD11.90 (RM36)

In Malaysia this costs only RM14.95 and it comes with TWO sides.

Grilled Chicken Breast Burger - AUD14.95 (RM45!!)

It's only RM10.90 in Malaysia. If you think about it, RM45 can buy more than ten of those roadside stall burgers.

The difference in the price is heavily affected by the labour pay of the country. Here, a part time work pays you a minimum of AUD10 AN HOUR and with really good part-time jobs you can get AUD30 AN HOUR or MORE!

This makes me think of how underpaid Malaysian workers are. I used to work in Sushi King for Rm3.50 an hour for eight hours. That's only about 1 Australian Frikkin Dollar an hour. FML! F*** Malaysian's Life lol.

Anyway, let's see how it is eating out in fine-dining restaurants here. I don't know if 'Pancakes on The Rocks' is considered fine-dining, but it sure is a very recognised restaurant. A MUST-TRY if you are in Sydney.

Hot N' Troppo

Jaffa Orange

Fish n' Chips

Italian Salami Pizza

Grilled Eggplant Pizza

No doubt that the food is awesome, just by looking at it, you can tell.

But you tend to enjoy it first and think about the price later.





Estimation of AUD25-30 (RM75-90) spent on dinner per person - a heavy amount for an independent non-working, zero FAMA student like me. Which is why such an expensive indulgence has to be a once in a blue moon occassion.

Of course the real student life is to save money and this can be done by cooking your own meals.
But if you must eat out, make sure the meal is worth the money.

You may be pleased to learn that the cheapest meal you can get in Australia would be fast food.



Hungry Jack's is particularly popular here. We have this in Malaysia too, but it's called Burger King. They are the same except that you can have your burger with bacon here which makes it extra good.

A set can be as cheap as AUD5 (RM15) and it includes a burger, fries, drinks and an ice cream. Guess who always order the same thing over and over again?

For some, eating fast food all the time may not suit your 'healthy' lifetstyle. However, you can opt for something with less salt and fat.



Subway foot-long sandwhich- AUD7 (RM21). If you're not a heavy eater, this can be your lunch and dinner.

Another way to cut down on food expenditure when eating out is to share meals.



For example a plate of Aussie's best Fish n Chips - AUD40 (rm120) for four-five person. This family platters or combos comes in really big portion. Plus it won't cost as much as ordering individual meals.

This can be done when eating out in restaurants too.



This good dishes served with rice only cost about AUD11 per person! As they say, "sharing is caring"... for your wallet.

No doubt eating out can be pricey. But at the end of the day, we must weigh whether the experience and food put together is worth the money. Despite being calculative, I do realize that I am already blessed being able to study overseas, so I might as well make the best out of it and enjoy my youth with good food. If I were to die today, I would not have any regrets.