Different markets have different realities. People have to compare their relative markets. I live in Israel near Tel Aviv. Your $2800 (I'm assuming AUD) is 10%

Different markets have different realities. People have to compare their relative markets. I live in Israel near Tel Aviv. Your $2800 (I'm assuming AUD) is 10% more than my mortgage. I live 10 minutes from the beach (and downtown), 2 minutes from a forest, and have a 5+. If your value was USD then everything I just wrote holds true fro Tel Aviv, one of the most expensive markets in the world. OPs original post would get him a fantastic place here ~15 minutes from the beach and 15 minutes from work.. on foot. But salaries also don't match that.