Kiwi father of three cries after going to an Australian store for the first time – and the reason will surprise you

A New Zealand dad-of-three has been brought to tears after making a surprising discovery when he visited an Australian supermarket for the first time.

Poreva Kirikava, who relocated his family of five to Sydney from the North Island on December 13, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the grocery prices at Aldi.

His family’s grocery bill came to a total of $380, a far cry from his native country, where he believes the same items would have cost them $1,000.

Their grocery haul included a dozen eggs for $4, a whole raw chicken for $4.99 and a five-pack of Maggi two-minute noodles for $1.69.

The youth worker felt ‘overwhelmed’ with emotion when he realised he could now afford to feed his family comfortably in Australia, after experiencing moments in his life where he feared he couldn’t put food on the table.

The 33-year-old, who had been living paycheck to paycheck, explained how he was struggling to make ends meet before moving Down Under to start a new life with his wife and kids.

‘As a father, it was hard to think about possible solutions to ease the financial pressure we faced as a family, and that ate away at me,’ Poreva told Daily Mail Australia.

‘My wife and I had enough (money) but it was still hard to get ahead given the cost of living for basic things such as bread, milk and eggs. Although times were tough, we have never been without.’

The doting dad, who’s now earning $16 per hour more than he was in New Zealand, said he’s in a much better place knowing he’s now able to keep his pantry stocked.

‘The wage increase has definitely helped with buying a little more food so that the cupboards stay fuller for longer,’ Poreva told Daily Mail Australia.

‘Coming to Australia has definitely helped us financially seeing as things are much cheaper here. I felt a sense of relief as soon as we moved here.’

He said he couldn’t believe how affordable his family’s living expenses were, despite Aussies complaining every day about inflation and the rising cost of necessities.

In New Zealand, the family was paying up to $15 for a dozen eggs, while a 3L bottle of milk cost them $7.50, compared to $4.80 in Australia. 

‘Everything seems a lot cheaper here compared to New Zealand, even if it is just a $1 to $2 difference,’ he said.

The dad said he also noticed petrol was much cheaper in Australia.  

‘I paid $1.89 for 98 unleaded here, which is crazy,’ he said, adding that in New Zealand, the same fuel would set you back $2.72.

Poreva feels confident that he will be able to start saving for a family holiday.

‘My dream is to take my family to America for a snowy white Christmas, and I feel that it may be more of a possibility here in Australia than in New Zealand, sadly,’ he added.

In an emotional video posted on social media, the devoted dad detailed how he broke down in tears after doing his family’s weekly food shopping this week. 

‘I’m not even joking. After we did the food shopping, I’m bawling my eyes out because in New Zealand, there were moments where we thought we weren’t going to eat,’ he recalled.

Reflecting on one occasion, he remembered one of his kids looking for snacks in the pantry cupboard, only to find nothing.

‘He’d say, “Daddy, there’s nothing to eat… There’s no snacks”. And I would go angry,’ Poreva explained. 

‘Today, I realised I wasn’t angry because he was hungry or there were no snacks, it was because I felt that I wasn’t able to provide.’

During a recent trip to an Aldi store in Sydney, the dad was stunned to see how groceries in Australia were more affordable than back home.

‘It was at a point where my wife and I were speechless after we left Aldi,’ he said.

‘I honestly reckon the amount of food shopping we did (here) would probably equal $1,000 in New Zealand. And that’s not to say Australia is better.

‘I cried because I struggled in New Zealand and I thought I was doing alright by everyone’s standards. But after I did my shopping today in Sydney, I thought… man, I feel for people over there (New Zealand). 

‘It’s crazy to think that’s just normal. We were buzzing out because chicken nuggets are $2.50 a pack here, it’s just crazy. Honestly, it’s crazy living here.’

An alarming poll has shown that more than a third of Kiwis have considered moving to Australia in the past year, as low economic prospects drive record numbers abroad.

It comes as an all-time high of 80,000 New Zealanders left for overseas in the year to the end of September, with about half of them estimated to be heading Down Under.

New Zealand is in the grip of a ‘brain drain’ as young Kiwis seek better jobs, living expenses and pay across the ditch or further afield.