Is it cheaper to live in the U.S.A?

haujobbz

Being from the uk i find the cost of living high, but according to most its much cheaper to live in the usa,i mean food is cheaper,fuel is cheaper,hi-fi is cheaper,i bet everything is cheaper,why the hell is it cheaper in the usa. So if im wrong convince me why im better off in the uk.

writerpen

Because you have the best chocolate.

Mulan

Having traveled in the UK, I have to say it IS cheaper to live here. But, you have such an amazing history..............and so many great antiquities. Nothing in this country is more than 2 or 3 hundred years old.

It's a tradeoff wherever you live. If UK is home to you, you probably wouldn't be happy living here, and vice versa for me. I love going there though.

haujobbz

What did you find cheaper in the uk ? RE:mulan

Isnt chocalate good in the usa? RE:writerpen

Mulan

I can't recall anything cheaper in the UK than in the US. Maybe the Bed and Breakfasts. We could stay in them for 30-40 pounds a night, and it included a GREAT breakfast. (1996, so it may not be that cheap now) Those are an incredibly good value. In the US, they are about $150 a night, including breakfast too.

I think the chocolate here is better. Hersheys?? Yummy.

Edited by - mulan on 8 August 2002 15:26:54

ballistic

I would love to visit the USA.

One major worry and question: I found out the other day that most beers over there have the alcohol content partly removed. Our beers on tap here range from 4 - 5 % and some real ales even up to 9 % in vol.

What I want to know is, is this just because you have the 'proof' method of measuring or is it an actual strength difference. e.g. We are sold budweiser as an 'American' brand at 5% volume i.e. equal to 2 and a half units (1 pint being over the legal limit to drive) and I have been told that over there it is only 3%.

I also here bud 'light'?? is popular over there - is this some cultural difference, or are we just all alcofrolics in the UK?

AjaxMan

I have to disagree with Mulan about the chocolate. I feel that chocolate, desserts and pastries in general are much better in Europe than in America. However, Mulan is right about cost of living here in America. I may add also it depends where in America are you living? Some states have higher state tax, property tax than others. Others don't have a state tax (Florida for example). Some states have higher property values than others. A lot depends also where in America too. Overall, I love living in America because you can get a helluva lot more for your money than in England.

Mulan said

If UK is home to you, you probably wouldn't be happy living here, and vice versa for me. I love going there though.

That is true too and it may answer your question of why you're better off living in UK.

Regards,

Ajax

JanH

It depends on whether you are a tourist or a local, I guess. The US is cheap for a tourist, especially for a western country, because a tourist will not have to pay the often very high prices of housing there.

Norway is very expensive for tourists. But it's not that bad for locals. First,.we have a high average and median income. Even the lowest paying jobs here, like a shop clerk or a cleaner, will typically make $30,000 or more in a year. Second, housing is cheap, so a comparably larger part of a person's income is available for other uses. I know for a fact one of the most attractive flats in Bergen, Norway's 2nd largest city, top standard, in the dead center of the city, around 130 sq meters, cost less that $2200 a month. Try that in the second largest city in any other western country.A small studio-style flat, high standard, 3 minutes' walk from the absolute centre, like mine, cost $500 a month including heat & electricity.

When Norwegians go abroad, they encounter the comparatively lower prices and gripe about how expensive it is back here. Of course, they don't have to pay for a flat in London, Paris or New York, just buy the cheap food, booze & clothes in the shops.

On the flip side, Central-Europeans or Americans coming here are shell shocked when asked to pay $7 for a pint of beer, $1.20+ for a liter of petrol, or more than $2 for a bread. They don't get the advantage of our cheaper housing.

Hotels everywhere are around the same price range.

The reason is not so hard to see. Norway's area is about the size of Germany's. We have 4.5 million people here. The Germans have 90 million people. So housing is likely to be much cheaper. And it is.

- Jan

ballistic

Jan, do you know how much these things cost in pounds sterling? A pint of beer here costs between 1.90 - 2.50

haujobbz

Norway pays that much to its workers "blimey"

Is it cheaper to live in the U.S.A?

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