Cost of living: US vs UK.

[PureAppleJuice]

How do you know building standards are lower? Do you own a house here, did you cast your 'expert' eye over the building process?

The health service is better, If I want something doing, I dont get on a 5 year waiting list to be told I'm going to die in a second anyway, nor do I have to wait 5 hours in an emergency room. We have a much greater selection of drugs then the UK and health workers are actually paid a good salary.

Ok sure, we have to pay for it, but if you get a good job you get insurance anyway, an incentive to learn and get a decent job in contrast to Englands, oh hey why don't you all come over here and we'll give you a free knee, maybe some houses and a weekly paycheck while your at it.

We have a far superior justice system whereby little scrotes don't get off lightly and prisoners are treated like prisoners.

We pay fewer taxes and our gas is 3 times cheaper.

Please, do argue your side.

The building standards ARE lower. We use brick, you use wood. I'm sorry but our judicial system is superior to yours, as already stated, your law is full of our archaic acts. Admittedly our law needs reform and the reform it has had has taken years. You can get health work done here immediately too, if you pay for it, some companies will also do the same and pay for private care such as BUPA. Perhaps you should learn some more about England before slating another member of this board.*


*I'm drunk so there may be innacurices in my post.

 

[Jet]

The health service is better, If I want something doing, I dont get on a 5 year waiting list to be told I'm going to die in a second anyway, nor do I have to wait 5 hours in an emergency room. We have a much greater selection of drugs then the UK and health workers are actually paid a good salary.

The US spends double the amount the UK does on healthcare (per capita) and is well lower in the World Health rankings. There are many things the US does that are better than the UK but healthcare is definitely not one of them.

Fair enough you have to pay for health insurance over there but tbh its much better than the NHS which is falling apart. Canada on the other hand has its own national health service and its much much better than it is here in the UK.

Canada is quite a bit worse than the UK according to the World Health Organisation. Not as bad as the US but still bad - worse than Israel and Morocco in fact. The NHS isn't falling apart.

 

[Andrew_McP]

The USA is a great place to be well off, but a lousy place to be at the poorer end of the scale. And healthcare costs are a *huge* hidden cost to everyone. I say hidden because it's usually employers who are saddled with the insurance payments. That (and pensions) are a big factor in why companies like Ford and GM now have their backs to the wall.

The majority of bankruptcies in the USA are also as a result of being unable to pay for healthcare. Here it's because we spend too much of other people's money on jeans, ipods, and flat screen TVs. So maybe if you plan to be a healthy spendthrift, the USA is the better place to do it. If you plan to be an averagely unhealthy family, Europe has a lot going for it.

The USA will be a great place to live one day, but only after they get round to finishing off the civil war and dividing into two nations.

Andrew McP

PS If you want to understand which nations are likely to be a good place to live in the future, you could do worse than spend some time looking at the following link. Some of us are living on borrowed money... and time.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html

 

[Vixen]

House wise??, the houses over in Canada/USA are bigger than they are here. I just recently had a 5 bedroom house built in Canada for me, cost me £300k which works out to just over $600k Can dollars..gas, electricity and water are all cheaper than they are. Petrol again is cheap as chips compared to here as well.

You can get 5 bedroom houses in the UK for less than £300k, so that isn't stupidly cheap. Perhaps if you compare to London, but you can't say that's cheap compared to "the UK". I've been looking at new houses across central Scotland recently, and even the biggest 5 bed ones that I have seen aren't £250k.

 

[Killa_ken]

Well played Killa_ken, well played. Very good post, how did you manage to get work over there?

I dont work here, I am a student. My family moved here with a green card

You can get health work done here immediately too, if you pay for it, some companies will also do the same and pay for private care such as BUPA. Perhaps you should learn some more about England before slating another member of this board.*

I know enough about England, I lived there for 18 years thanks. I'm sure some companies do, but its much more widespread here, and not only am I given more choice over my providers and treatment, but I can actually choose what testing I want done, for example I can go directly to an MRI scanner rather then be referred and have the process take 3 weeks. There are more benefits behind this system but I feel I really cant be ****** to explain them.

The building standards ARE lower. We use brick, you use wood

My house is made of solid brick and cinderblock. Please explain?

Considering your 'justice system' has the death penalty, that removes any argument that it's somehow better than the UK's sytem, but that is just my personal opinion. I do agree the US would be a lovely place to work and live in though.

As you said, its a matter of opinion, I've heard about many crimes in england, mostly from these forums, that I would most certainly be pushing for the death penalty with.

You can get 5 bedroom houses in the UK for less than £300k, so that isn't stupidly cheap. Perhaps if you compare to London, but you can't say that's cheap compared to "the UK". I've been looking at new houses across central Scotland recently, and even the biggest 5 bed ones that I have seen aren't £250k.

5 bedrooms could be 2000sq ft cut up into 5. I can get a 4800sq ft house on a brand new golfcourse for $480,000, in a damn nice area too, oh and yes, it is a brick house.

I do apologize, I dont mean to sound as though im an arrogant 'traitor'. I was born in England and still miss several things about it. I just don't feel anyone in their right mind who has lived here would ever move back. I know I've been lucky and have moved into one of the nicest neighbor hoods in America (its called the real wisteria lane) and I have had the pleasure of attending two great colleges; From what I've seen so far however, you would have to be insane to think the opposite.

Edit: Forgot to mention, girls.......MUCH HOTTER.

 

[Curio]

I do apologize, I dont mean to sound as though im an arrogant 'traitor'. I was born in England and still miss several things about it. I just don't feel anyone in their right mind who has lived here would ever move back. I know I've been lucky and have moved into one of the nicest neighbor hoods in America (its called the real wisteria lane) and I have had the pleasure of attending two great colleges; From what I've seen so far however, you would have to be insane to think the opposite.

LOL - I could have typed the exact same thing There is no way I would ever move back to the UK having lived here now. You can read what you like, but having actually lived in both countries, it's a no-brainer for me. Don't get me wrong - I love the UK.........just not as a place to live

 

[Haircut]

I always thing the USA would be a great place to live, with lower costs, more space, better weather etc.
Then I read things like this: http://www.channel3000.com/news/14371349/detail.html which sway me back the other way.

 

[InvaderGIR]

Well thanks for all the posts guys, some trundling a bit off topic, but none the less, some informative posts.

I'll be there for a year, working in computers, I have applied and looked at the Intel site, and I'd quite likely be in Texas or Arizona as that's where their main IT Tech areas are.
I will obviously look at other companies, quite a lot in fact, as I want the best possible chance of getting a job in the US for my intern/placement year.

By the time I would be heading out there I'll be 21, so I can drink (woo), and hopefully can sort out some form of car too. I'd also be looking to rent as I doubt I could buy a place on a) the way I'd be getting, b) a one year visa.

As yet I do not (and probably won't until I was offered a place) know what sort of salary I'd be on, other than a 'competitive' one. I realise that there is a difference in pay, due to exchange rates and all, but I think most of that has been covered in the previous posts.

Thanks killa_ken for a lot of info, and thanks to the others for the bits they also provided.

InvG

 

[Teki187]

I always thing the USA would be a great place to live, with lower costs, more space, better weather etc.
Then I read things like this: http://www.channel3000.com/news/14371349/detail.html which sway me back the other way.

Tbh, "THIS IS SPARTA!!!!" springs to mind after reading that.

 

[InvaderGIR]

Tbh, "THIS IS SPARTA!!!!" springs to mind after reading that.

Again...useless waste of your time.


I'm not so fussed about health service, in the UK it's appalling (whatever people say), and the way the US works would be a welcome change. I realise I'll either have to make sure my job has health insurance, or I'll have to take some out when I move there, as I don't fancy needing to spend all of my wages on hospital bills.

InvG

 

[Teki187]

Again...useless waste of your time.


I'm not so fussed about health service, in the UK it's appalling (whatever people say), and the way the US works would be a welcome change. I realise I'll either have to make sure my job has health insurance, or I'll have to take some out when I move there, as I don't fancy needing to spend all of my wages on hospital bills.

InvG

To be perfectly honest mate, your thread is a complete waste of time. At the top of your screen is a lovely button called "search" and look what i found in less then 5mins:

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17757148&highlight=moving+too+america

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17743863&highlight=moving+too+america

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17634279&highlight=moving+too+america

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17601753&highlight=moving+too+america

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17600544&highlight=moving+too+america

Next time, rather then spamming up the forum, try using the search function.

 

[InvaderGIR]

And if you'd read the thread I linked to in the OP you'd know I'm only going for a year. NOT moving, NOT emigrating!

Seriously, read my threads fully.

I know there is a search function, but in all honesty that doesn't help as most of those threads are 'how do I get in?' not, 'what's the cost of living difference?'

Yes, there is some info in there, but it's also a pain to have slightly older stuff.

Stop trolling the forums and pouncing on people that make 'multiple' threads and be constructive. There are loads of threads on here that are repeats, yet you pick this one.

I don't want this to do off topic, just want some info about the US...any ways, everyone likes to have their own posts on things, as it's easier to view them.

InvG

 

[panthro]

The ideal situation would be to work for a UK company but get sent out there on secondment Get paid in £ and get given living expenses in $

 

[Tunney]

The US is a big country. It's very hard to generalise. Are you comparing London with Utah or New York with Middlesbrough?

I'd agree that in general that health care is cheaper in the US but remember that these health care policies rarely cover major long term illnesses. If you get cancer, you could find yourself with a 5 figure medical bill.

 

[Tru]

I dont work here, I am a student. My family moved here with a green card

I know enough about England, I lived there for 18 years thanks. I'm sure some companies do, but its much more widespread here, and not only am I given more choice over my providers and treatment, but I can actually choose what testing I want done, for example I can go directly to an MRI scanner rather then be referred and have the process take 3 weeks. There are more benefits behind this system but I feel I really cant be ****** to explain them.

My house is made of solid brick and cinderblock. Please explain?

As you said, its a matter of opinion, I've heard about many crimes in england, mostly from these forums, that I would most certainly be pushing for the death penalty with.

5 bedrooms could be 2000sq ft cut up into 5. I can get a 4800sq ft house on a brand new golfcourse for $480,000, in a damn nice area too, oh and yes, it is a brick house.

I do apologize, I dont mean to sound as though im an arrogant 'traitor'. I was born in England and still miss several things about it. I just don't feel anyone in their right mind who has lived here would ever move back. I know I've been lucky and have moved into one of the nicest neighbor hoods in America (its called the real wisteria lane) and I have had the pleasure of attending two great colleges; From what I've seen so far however, you would have to be insane to think the opposite.

Edit: Forgot to mention, girls.......MUCH HOTTER.

Yes yes Kenneth, we can all see you were clearly born with a silver spoon rammed up your jacksie and mummykins has shielded kennywenny from the harsh realities of the most obese, obtuse country on this planet. It is time to wake up pal, outside of your gated communities the US is a hellhole. Sure, your pool must be nice in the evenings but do you think about the Mexican immigrant, with barely a tooth in his head, who comes to scoop the crap out of it when you're cruising for Barbies down the boulevard in your SUV? . Huge swathes of the population are either illiterate, living in poverty, without health insurance, black, criminally insane or both. What about the millions upon millions of religiously demented Christians who DONT ACTUALLY BELIEVE IN EVOLUTION and are simply waiting for the day a hairy-beardy man descends from space to come and take them all to heaven? These people RUN your country. And is a justice system that frequently straps a man to a chair and passes electricity through his head until he dies, burnt and covered in his own waste, in front of the local media, a good, progressive approach to justice? Really? In Britain we killed people more humanely than that 400 years ago. Take a walk on the wild side chief, go steal your dads BM and joyride it down to the mall, you will be hard pushed to see the benefits of your justice system with a face full of mace and bullets. OK, so you live in a brick house, super, but those sure didn’t look like bricks that were floating out to the gulf of Mexico from Louisiana a couple of years ago. The girls seem hotter because cosmetic surgery is part of the curriculum.

 

[fini]

Huge swathes of the population are either illiterate, living in poverty, without health insurance, black, criminally insane or both.

how does that feature in your list? What difference does is make?

 

[Tru]

how does that feature in your list? What difference does is make?

hmmm not sure why you've singled blacks out, that seems kinda prejudiced to me...not accusing you of anything, just saying.

 

[PureAppleJuice]

Well at least you've apologised for your treachery Killa_Ken I will however have to agree with Tru, outside the cities the place is a cultural backwater. But to be fair i'm only going on what i've studied economically and historically, I've never been to the 'dodgy' parts of America but when I visited Boston it was nice enough.

 

[Random_23]

Sorry to hijack your thread but it seems like the perfect oppertunity to ask. I have been thinking of moving the USA or Canada and wondered what I would need to do? Im low on trade skill's but have great GCSE's and a lot of work experience. I also have a drink driving offence damn those officers for getting me after a meal with boss's at the pub and being 2 yes TWO units over >.< Would that offence stop me being allowed to emigrate?

 

[sunama]

my mate moved to texas last year. living costs are masively less. yes you do get paid less in the usa. for example i get 6.26 an hour at tesco and he gets 4.20 an hour (thats 8.40dollars) at wallmart.

his house is easily twice the size of a standard 4bed detached here, and was just over 80k pounds. now you wouldn't even get an ex council house here for that...
his 21 year old friend has a nice bunalow, 3 bedrooms, double garage (with very cool electric door) and front/back gardens and its worth 30-40k pounds.
yes its cheap but it is a relatively low thought of area (texas) and hence cheaper than the rest of the USA.

Informative.

i plan on going USA when i have graduated and saved some money, and I intend to buy a house outright. I will be <30years old and mortgage free. what a life

But would you not need a promise from an employer who is ready and waiting to employ you - ie. you have to find a job, before you move there? Or do you first go there on a visitor's visa, find a job, get a firm offer of a job, then apply for a work visa, then move?

Can somebody elaborate on this?

I like mglover's plan of being mortgage free at a young age.