Cost of living in cities across the world

[ShokWaveRider]

Alan, not to change the subject, I just find the weather so depressing in the UK. I like you was raised there and left in 82. I joke with friends here and say "I lived in London for 27 years and saw the sun 3 times". We spend to much time wandering around looking and smelling like wet dogs. Tongue in cheek.

 

[Koogie]

I think London and the SE are much more expensive than "up north".

apropos...

The Dream Academy - Life In A Northern Town (1985)

 

[Alan]

Alan, not to change the subject, I just find the weather so depressing in the UK. I like you was raised there and left in 82. I joke with friends here and say "I lived in London for 27 years and saw the sun 3 times". We spend to much time wandering around looking and smelling like wet dogs. Tongue in cheek.

We have had really nice weather during the spring and summers of 2010, 2011, 2013 and also for 2016 so far (arrived in May, leaving in November). Being able to afford to live in warm weather during the 4 months of English winters, and avoiding the Texas summers is working great for us. Also, being retired we are not dependant on having the sunny days land on a weekend.

 

[explanade]

When Brexit is fully implemented, will it still be cheap to live in England?

London generates a lot of the taxes which are paid as benefits to other parts of the country.

If the City loses business to other cities in the EU, other parts of the country may also suffer.

 

[Alan]

When Brexit is fully implemented, will it still be cheap to live in England?

London generates a lot of the taxes which are paid as benefits to other parts of the country.

If the City loses business to other cities in the EU, other parts of the country may also suffer.

No idea, only time will tell. We are not choosing to live here because of how cheap it is, this last 6 years have been an unexpected bonus cost-wise.

Although I've visited many times since we left in 1987 it has only been these extended stays since retirement that I've noticed the cost of living here. (not every year here, we spent the summers of 2012, 14 and 15 in N. America, Australia and New Zealand).

 

[trirod]

(We live in a small market town about 10 miles south of Middlesbrough)

Cost of Living

Not Stokesley by any chance is it? I have some friends there (big 'Boro suppporters!) - nice town.

I'm originally from the UK and am always surprised at the fact that for many things the US is more expensive than the UK - when the reputation is the reverse. Admittedly gas is a lot more expensive in the UK, but the cars get much better gas mileage and the distances are shorter, so total spend isn't much different. Also housing is much more expensive compared with where I live in the US (Ohio), although it may not be much different in other parts of the US.

When I first moved here 20+ years ago it seemed like electronics were a lot cheaper here than in the UK, but that difference has mostly been erased now - maybe something to do with globalization?

 

[Alan]

Not Stokesley by any chance is it?

Guisborough.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

All in all Florida (Not Miami or Palm Beach) is VERY reasonable. House Taxed are about 50% of what I have seen in Texas, but homes are more expensive. Food is reasonable and quality is OK.

One thing I do notice about the US vs Canada for example; is that Supermarkets here in the US look like Farmers market stalls compared to those in Canada. AND the food in Canada for the most part is WAY better quality, especially produce. Milk Eggs and Chicken are way more expensive, other than that costs are comparable. We love walking around Supermarkets in Toronto, it is a pleasure.

 

[Totoro]

When Brexit is fully implemented, will it still be cheap to live in England?

London generates a lot of the taxes which are paid as benefits to other parts of the country.

If the City loses business to other cities in the EU, other parts of the country may also suffer.

Some rural areas, sometimes the very same ones that strongly voted for Brexit, get reportedly big development subsidies from the EU.

Oops.

Today in the news as well: biggest monthly drop in consumer confidence since 1990 in the UK. It may be simply aftershock though: it was much lower in absolute terms as recently as 2013.

Then again, London house and commercial prices are reported to be dropping and the purchase manager index also isn't shiny.

I don't see the positive effects for anyone at least for the next 2 to 4 years while uncertainty rules. In the mean time companies will either postpone or shift commitment decisions. I know I wouldn't want to invest in an UK home given the chance I can get cut off from EU access.

Rather shift some operations to mainland pre-emptively, or to ireland.

Bad economy usually means lower prices, so cheapness may continue. Taxes might be higher, which would probably hurt the income earners, not the FIREd crowd.

 

[Nemo2]

I'm originally from the UK

OT When did the term "The UK" become popular? I know there was an amalgamation in the 1700s, but when did it become common parlance?

I 'escaped' about 56 2/3rds years ago, and at that time 'we' lived in England, (and I imagine the Scots lived in Scotland, etc), and I don't recall ever hearing "The UK"......but, at some undefined point later, it became "The UK this" and "The UK that" every time I encountered a Brit or overheard a bunch of them talking together.

Enlightenment please. /OT

 

[trirod]

OT When did the term "The UK" become popular? I know there was an amalgamation in the 1700s, but when did it become common parlance?

I 'escaped' about 56 2/3rds years ago, and at that time 'we' lived in England, (and I imagine the Scots lived in Scotland, etc), and I don't recall ever hearing "The UK"......but, at some undefined point later, it became "The UK this" and "The UK that" every time I encountered a Brit or overheard a bunch of them talking together.

Enlightenment please. /OT

I guess it was sometime between 56 years ago when you left England and 21 years ago when I left. Not sure I can define it any closer than that!

 

[Nemo2]

I guess it was sometime between 56 years ago when you left England and 21 years ago when I left. Not sure I can define it any closer than that!

That narrows it down.

(This is/was for me a (relatively) 'serious' question, because at some point (and I'm damned if I can remember when), it seems to me it became "UKUKUKUKUK" in a "Polly wants a cracker" fashion, and it was something I'd never heard before.)

Added: It was 35 years ago I left Canada for a sojourn in Saudi, and since there were numerous Brits (UKsians?) there, it might have been around that time.

 

[ivinsfan]

Where did they buy the grocery items, at Whole Foods? The food prices are wildly inaccurate for the the US, I don't know if they are correct for the UK. The food prices alone make me skeptical of the entire list.

 

[W2R]

Where did they buy the grocery items, at Whole Foods? The food prices are wildly inaccurate for the the US, I don't know if they are correct for the UK. The food prices alone make me skeptical of the entire list.

Same here. Both grocery and restaurant foods are wildly overpriced. Maybe those who provided their data were just tourists eating at rip-off tourist places. Otherwise I really can't imagine where they got those prices.

 

[kcowan]

I have used Numbeo for several years. mainly to look at what to expect from an extended home swap. I find the data somewhat biased but not high or low. People tend to complete what is easy based on their personal experience. They might shop at Whole Foods vs Kroger, or complete it based on their memory.

But it is better than nothing.

 

[Koolau]

I guess it was sometime between 56 years ago when you left England and 21 years ago when I left. Not sure I can define it any closer than that!

I seem to recall (relatively recently) reading a book with a reference to The UK and the book was written before your time frame. I looked briefly in Wikipedia (yeah, I know, I know) and it seemed that the term UK may have been adopted from (originally) The United Kingdom of Great Britan. As of 1922, part of Ireland gained its independence and I BELIEVE (again, gleaning from Wikipedia) that the simple term UK began to be used commonly after that. Of course, many folks still refer to the UK as Great Britain or just Britain. In many circles, it is considered offensive to refer to the UK as "England" as England is just one of the "states" or countries making up the UK.

Now I have told you far more than I actually know about the subject, but honestly I had wondered about this since finding reference to "UK" in that book or publication printed before "my time." So, in any case, YMMV.

 

[Texas Proud]

I will just say that when I worked in London anybody who was British said they were British.... anybody from Scotland said they were Scottish... anybody from Ireland said they were Irish (and that included North and South)....

There were people with flags of their country on their desks... I never saw a UK flag on anybody's desk... ever...

I had a flag of Texas and most of the people knew what state it represented....


Now, funny thing is there were a lot of people from the 'colonies' such as Auzzie, NZ, South Africa, India etc. and I cannot remember anybody from these countries with a flag.... maybe one... but am not sure...

 

[kcowan]

The UK includes Northern Ireland.
and North America includes Mexico and 22 other countries...

How many states are in The United States of Mexico?

 

[Nemo2]

Of course, many folks still refer to the UK as Great Britain or just Britain.

Which was my experience, and then it (seemingly suddenly) morphed into the UK in common parlance.

In many circles, it is considered offensive to refer to the UK as "England" as England is just one of the "states" or countries making up the UK.

I don't know if there was ever a time, (not in my limited experience anyway), when the individual component parts of the union were not identified by their own names and/or incorrectly designated as 'England'.

 

[Sunset]

All in all Florida (Not Miami or Palm Beach) is VERY reasonable. House Taxed are about 50% of what I have seen in Texas, but homes are more expensive. Food is reasonable and quality is OK.

One thing I do notice about the US vs Canada for example; is that Supermarkets here in the US look like Farmers market stalls compared to those in Canada. AND the food in Canada for the most part is WAY better quality, especially produce. Milk Eggs and Chicken are way more expensive, other than that costs are comparable. We love walking around Supermarkets in Toronto, it is a pleasure.

+1
Also Canada is very expensive for booze (cheap vodka is $55 for 1.75 L vs $10 in US), but property taxes seem to be about 1/2 of IL property taxes (IL is about the highest property tax rate in US).
Gas in Canada is 25% more expensive after you account for the exchange rate.

 

[nuke_diver]

Same here. Both grocery and restaurant foods are wildly overpriced. Maybe those who provided their data were just tourists eating at rip-off tourist places. Otherwise I really can't imagine where they got those prices.

Yeah there seems to be something strange about the food prices though if they are being consistent (ie pricing is at major grocery chains in each city/country) it would be a baseline. For San Jose they show milk at $3.93 but I haven't paid over $3 for it. But as a LBYM person I also don't go to Safeway and buy everything there.

Hot tip get your veggies at Indian Cash and Carry stores, very fresh very cheap

 

[explanade]

Organic milk is over $4 for half a gallon.

 

[Alan]

Also Canada is very expensive for booze (cheap vodka is $55 for 1.75 L vs $10 in US), but property taxes seem to be about 1/2 of IL property taxes (IL is about the highest property tax rate in US).
Gas in Canada is 25% more expensive after you account for the exchange rate.

Yesterday we bought wine here at around $10/bottle at our local supermarket, we usually spend about $7/bottle for the same stuff in Texas.

We paid the usual $1.30 for a 2 liter bottle of milk (0.53 US Gallon).

When we were driving in Canada last year I noticed how much better the mpg was per tank of gas. I hadn't realized how badly the mandated ethanol in US gas affects the mpg. UK gas was $5.46 at our local gas station yesterday. Fortunately we walk most places, including to the gym.

 

[Texas Proud]

Yesterday we bought wine here at around $10/bottle at our local supermarket, we usually spend about $7/bottle for the same stuff in Texas.

We paid the usual $1.30 for a 2 liter bottle of milk (0.53 US Gallon).

When we were driving in Canada last year I noticed how much better the mpg was per tank of gas. I hadn't realized how badly the mandated ethanol in US gas affects the mpg. UK gas was $5.46 at our local gas station yesterday. Fortunately we walk most places, including to the gym.

Are you basing it on the Imperial gallon or the US gallon

I did notice you said when driving in Canada, so I would assume the same vehicle... but, looking around the internet gets me this...

The Environmental Protection Agency says E10 lowers mileage approximately 3 percent

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Not a huge loss, but enough to make a difference in cost over a year....


Now, something that I also found that I did not know.... the winter blend cost you money also....

In terms of gas mileage, you get better mileage on summer blends than winter blends because the summer blend gasoline has about 2% greater energy value than winter blend. So the gas you are using now most likely has a lower energy value than the gas you used in the winter.

​

I have never really paid attention to that... but, since we live way down south maybe we do not get the same blend as up north....

 

[ShokWaveRider]

+1
Also Canada is very expensive for booze (cheap vodka is $55 for 1.75 L vs $10 in US), but property taxes seem to be about 1/2 of IL property taxes (IL is about the highest property tax rate in US).
Gas in Canada is 25% more expensive after you account for the exchange rate.

Agreed, but a small price to pay for decent Non-Profit health care (That is Really Affordable, NOT in name only) don't you think?