Do you think the UK is really that much more expensive than the US in prices and cost of living?

Question

I know petrol or gas prices are much higher in the UK than the US, but British people also tend to need to drive less than Americans too.

How do they compare in other prices ??


(Comparing small town UK to small town US, etc)

Answer 1

I've never been to the UK but folks I know in USA that have been there have decided not to return here. I guess the quality of life is better.

Answer 2

I am from the US and went on a road trip in the UK driving from London to Inverness and back. I found much less variation in prices than in the US but things seem to cost a little less in Wales. Because of the geography there are no small towns that are far from cities except in resort areas so the cheap cost of living that one can find in rural US seems not to be available in the UK. Hotels and B&B with a private bath were a minimum of 35 to 50 pounds per night and a lot more near London and Edinburgh. Food and car rental, and entrance fees cost a pound for what a dollar would buy in the US as did most other things I bought, even at the WalMart near Leeds The one exception I noticed was that imported cars sold at the exchange rate plus tax. I assume this would also be true of other high ticket imports. The minimum wage in the UK is almost double the minimum wage in the US. The relativly high cost of low skill labor, the scarcity of land and VAT probably accounts for the higher prices of many things.

Answer 3

Look - there are some sensible answers here and some stupid ones. The fact that it is $2=£1 tells you nothing! Its not twice the price - thats just a complete failure to understand currency values.

Taking into account currencies, and taxes, and regional variations then my best guess is that the UK is indeed a slightly more expensive place to live than the US for a given level of income. And the average level of income is also supposed to be lower.
But real poverty seems to be much more widespread in the US because there is less of a social safety net, and a greater dispersion of income. america's poorest are worse of than the UK's.

I'm afraid that ultimately this question doesnt really have an answer as its not really properly defined. But I can say that London - which has many many faults - is probably the most international city in the world and hence many people who work there - especially US peple in financial markets - prefer it to their city of origin.

Answer 4

In the UK we get free health care, schooling and a state pension and we don't have to worry about getting ripped off by lawyers. Moving to a good neighbourhood is not so important because crime even in London is five times lower. Also we walk more, Jaywalking is not a crime as the car is not more important than people. Public transport is more available also. Because the countryside is so variable and everywhere is near the sea we don't have to travel long distances, the climate means that we don't have to use air conditioning and it hardly ever snows anymore. Fresh fruit and veg is more available for poor people here also. It's not only about the cost of coffee

Answer 5

I live in the UK and prices are very expensive compared to the US for many things especially computer gadgets and food.

I think the UK adds a lot more interest onto its stuff , well more than the us. but I don't think you would really notice unless you had been to the us or vice versa

The exchange rate is like 2 dollars to every pound, so if you are coming to the UK from the us you are getting half you money

Answer 6

They tend to drive less because they spend their time in traffic jams.
UK postal system is a lot cheaper than the American one though. That or all the American eBay sellers rip us off with postal charges.
I know the UK is a lot more expensive than mainland Europe. On the Dover Calais ferry you will see people with boxes of washing powder! 50 grammes of tobacco costs about £3.50 in Belgium. In England it costs £10.00.
Same with meat ... i know a few who have filled their freezer with meat for half the price of what it would cost them in an English supermarket. They buy it in France instead.
And the creaming on the cake? Education ... For 920 Euro you could have your 4-year old child educated following the Steiner Waldorf method in mainland Europe.
The same education for the same 4-year old would cost you over £3000 in England!! And that is comparable sized towns too.

Answer 7

That all depends on what city/state you live in
U.S $ compares favourably to U.K £ so everything is about half price!
Clothing-(designer), DVDs, cosmetics, houshold things, electricals, eating out,..are always cheaper in U.S compared to U.K.
Gas is the most expensive in California.
There are bargains to be had if you know where to look.