American Immigrant compares cost of living in Scotland VS the USA
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2024
- Today I'm having a wee chat about the cost of living differences in Scotland compared to the United States. It's so crazy to me how much cheaper it is in Scotland compared to Oklahoma where I grew up. Please like and subscribe to stay up to date, I will do more videos in the future going into more detail about all of these topics!
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In Glasgow where I live I meet Americans on an almost daily basis while walking the dog. There's been a huge influx of Americans moving here and they all say they love it here compared to the USA as it's safer and far less expensive
Your comment with reference to the American healthcare system was really brutal and made me sit up. In 2018 I was diagnosed with cancer. I underwent several months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy among other procedures at Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital. I’ve then had 5 years of post treatment assessments and this June was discharged as being in a curative state. Thanks to our wonderful NHS I’ve not had to pay a penny directly. What a difference.
we have a health service they have a health business
To address the current sabotage we need 285 new hospitals. I do prize your experience as magnificent though. In America, there's nothing to separate authenticity with a hustle. Your story tells me our country knows when to see the person, and not the dollar sign. This is a real country. 🎶🫡🍺❤️
I’m so pleased about your recovery. 🎉❤
@@veetoria55 thank you very much. I now volunteer as a cancer mentor for men with the same type of cancer that I had.
Yes and cancer survival rates in UK are lower than US.
I am Scottish and my wife is American. She has lived here since 97. There is no way we could go and live in the US due to healthcare and college fees. When I first went to US in 1997 I found shopping and eating out in US cheaper in the UK. Not anymore, the US is so expensive now. Maybe part is due to part to collapse in the value of the pound but I don't think that is the whole story. The main problem for us would be health care. We are now older and the worry of paying for health care would be a real worry for us if we lived in the US.
I live in the north west of Scotland. You can rent a 3 bedroom house for £600 with a massive garden and that’s still expensive. You can buy a 3 bedroom house for around £120k
I'm so glad your experience in moving to Scotland has been such a positive one. I am extremely proud of my country (yes, despite it's flaws) and, except for the weather, especially in the past few weeks, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
Btw - I hope you are all safe after the storms in the last week or two.
They actually haven’t been bad here! We had mostly sunny days when the big flooding was happening. A little bit of flooding over the last couple days but if definitely beats Oklahoma summer, and winter. Lol
From the way her describes it, I'm fairly certain hes in Ayrshire which is Central west. It's the north east that has it bad.
Scottish weather gets a bad rap. Ive lived all over Central Scotland (and north and south west England). One thing Id recommend weather wise is living on the east coast. Scotland itself has micro climates. You can have drastically different weather in areas that are 15 minutes apart. Edinburgh has HALF the annual rainfall as Glasgow. St Andrews is actually one of the sunniest parts of the UK. Glasgow is definitely a rainy city. But I do not take Glasgow as Scotland as a whole.
@@Guttlegob I can vouch for that. I live in a weather "bubble" - we often have great weather while the surrounding aeras (10 minutes away) would have torrential rain or snow.
After the second winter any positives will just fade into insignificance. Just too much mould 😂. Getting dark at 3pm in November. Let's be honest it's bad for your health. That's why the prescriptions are free.
That's a real eye-opener. I'd always assumed costs were cheaper in the US for pretty much everything except health care. I'm glad to know your experience of living on this side of The Pond is so positive. 👍
No developed country looks at the US health system and thinks we should do it like that!
Except perhaps the current UK Tory party.
I remember the 1980’s and 90’s when people used to take empty suitcases on their visits to the US to fill up and bring home because everything was so much cheaper to buy there.
I used to find the USA really cheap in the 90s, but when I was there this May I was shocked how much more expensive it was compared to the UK
It used to be that with the exchange rate, going to the US was a cheap holiday. Now even with the slight benefit of the exchange rate, it’s super expensive
when i first went to the states it was 2,40 dollars to the £. and ive been to the states when it was as low as 1.06@@peterkonradort
The British pound in Scotland has typically always been superior to the ethnic Yanks Dollar currency in terms of stability, the inflation has never been as high either, Yank prices are always higher as you need more Yank dollars to match the same value as British pounds.
USA was really cheap in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. We stopped going to USA when the time for passport control on arrival passed two hours.
Stopped being cheap cause the value of the pound tanked
I found this video very interesting. As someone who has spent their entire life in Scotland, and only visited the US once, I had always assumed that the cost of living in the US was way cheaper than in Scotland, due to economies of scale etc. I have a new perspective now...
Maybe it was at one point! But sadly it hasn’t really been that way for a long time.
I was in the US a few months ago and was shocked by just how expensive things had become versus my previous visits 7 or 8 years ago. Eating out in particular has gone through the roof.
As an American living in Berlin for 25 years and occasionally visiting the US, was in Houston and Austin Texas the beginning of the year OMG the price of a lot of things 😮
It seems to me that you need to earn about 100$ an hour just to keep up.
Visited Glasgow and the surrounding area last year, wonderful place, very nice people. I could live there easily.
Thom it's hard to do but all you have to do is to get Americans not to spend on any new stuff ie don't keep up with the Joneses
@@lawrenceglaister4364 Yeah that's right! A lot of Americans overspend like crazy. I am half German and I really watch my money, I enjoy myself and I am not someone that makes a lot but I definitely know how to make that small amount of money go far. But it's quite a bit easy doing that living in Germany compared to living in major cities in the US.
@@lawrenceglaister4364 EXACTLY! simple living! folks in the US especially in the big cities.. all about " Status quo"
I like how your terminology has changed since living in the UK. I'm British and now live in Germany, health care here is slightly more expensive than in UK, but insurance is still compulsory and deducted at source, and I do get a bit more for the extra cost. I can see my family doctor (for free) within 3 days and I have never had to wait more than a month to see a specialist, also for free. There is a standard prescription charge of 5 Euros per prescription. I have never understood what some Americans have against social health care, health care should be a right, not a privilege.
A lot of it stems from the Anti-Communism years that the US went through after WWII (known as The Red Scare). They basically scared the entire population with a huge propaganda machine, that had people spying on their friends and families and reporting neighbours for 'Communist' ways, just because they didn't like that neighbour, or they cut their Grass in the wrong direction (that's how bad it was). They even banned books such as Robin Hood (the British Legend). It seems that back then, Socialist policies were deemed by those in charge, to be communism at work, even when most countries with Socialist policies have never been communists. Even in these times, when we see the woke brigade in the US, marching for 'preferential equality', they still don't want universal healthcare, like we have in the UK because of that stigma from the 50s.
Americans pay taxes and ludicrously more for everything I don't get the opposition to state funded healthcare. They are technically paying for it already
They think if they only payvthrough taxes , someone else , a non tax- payer will hold them up .
I lived, worked and travelled throughout the USA for many years.
First time was '87, thought the place was fantastic.
Came back in the early 90's still thought it was fantastic and very low cost.
Returned in 2001 through work and thought things had gone downhill somewhat but the cost of the living was excellent.
The first big change that I noticed was in 2008, during the financial crash. Prices in the USA increased dramatically but my employer at that time (Siemens Energy) sent me to the Netherlands for a project and I continued to work in UK/Europe until 2012, when I went back to working in the East Bay area.
SF was quite a shock to the system, cost wise and I would say roughly 50% higher cost of living compared to my USA home base of Florida (Sarasota).
Unfortunately. I was denied entry to the USA, in early 2016 and I've never been back since that time.
Never contravened and rules. regulations, visa requirements but it's essentially a, "lifetime ban", unless they approve a visitors visa. I've had 4 application rejections since that time and have simply given up.
Not the best situation, with two US Citizen children, who I did not get to see for 6 years - this was compounded by the Plandemic.
That's the so called land of the free and our greatest ally supposedly....
My longest running American pal works for the Department of Homeland Security, couldn't make it up.
It's like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone, combined with Little Britain's, "computer says no" sketch.
I'm certainly quite happy here in my native Scotland (Scottish Borders) and think that life is much more, "real", here compared to the USA.
I thought the US healthcare system was very good but all of those costs were provided for by my employer. I wouldn't even dream of moving to the USA without employer backing due to having knowledge of all of the significantly higher costs that you need to cover.
It's a real change because back in the day , living in the USA was so convenient and comfortable by comparison to most countries.
I live in Port Glasgow, 25 miles from Glasgow. The bus service here is frequent and mostly very reliable. The Sunday service is a bit less frequent and you have to plan your journey more carefully. The brilliant thing is that once you reach 60 (I’m 66) bus travel throughout the whole of Scotland is free. Train travel is discounted. Apparently the NHS in Scotland is the most efficiently run in the UK.
Yes! I forgot to mention that. It’s also free until you’re i think 22? It’s really just very small towns like mine that are problematic. Even just going a few miles down to ardrossan they have the 11 route which is (advertised) as once every like 10-15 minutes.
@@peterkonradort I sometimes take the 585 from Largs to Saltcoats. It’s a half-hourly service that goes through Ardrossan. They’re quite elderly buses, but good fun. You’re absolutely right about the free under-22 travel. 👍🏽
sNHS is very poorly run.
Thankfully they don't have to deal with as many people as the NHS does in the England and thanks to the Barnett formula they receive the most funding from taxes but the figures for sNHS have been dropping rapidly.
Don't move to NorthernIreland. NHS waiting lists are 3 times longer than south of the Irish border.
@@Gambit771Westminster has been shafting us for years.The Barnett formula is a con.
Thank you SO much for this video. I kinda already knew it was WAY much less to live in Scotland than here in the US. but this detailed breakdown gives me more hope and push to move there! lol This all depends on my company if they will allow the transfer. Congrats on the weight loss again. I saw the difference immediately when you first popped back on with a second video after that first one when you actually moved there. WOW about the health care. that is super insanely incredible! That alone along with the housing would be the number one and 2 reason for any family to think about moving there! As a single person, my company has coinsurance. I am under United Health Care here in Chicago. (I used to live in NY before and Cigna was the choice then due to the location.) My monthly coverage taken out of my paycheck is 110 a month (It was 170 with Cigna in NY same company) the move to Chicago actually was good on that aspect. not to mention that city taxes are not taken out of my pay; Illinois does not do that. only state taxes. But the insurance I have is Coinsurance so for example if I " chose a doctor that charges 450 a visit out of pocket would be 225. (so it would be best that I chose a less expensive doctor if I want my bill to be less) And that is just for the visit! lol anything extra they add on top of that ..sigh...USA really truly sucks when it comes to health care and education costs too. I know everywhere has its cons but ..the US, the land of opportunity, is for the rich, cause once you start making it they take it all back due to the cost of living. It seems that other countries care about what you make and what to charge as far as rent and food and clothing and furniture etc. I have a question. If you want to relocate there and ask your job for a transfer, they say yes. can they have you pay for the work visa and not them? since I am the one wanting to move there and not them asking, or offering me a position there? There are other details involved in this process I know but, I was just curious if you may know of this firsthand. And I know this can only be answered company by company. it all depends on the company I am working for etc. Thanks again for another great video! Much appreciated! Hope all is well with the family! ❤
Greetings up here in Glasgow, great video, glad you didnt mention the weather :)
Thank you!
The weather is actually another one of the selling points for us moving here lol. It’s so much better than in Oklahoma
Thanks for that and yeah - doing it annually would be good. Maybe get a friend/sibling in OK to do a comparison? BTW almost all prescriptions in England are free or, if you're working but need a regular prescription, there is a cap of £111 per annum. You're right about housing - and even in Scotland, that varies wildly. Ayrshire must be one of the cheapest places to rent - certainly outside of the Highlands and Island - but prices in Edinburgh's city centre are close to some of the London suburbs. So my flat in a mansion block in Twickenham would have a similar value to a New Town tenement.
Excessive (almost obligatory) tipping is a major reason for the extra costs in the US. Adding 15, 20 or 25% to an already high restaurant bill is a major factor.
Great video. I remember going to New York and Vegas around the time that we could get just under 2 dollars to 1 pound. I thought that the US was so cheap but a few years later i actually ended up spending a lot of time in the US (east coast) for work and speaking to a lot of people about differences in pay / rent. Salaries seemed to be significantly higher in the US but living expenses seemed to just be higher in general. We were generally comparing London (where i was living) and New York (where my colleagues lived)
Super interesting Peter, thanks for sharing. So glad you are enjoying what I consider my, for the most very lovely country.
Hi, Peter. We're American expats in the UK, too. Everything you said is 100% spot on. Great vid! Take care 👋
Thank you!
I hadn’t been to the US since before COVID and was shocked when I went to Florida this year. The cost is way way higher than it was. As is mentioned in the video the FX rate makes a difference but the locals were complaining. Some of the folks in hotels and restaurants talked about struggling to get by. Cost of living is an issues everywhere but I was shocked by the US.
One big difference for me dealing with healthcare moving here, was not having to show up for an appointment 15 minutes early to deal with the phonebook sized pile of paperwork every damn time you went for an appointment....Even just signing on the first time was like a 2 minute process.
I''ve had a lot of people back in the US always seem to defend the current US system because they think they pay less in income taxes, they seem to forget that even though it does come out of your pre-taxed income, you're still paying essentially a "tax" for your healthcare, it just goes to your insurance provider and you have to pray and hope they cover you.
All in all most people in the US pay more and get less than in most European nations.
The US federal government spent nearly $1.2 trillion in fiscal year 2019, that all comes from taxes. For the same year the UK spent £158.3 billion, again, from taxes. Since the US population is roughly 5 times that of the UK, multiplying the UK's spend x5 gives £791.5 billion, so that year the US spent roughly 40% more in taxes towards healthcare (with rough adjusting for exchange rates).
Now when we add in US Health Insurance premiums - The average annual premium for single coverage in 2019 was $7,188 (and 10.3% did not have any cover) in 2019. We can add another $2.2 trillion (approx) to the US healthcare bill giving us an approx 2013 spend of $3.4 trillion US dollars or 4.25 x the UK spending that year.
@@Thurgosh_OG absolutely. The US could have the worlds best healthcare system for less cost per capita than many other countries, but they choose not to.
@@peterkonradort Which, bamboozle's me.
yes, but you could not have the planets biggest armed forces and a space program if you want to look after your citizens😁also some people say that the american health care system is broken , its most definitetly not, its working exactly the way it is designed to 😒
Really concise and informative video👊
Glad you liked it!
Really interesting comparison.
One point I would like to add is that metered water charge can work in your favour. We are a household of two, living in a 3 bed house, and so use a lot less water than a family of 4-5 would in the same house, and so I am glad of my metered water!
I live on my own in a 2 bed house and my water bill has halved since I moved to my current house, which has a water meter. I think the general rule is if there are fewer occupants in the house than bedrooms then a water meter should work out cheaper.
Shouldn’t be paying for something that is a human right anyway.
So other people are obliged to provide you with a service? Sorry this isn’t communism
You seem like such a kind guy Peter! You might not realise but you're also blowing away some of the misconceptions we have of Americans. In our British mindsets we almost can't understand getting a bill for healthcare and even if I get delayed by the NHS the comparison still makes me feel lucky. Cheers.
Nice weight loss bro, welcome to Scotland, glad your having a good time. I’m from Edinburgh, drive for a living but don’t have a car, the bus service takes away the expense of a car in these tough times.
A very interesting video Peter, and well done with the weight loss.
Great video, very interesting. And hello from the next village (beginning with F).
Thank you!
I also live about 30 minutes outside of Glasgow, down by the coast - Now I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen you haha
HI Peter thanks for sharing the details quite interesting. Some figures overlaid on the video side by side would be a great enhancement, not everyone can listen to the vids and numbers make things really clear.
Great video, man!
Thank you!
Yes there is only one bus line the 585 linking Ayr and Greenock via Largs, but there is also a train line which you dont mention with a good Sunday service ,although its an hourly service its direct to Glasgow
Your kinda a bit off with costs of electricity, mobile and broadband. Octopus do an EV tariff which gives you 7p kw/h off peak and allows you to charge batteries overnight to allow you to go off-grid during the day. I get 3.2gb/s internet for £20 a month from smarty and is very reliable and there are really good deals if you want to shop around
❤❤Thanks for sharing 😊 mmm food for thought
Hope all is well in our wee country for you, besides the weather but im sure it's a walk in the park compared to a Tornado Outbreak every couple years!
Very informative
Hi Peter, nice to hear that you and the Family are settled in the U.K. As you rightly said "inflation has really affected us in the last year", however, as someone who has visited the U.S many times, I was always amazed that it was cheaper to "eat out" than buy the ingredients and cook a homemade meal. I'm very much retired now, just wondered in your experience whether it was still the same? Take care.
Definitely not. Just like most everything else here in the US, eating out has become ridiculously expensive. I remember the days you speak of, when eating out was so cheap compared to England. Those days are long gone.
Good video. I've noticed food in the states on our last visit was SO expensive! And food packages were huge...things would go off before we used them up. :/
Great work. I particularly liked the part where you mentioned the healthiness of Scottish food despite the propaganda otherwise.
Once your children get a bit older I'd live to see a comparison of the different educational stages as time goes on.
Hi 👋 Pete, 🤘👊I’ve just subbed . I’m a dual Brit American Citizen whose recently moved back to Europe after 27 years 🤘🇬🇧🇺🇸💪💙🍀
I took a huge pay cut returning to Scotland but my quality of life went up and a lot of it is because all of the nickel-and-diming just chewing up my paycheck in the states. The biggest change was having the NHS and no longer having to stress about healthcare, no more worrying about what happens if I get sick while unemployed.
The slight problem with the NHS system is that you may be dead before it gets around to caring for you.
Whereas in the states you get decent care while you're employed but if you lose your job due to illness or weren't employed when you got ill you're hosed. The NHS has been substantially compromised in the last 15 years but it still scares me less than being in the US tbh
@@alanbuckingham8788, it's not any better in much of US (and that's assuming you actually have insurance). There's a shortage of healthcare professionals there too, especially in rural areas, and it's much farther and more expensive to travel to a big city if you need specialist care. My personal experience living in large cities in both countries has been that waiting times are very similar.
depends which area as im in Fife and have had a lot of heart issues and appointments treatments and doc visits are al regular and not really any issues apart from trying to get a gp appointment as every gp practice in fife is currently at max capacity.
@@alanbuckingham8788
@@alanbuckingham8788nope couldn’t disagree more
My mother took unwell a few weeks ago and she was literally in the hospital within. Half an hour
God knows were you live mate
Good luck
Wages must be a great deal higher in the USA. Average income was 62 thousand dollars per year in 2022. UK ‘s is approx. half that. Probably a lot easier here to cut living costs to a bare minimum!
Interesting video. Others noted that many people in England get free prescriptions and that you can buy an annual prepay certificate for about £110. And Americans who criticise the NHS should remember that even private healthcare in the UK or Europe is much cheaper than in the US. 'Socialised' healthcare does not mean that you are forced to use it, but you do have to contribute through taxation.
Really interesting video, I knew the cost of living in the US was higher but I hadn’t appreciated by how much, costs for internet etc are staggering. I have lived in Germany for a while which I loved but it gives a different perspective on the tax system here, I will never complain about my council tax again 😊
9:31 That's only for DSL (phone line) internet, it's called LLU (Local Loop Unbundling)
There was always competition between BT and Cable Internet, although as it was only a duopoly it was far from perfect, especially as both wasn't always available.
We also now have FTTC and FTTP as well as LLU (Fibre To The Cabinet/Premises), not to mention Wireless Broadband and Satellite Broadband.
In London I get 900 megabits over cellular/mobile 😂
When I was a student I took an American exchange student friend (in Scotland) to get checked at hospital and she was so confused that she wasn’t asked for any documentation or money…really hit me how awful it would be if money was a factor in deciding to get healthcare when you need it
Not all NHS services are free for non UK users. A&E and some other services are free but non UK users can be charged for some services. Depending on the service, money may be a factor.
Very important information your giving us. What if someone is visiting and one needs to go to the hospital lets say! or need to go see a doctor because of an emergency? I know there are policies for medical while vacationing out of the USA, any pointers on this subject?
Years ago I was in a model train shop in San Francisco. I got talking with a sales assistant. He asked "Is the healthcare in England as bad as we have heard?" I made a vague reply and asked him about his health insurance. He said "I can't afford health insurance so I have to rely on keeping myself in good shape".
It's crazy to me how many things are a closed shop in the UD. One company has a monopoly. In Europe it's the opposite and there must be competition on most things. UK government have stopped mergers because they'd create too powerful company in terms of market share!
With the NHS you accept that emergency care is prioritized over say a hip replacement and therefore you can wait months for that op. Whereas my mate had a heart attack Was rushed to hospital and had an operation to put stents in and was well enough to leave hospital 3 days later....with no bill!!
Hey, this is kinda random but I have a keen memory for voices. If you were in/passing through East Kilbride I think around halloween 2022, then you walked past my window. It's unlikely, but I almost never forget a voice.
Really interesting, Peter... and welcome to Scotland!
I'd be curious about your thoughts on disposable income. My experience is that although there's lots of people in really dire situations here, there seems to be a lot more folks who have got a wee bit of spare money - it feels like more people are able to go on a nice holiday at least once per year, and so on.
I looked before at the cost of living in parts of USA, as I love to visit America. It feels like living in Scotland, I can afford to visit USA once every 2 years or so, but if I lived in USA, I would definitely struggle to get back to Scotland so frequently. What's your thoughts? Also you realise we're all trying to do the analysis of where you can be for £700/month 3-bed coastal living :) :) :)
The problem with travel in the US is that it's so damn big. Going from Oklahoma to California or Florida costs more than going from Scotland to Spain or Italy. That's why I encourage people to give clueless American tourists in Europe a little grace -- for many of them it will be their first (and maybe only) time leaving their country.
Of course I want to go back to visit friends and family, but having moved to Scotland ~5 years ago, I can't imagine choosing to live in the US ever again.
Greenock, largs, troon, ayr since he indicated he was on the west coast by saying 30mins from Glasgow. All those towns you can get accommodation like that for that sort of price. Potentially buy too for a cheaper monthly mortgage, current mortgage rates withstanding.
One correction regarding internet service. Virgin Media has their own fiber network separate from the OpenReach network.
In the UK you can get a 25gb SIM for £10 a month. This is using the 1p Mobile which piggybacks of the EE network (which I find to be the most reliable and consistent in the UK.)
In Scotland I am taxed to the eyeballs. I pay 43% income tax 15% national insurance, 20% vat on every purchase the council tax £2500 per year, fuel tax, etc etc etc. I know the US pays way less tax so have more money in your pocket to start with 👍
So basically no downside to living in Scotland other than our weather? Used to always think the grass would be greener elsewhere. But Scotland is where my heart is. You have done the right thing coming to the west of Scotland! Become citizens and your children will be entitled to free university education.
If you're coming from some parts of the US, the weather isn't even a problem! My partner and I moved to Glasgow from the Pacific Northwest and it feels like home. Definitely never going back!
Free university IF they get in.... read about the disappointment of many students every year
I'm surprised because only a few years ago the perception was that things were cheaper in the US, or at least certain goods. The phrase 'rip off Britain' was thrown about. The thing that always caught me off guard in the US is the added sales tax being added to goods when you get to the till. What initially seemed like a great deal, was not so great once the sales tax was added. At least in the UK, the price you see is the price you pay.
we Brits also score far higher in EVERY sector which determine quality of life.
Our education is far better than americas,
out healthcare system is far better than americas.
we built better homes, safer communities, have greater communication and utilities, life is far, far better in Britain than in America and this is evidenced and proven fact.
the problem with America is propaganda.
I live in London and have lived in other parts of the UK for nearly a decade. The housing stock is NOT better here. At least the south is filled with scummy landlords doing the bare minimum or less for housing maintenance and rents are sky high. And they get away with it because of no fault evictions scaring tenants into not complaining. I love the UK and I live here by choice and think it’s a better place to raise my children in a lot of ways. But it has some very concerning problems. I hope it’s better up in Scotland but I can’t imagine the damp being less up north!
I don't know about the better homes part... in the US they have way bigger homes with more land for less when you take into account the bigger salary they get, a lot of UK houses are small ugly terraced houses.@@NiSiochainGanSaoirse
@@marissaswinghammer3149 no most houses are very well made
Damp proofing pre fab work etc
I previously worked for Scottish prefab construction company
They are always usually insulated good
@@ArcTV. small and ugly
Well that is just an opinion
But they are usually always very well made and maintained over the years with refacing / maintenance and the such
Also not all houses are semi detached mate
Great video! My goal is to move to Glasgow. I love it there. Don't get me started on wifi. US tax dollars developed it. US citizens should get it free. Instead we pay 4 to 5 times more than other countries. Americans are fleeced at every turn. Education. Health care. Transportation. Communication. Housing. The sooner people realize it, the better. Although I've made peace with the fact it won't happen in my lifetime.
British transport is unacceptably expensive. A 1 hour train journey is almost prohibitively expensive and petrol would cost tje equivalent of about $8 for a US Gallon as well as cars being more expensive and the roads are worse condition, so you don't have it all bad.
The original inventor of WiFi was Austro-Hungarian-born Hedy Lamarr (fReal name - Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler). I do wonder why so many US Americans claim, that US Americans invented things, when it was someone from another country who happened to be in the US at the time they invented or discovered something, then they call them Austrian-American (in Hedy's example) or similar to justify the claim. Even the precursor to the '802' WiFi Standard was invented in the Netherlands.
Prescription drugs and even generic drugs in the US are ridiculously expensive. I bought 3 packets of 16 paracetamol tablets today in Scotland which cost me $1.2. Also, if you're aged below 25 yrs or +60 yrs then coach travel across the country is free. Also, there's no tipping culture here, you can tip in restaurants and barbers and that's about.
@@Sabhail_ar_Alba Free bus travel for under 25's is a joke. Better use of money elsewhere.
@@Thurgosh_OG They're always doing that. They think they invented everything, but for the size of country they are they haven't invented very much.
Britain invented lots of thing , but that doesn't mean we should get them for free, so I'm not sure what that guys point was.
We gave the world many inventions, but we don't expect royalties back for changing countries from third world countries deep in poverty to developing countries so we?
I’ve been to Oregon twice in the last year, for example basically things like onions or croissants are like 6x or more expensive. Same for many simple things.
I once saw a Fox "news" item about the horrors of the NHS. The presenter was as rabid as anything you'd have seen in Nazi Germany and managed to cram dozens of lies into a 2 minute piece. It was a remarkable thing that Goebbels would have been proud of.
Yeah Fox News is literally nothing but lies lol
Yeah, it's hilarious, but I like to dip my toe in the swamp from time to time. We've got GBeebies now though. You know that as soon as someone uses the words "truth" "mainstream" & "media" that you're in for cruise down the river of lies on the good ship HMS Incredulity.@@peterkonradort
Ox "News" lies lies and more lies
CNN is guilty as well. During the 2020 election cycle they kept referring to Medicare For All as a "radical" policy. FOX ran a poll of its viewers and found that 67% of them are actually in favor of a "govt run health care plan." I think the mainstream media lies are losing their foothold on average Americans.
@@peterkonradortas CNN have also been shown to be
this is a great video. My wife and I want to move and it all seems hard.
Best of luck!
Whenever I visit relatives in the UK. I'm always surprised how cheap the groceries are. Compared to mainland Europe.
It’s always been a complex comparison and finding the tipping point comparing any country. I’ve looked for a couple decades between England, USA and Australia.
You’re right to tackle the big life spends as they matter most. And indeed bills matter - what do you pay for. I was astounded more than 15 years ago when a friend in Vegas told me what they pay in internet, phone and tv.
I was equally cautious of Australia. Back in 2008 I think it would’ve been about break even. Even tho people were saying you earn twice as much, the cost of living was double.
Exhale rate only matters when you’re moving money. If you intend on cashing in on all your assets and moving, exchange matters if you want to achieve the same or even get a foot up. Otherwise ignore it - so being young it matters far less.
I was often curious about the cost of American housing. Although the outlay seemed cheaper for the size, I questioned quality and longevity. How many are timber, what’s the maintenance cost and replacement periods.
And any hot place I wonder if the cost of A/C equates to heating in the UK.
Your northern comment is true and isn’t restricted to London. Midlands is more expensive to buy houses and cars than the north. And all of south the housing costs more. A 2+0.5 bed in the midlands may cost something like £900/m in rent. But you don’t have to move far to find cheaper.
I’m very aware of food costs and glad you noted 50 to 80% rise in food shopping in the UK. I’ve noted the same in the last 3 years or so and Brexit hasn’t helped.
Europe has often been more expensive on food. France especially so. So wouldn’t be surprised to see the UK catch up. Witnessing the incredible price drop in food since 1999 when the big supermarkets battled it out for more than a decade, I was staggered and unsure how long that could last. Here we are.
Cars are way cheaper in the UK than many countries we’ve covered. You can buy a second hand run about for £2k whereas in France I’ll see similar cars x5 times the price. I always thought American was cheaper on cars but recall seeing a people-carrier for $20k in 2001 and was surprised; no improvement over here
And health care is what tipped me away from going to the US. But now they’re talking about scrapping the NHS or applying a tiered pay system. And it’s not been roses for a long time, as surgery can often be 6 months wait. And I’ve been told to forget calling emergency services for an ambulance as you’re looking at an hour wait time - which would’ve been 5-10 minutes just 4 years ago.
Interest rates will make a huge impact on the UKs economy. The times of low rates have gone and further increases or longevity of these medium rates will paint a different picture over coming years.
So by all means try doing your video again in 3, 5, 10 years.
9:25 - not quite true, whilst Openreach maintain the infrastructure from your home to the ISP (the fibre/telephone lines etc.) which is shared between ISPs your connection ends up at a different data centre and can be handled differently (e.g. how it leaves your ISP to the next server, filtering, throttling, QoS, customer service, add-ons like Netflix/Spotify subscriptions included etc.), so you're not getting exactly the same service/product.
Kind of like taking a taxi. Uber & local/independent taxi firms share the same roads (maintained by Highways Scotland & regional councils (in this metaphor the equivalent of Openreach)) but you're getting a different product.
+1 thanks. Native Scot here.. When I was in the states in 2010, I was shocked to find out about how Mobile (Cellphone) companies treated people.. then I worked out that the US never underwent 'The Mobile Phone Wars' (2000 - 2006).. not really a war.. but a bidding war from the companies trying to get people to be loyal to them, because people would buy a cheap sim .. use it then go to another carrier.. IMHO this bidding war ended when O2 mobile, did a once a month top up deal for iirc £15 sim only (and you get to keep/use that credit).. for UNLIMITED calls and texts to all other O2 sims.. that blew the competition out of the water, and the only ones to survive (except 3 Network and Blackberry) were the ones to copy what O2 did. In 2010.. in the US, companies were charging you to RECIEVE a call!! and rates were like iirc 60c a minute.. crazy!
My wife and I went to New Hampshire and Massachusetts for a mini road trip in late September. This was our first visit to U.S. since Covid. it was a shock as to how much the prices have hiked. Our experience was mainly in restaurants and these were at least 20% higher. Don't get me started on the silly tipping culture. The only thing that is cheaper in U.S. is petrol(gas). This is about 50% cheaper than UK and Europe. The Americans still moan about it though.
Prices here in Denmark:
My Internet:
500/50. Including router and 2 extra Wi-Fi units: $28/month
My phone:
50 GB, 5G: $13,5 per month.
At the same company, a plan with free Data costs $21 per month.
Love your videos,keep them coming. Would love to see updates on your wife and children and daily life but don’t know if you want your wife and children on the internet. Things in the states seem to be getting worse you definitely were correct in moving.
(in the UK) The internet lines used to be owned by 1 company but competitive laws means they no longer have the priorities they used to
I think it's possible for those inclined to do some research grow up, that you can make these comparisons all over the world and also within each country from one locale to another. My experience growing up in the UK and starting working life here, followed by 7yrs in Germany and 4yrs in Oregon US gives me the following perspective... The only thing that counts is how much money do you have left at the end of the month after fundamental living costs and how do you feel about your quality of life living in that locale.
When I moved to Germany I thought Germany was more expensive than the UK. When I moved to the US I thought that was even more expensive. BUT with each move I found my family some how had more money left at the end of each month. Yes we can talk about better wages as your career develops, but it's more than that in my expereience. For example when my family restarted life back in the UK near Northampton in 2022, we have been mega lucky to retain the good income we had in the US, almost to the pound using modern exchange rates and yet we have less money to spend each month. Some core costs have remained the same but anything extra is well... extra compared to our experience in Oregon. Admittedly there is no sales tax in Oregon, but even if there was it doesn't make up the difference in costs. We of of course had to sell our US cars when we moved back to the UK. We had a Hyundai Santa Fe in the US which cost $34,000 brand new in 2018. Now I know the world is a lot different post COVID, but the same car now in the UK costs £50,000 ticket price.
So I reckon many of us have similar tales from our own perspective where ever we travel to and from 🤷♂
People like to think of the NHS as something fantastic and conceptually it is. But it has not been sustainable for a long time and keeps in decline. Germany and the US can both offer outstanding services and if you can think of an ailment in Germany or the US they will find a specialist for you. In Germany everyone stays in the hospital Hilton, whether you are public or private. Private customers will get to stay in the penthouse, but EVEYONE is still in the same club house. In the US it works great if you are in a great scheme but that's the problem there, you have to be fortunate with your corporate career to enjoy that without breaking the bank.
In the UK the NHS service is failing and even if you are rich in the UK, the level of services on offer is pitiful compared to the services I have personally experienced in both Germany and the US. There are many services that simply do not exist in the UK. I have asked about services readily accessible in both Germany and the US only be told they don't exist or the NHS system doesn't even allow the private sector to accommodate, regardless of financial status. I hope the UK and other locations suffering health care issues can learn from countries like Germany where all customers get to stay at the Hilton albeit on different floors.
Enjoy your quality of life where you find it. Cheers
I live in Florida and I've been dreaming of moving to Scotland. We have 4 children and we pay about 1600/month for groceries, our mortgage has doubled due to rising insurance costs, we spend close to 1000/month on vehicle costs, and we live in a smallish town that has a lower cost of living compared to larger cities. We have an annual combined income of almost 90K before taxes, and no savings.
I went on a trip to Florida in 2007 (1 week stay 1 week cruise) everyone said take an empty case, the clothes are so cheap, and back in 2007 that was indeed the case. In fact most things from hotels to meals out and certainly petrol were cheaper than the UK. Very few people seem to focus on the critical factor as to why this was the case EXCHANGE RATE. Back in 2007 we were getting $2 to the pound, then the financial collapse in 2009 saw it drop to $1.50 and then that ultimate act of national self harm, Brexit, saw it tank into the low $1.20s. That’s why the US is hideously expensive because that burger meal in 2007 costing $24 for two in 2007 (£12) is now $24 for one (£20). Basic maths really.
@@scoashish Exactly right 👍
Great talk
Thank you!
Glad you’re enjoying your life in Scotland. My partner has relatives in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. Wonderful country with great people. I left the USA in 2008 and moved to Australia, have no intention of returning. Frankly what has happened to America is really depressing.
yes, Joe Biden is terrible, I agree.
Regarding NHS prescriptions - If you have to have repeated medications or multi meds per month, pay upfront just over £100 for a whole year of unlimited scripts, now that is a great deal! I usually buy the upfront quarter deal around £30 when i have severe back pain and will probably need 5 or 6 rounds of pain killer meds. Just looked up exact costs - They are as follows - £31.25 for 3 months, £111.60 for 12 months
I've worked in Telecoms, you were basically spot on re Openreach. BTW, unlimited calls and data, 20 quid per month. Still get EU roaming included on O2.
My Plusnet also includes EU roaming! It worked brilliantly last month in Germany and Austria.
@@peterkonradortIf your mobile is Plusnet, they are ending that. You will have to move to EE and the EU roaming is no longer included free!
Are Greg's and Panera bread comparable though? A better comparison would be Pret, which would be more expensive.
My feeling is that Panera is higher quality than Greg's.
Hi I'd love to know which coastal town you live in. I grew up in Gourock a pretty coastal town 30 minutes from Glasgow.
I’m about 20 miles south of you! West Kilbride
The one thing I’ve never understood with US shopping is that the sales tax isn’t just included in the price. It’d be like not including VAT in the UK as far as I can tell. Regarding health care… the one area which is failing many, many people in the UK is access to dentistry. That is seemingly getting more and more difficult
Yeah the whole sales tax thing in the US is infuriating lol.
For dentistry, it definitely needs some improvement here but even as it stands now it’s a massive improvement from the states. Here if you get your wisdom teeth pulled it’s like £20, in the states it’s like 5 grand. Lol
I believe the reason that sales tax isn't included, is because the tax rate is different in each state. Maybe someone can confirm that.
Some states don't have a sales tax, but those same states will have a very high local real estate tax. Also some areas may also assess a smaller county or city sales tax that is added on. For example:
Toaster oven $100. 00
State Tax @ 6.5% 6.50
County Sales Tax@ 2% $2.00
Total $108.50
And some states don't have an income tax, but they will tend to have high sales taxes.
@@Suspended4thYT
I didn't realise that living here in Scotland was so much cheaper.....I knew about the health thing but not everything else, good vid..cheers
Excellent work and thanks for sharing! Although my wife and I do well in the US as middle class, watching videos like this makes me feel how we get ripped off as Americans. I watch videos of people living in Russia of all places and see their food prices are almost half of what we pay and the quality is much better. I’m sure there are some sacrifices leaving the US, but it appears the upside outweighs the quality of life and as others have said the crime rate would be much lower in Scotland.
Just had an email from a friend in new york. Ordered 3 drinks and some tacos in a bar - $82. Including compulsary 22.5% service charge. And that's often the problem. Same friend is now in Montreal, prices about the same as here in SW France. No compulsory service charge.
Probably about half that here in Portsmouth in Hampshire.
80 dollars will get you a good 3 course meal for 4 at a restaurant.
Service charges illegal in U.K. If you see itvon a bill , here , tell the waiter to take it off.
I heard so much about the taxes in Europe. 40%?! 50%?! But I'm looking at the 35% taken out of my check and the F-all that got me... Then finding out that in some of those "high tax" European countries, someone with my income would actually be paying as little as 20%... And still getting the benefits...
Ho boy, do I wish I'd gotten my act together as a young man & moved over there.
When it’s closer to tax time I plan on doing a video about that!
I’d have to do more research about the rest of the EU but here in the UK, the vast majority of people pay significantly less in taxes than in the states. I think the top tax rate here is actually less than it is in the US! They also get benefits out of it like healthcare.
Public transport isn't what it was, tbh. Certainly around the south of Glasgow, McGills have always been a bit shit, and from what I've noticed, the Fuirst Bus services around here are heading the same way. Lothian buses are - by comparison - like clockwork.
Glad your doin well in Scotland 😊. Me on the otherhand dnt have two brown pennies to rub together atm mortgage thru the roof aswell as energy im always one spend away from skint! Better days to come i hope ❤
They will .!
Interesting video. Most of us in the UK are under the impression that the US is a far cheaper place to live. So this has left me feeling quite positive about the UK.
In America you earn a lot more. A couple of friends of mine (married) just moved to the States from London (she's American) and they're earning 400% of their old salaries back in London. Governmental jobs but still. My job in the film industry would earn me almost double what I get here.
This is a recent change in the last 3 years.
@@savage-goose I'm also sure it doesn't apply to everyone. I sort of regret that comment; it's not the complete truth - but it is true for my friends, and potentially for me (my wife is American and I could go there to work - it's why I found this video in the first place because I'd just came back from there and was dreaming). American society seems as polarised as anywhere. However, people can and do earn a ton. That said - I spent $175 on groceries just for a single dinner for my in-laws and us last week. Ouch.
The US 🇺🇸 was almost 50% cheaper up until about 2010 .
Things started to rocket 🚀 around 2015 and now since the plandemic the states is off the charts 📊…….total insanity and unsustainable now !! And of course it’s all engineered and by design !!
I’m a Brit who left for the US 27 years ago and I came back to Europe 2 years back and don’t regret it !! I love America 🇺🇸 and I count myself as half American but could no longer afford the insane prices in Washington State
My flat (1st floor, not ground floor, 2nd floor to you Americans) is 556 square feet, a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, lounge, study, kitchen, hall and a walk in closet = £560 per month. Included is Parking and Garden Fees. That's in the South of Dorset, in the South of the UK, so its pretty cheap down here as well, not just the north.
That’s great! I haven’t spent much time down south. I know that the London area is the main concentration of insanely high rent but it’s good to see that there are some good bargains in other areas of the southern part of England.
@@peterkonradort If you like to go to a beach, walk in woodlands, across fields and be close to a pub/shops within a 1 hour window, Dorset is the place for you.
We do pay for water in Scotland. It's a set price based on your council tax band. It's collected with your council tax and is shown broken down on the bill. The tap water tastes much better than bottled water
Scottish tap water is amazing! You actually can’t drink the tap water in many parts, if not all, of the US.
Well, you can but you shouldn’t. Lol
He literally said exactly that.
Yes Better than bottled.
The monopolies were the wildest thing I encountered when moving from Edinburgh to Chicago. I imagined the States as the land of free markets and competition! How wrong I was, $25 a month (plus fees) for 5gb sim only mobile contract is painful!
I just moved from Scotland back to the Maryland. Cost of living is cheaper for sure, but salaries are significantly lower as well. As far as the NHS, it def has its pros and cons. Health care in Maryland is good if you’re poor but the middle class are the ones who pay all the premiums. But I def agree with everything you said in terms of just about everything. I lived in Aberdeen which was beautiful but not much to do. I love the UK and the way people value walks and time off versus the hustle and bustle culture here. I like being able to choose :)
I’m in Baltimore. Did you have any downsides of being in Scotland? I can’t stand Maryland.
I'm from baltimore! Living in Fife for the past 12 years. Have you felt it's been a positive move back to MD? My (European) husband and I are constantly wondering if we should move to the US. He's a materials chemist and feels undervalued and underpaid and I know there's a lot more options back home....but is it worth it....
Excellent video
Thank you very much!
Yep, just spent a month travelling in US, everything had become soo expensive, even going into supermarket the prices were eye watering 🏴🏴
Just a mo re water supplies. Just because it is not charged separately does not make it a freeby, it's amortised within the council charges. Much better to have a meter so only pay for what you use.
Remember that prices only come down if we have deflation. Usually inflation is a one way street.
Here's one I know only too well - a pack of 16 x 500mg paracetamol tablets used to cost 17p, they are now about 39p
The American dream is really only manageable by very few people now.
Young adults really have it tough what with starting a family, paying off student debt and paying for two vehicles. 😢
I think the new “American dream” is to leave. 😂
@@peterkonradort my sister and Brother in law moved to missouri in 97 and were living the dream.
The last almost 4 yrs have been brutally tough out there for them.
There used to only be one gas company in the UK which was under public ownership until the 90s - Birtish Gas. Most Brits would prefer we went back to a nationalised model.
Nice to hear something positive about the uk for once. My American gf loved the NHS. All I ever hear on the news is how our inflation is 5 times higher than theirs.
Hi Pete, I'm shocked at the cost of living in America. I'm guessing salaries must be better? It must be a better quality of life knowing you can relax when it comes to being unwell. I think I would really struggle living in America. Welcome to cold, wet and windy Scotland 🤣🫢
On paper the average salary in the US is higher than here, but in reality it’s only for some people and not that much. Minimum wage in the US is almost half of what it is here so the vast majority of people there have a significantly lower quality of life than normal people here.
@@peterkonradort that's unbelievable, that really is tough for the majority of Americans. I say people of America come to Scotland 🙏
@@spekkyBarstewardthey have no legal right to live or work there.