Things are cheap in America? Check again

[Dave :)]

http://www.businessinsider.com/minimum-wage-europe-2011-2

Other than Portugal, the US has the LOWEST min wage of all 1st world countries.  Assuming Min wage hasn't gone up in other places, ours has not since 2007.

 

I didn't say you had a high Min. wage, i'm saying our min. wage against our Cost of Living is far below the US. It's cheaper to live in the US than it is UK.

[Puppet]

UK min wage is still higher than ours.  Where I live an 1800 square foot house is about 250k.  Other places it's HALF that.  UK cost of living is hard to pinpoint across several different countries. You guys also don't get taxed 40%+healthcare costs.

I completely agree with you, some things like domestically manufactured items will be cheaper in the US but the same goes for any other country.

 

There is always a trade off with certain things, in another thread similar to this someone brought up the price of fuel in the US as it's around half the price of fuel in the UK. It's also half the quality, exaggerating a bit but typical RON in US is 83, I was shocked, typical in the UK is 98.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

My point is, minimum wage else where is MORE than the US, but even after VAT (We have sales tax but it's only 7-10%), when you convert things are FAR cheaper.  Someone working at McDonalds will pay less in most other 1st world countries than we do.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

I didn't say you had a high Min. wage, i'm saying our min. wage against our Cost of Living is far below the US. It's cheaper to live in the US than it is UK.

Which part of the UK.  I've compared prices of things like bread, eggs and fuel and we trade.  Even comparing apartments in decent areas they almost match dead even.  Only thing we win on is fuel.  Good luck finding a decent 2 bedroom apartment NOT in the hood for less than 800+utilities a month.  Where I live, our 3 bedroom 2.5 bath 1800 square foot house is worth about 250k...

[Puppet]

I didn't say you had a high Min. wage, i'm saying our min. wage against our Cost of Living is far below the US. It's cheaper to live in the US than it is UK.

Cost of living probably is more expensive in the UK, but like others have said free NHS and better social security.

[Puppet]

Which part of the UK.  I've compared prices of things like bread, eggs and fuel and we trade.  Even comparing apartments in decent areas they almost match dead even.  Only thing we win on is fuel.  Good luck finding a decent 2 bedroom apartment NOT in the hood for less than 800+utilities a month.  Where I live, our 3 bedroom 2.5 bath 1800 square foot house is worth about 250k...

You lost on fuel. Sorry :p 83 RON, I'd rather piss in my tank

[Lukiose]

:rolleyes: Lol no point arguing, although i am highly tempted to start the 'Things are cheap in America? Pretty f*cking damn sure yes if you compare it to Singapore' thread  :lol: .

[PCBudgetSolutions]

Cost of living probably is more expensive in the UK, but like others have said free NHS and better social security.

My point was everyone thinks electronics are cheaper in the US.  They are in perspective of US, but you have to look at other factors.  AUS is a lot difference.  Outside the city their cost of living is only about 1.4-1.6 times what ours is across the board, but min wage is more than twice ours, their entry level jobs are twice ours, but their electronics are a whole 5% more than us.

[Dave :)]

Which part of the UK.  I've compared prices of things like bread, eggs and fuel and we trade.  Even comparing apartments in decent areas they almost match dead even.  Only thing we win on is fuel.  Good luck finding a decent 2 bedroom apartment NOT in the hood for less than 800+utilities a month.  Where I live, our 3 bedroom 2.5 bath 1800 square foot house is worth about 250k...

 

Exactly. It's neigh on impossible to compare because it's so dependent on place and location. Location plays a huge part in the value of something such as a house. Where i am, you will be lucky to find a 3 bedroom house for under £400k  - but then go into a worse location, not near London and prices fall dramatically.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

:rolleyes: Lol no point arguing, although i am highly tempted to start the 'Things are cheap in America? Pretty f*cking damn sure yes if you compare it to Singapore' thread  :lol: .

EDITED

[ConfusedDolphin]

UK min wage is still higher than ours.  Where I live an 1800 square foot house is about 250k.  Other places it's HALF that.  UK cost of living is hard to pinpoint across several different countries. You guys also don't get taxed 40%+healthcare costs.

We do have to pay a decent bit of income tax, National Insurance contributions which all come straight out of your pay check before you see it. We also have VAT (sales tax) at 20% and then about 100 other different taxes all desinged to squeeze money out of anything you could ever conceive to do or buy.

[Anult]

You forgot Value Added Tax.

 

Everything here in the EU from a candy bar to a house has VAT on it. It depends on each country but where I live, it is currently set at 23%.

 

Not to mention the other taxes and other payments and such.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

Exactly. It's neigh on impossible to compare because it's so dependent on place and location. Location plays a huge part in the value of something such as a house. Where i am, you will be lucky to find a 3 bedroom house for under £400k  - but then go into a worse location, not near London and prices fall dramatically.

And also in the UK you have several countries.  I live away from the city, about 20-25KM away.  We live in what we call a suburb.  Now if you go to NYC, or any major city in CA, a 3-4 bedroom house is well over a million.  I know a 1400 Square foot apartment in NYC is 80,000-120,000/year just to rent

 

EDIT: I live way outside the city, this is in the suburbs area.

[ExDreamer]

In my country,minimum wage is 1 USD per hour but 780 would cost us 1000 USD. Even a university graduated teacher only get 800USD per month.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

We do have to pay a decent bit of income tax, National Insurance contributions which all come straight out of your pay check before you see it. We also have VAT (sales tax) at 20% and then about 100 other different taxes all desinged to squeeze money out of anything you could ever conceive to do or buy.

Ya our sales tax is only about 7-10%.  We also have an alcohol tax.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

In my country,minimum wage 1 USD per hour but 780 would cost us 1000 USD. Even a university graduated teacher only get 800USD per month.

That can't be a 1st world country...

[Lukiose]

If I am correct thinking Singapore as a whole isn't a first world country then you are probably correct.

I am so close to giving you the middle finger on that one,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

We even have the best airport in the world!

How ignorant can people get?!  :angry:  'chillax'

[JaeDee884]

As do we and we have to pay for healthcare.

We've been over this many times.

computer hardware pricing isn't as bad anymore we're getting pretty close to american costs. its everything else thats massively expensive.

I'm on 24.50 an hour as a techie.

rent in my town for a one bedroom apartment is 280pw. I get a lowered tax because of being a disabled pensioner. but for the average person they pay a shitload of tax. then we've got a massively inflated cost to fuel (1.64 p/l AUD in my town) crazy power costs, we pay interest on things in australia too. can't get other the fact in america you can buy a car from a dealer on a payment scheme and not pay any interest.

higher wages mean higher costs. the complaint is its an illegitimate price hike. if something sells for 500USD it should sell here with a max of 10-20% increase after conversion to allow for local profits to distributors. 

Remember when we went over my computer cost? $2900 USD but I've spent $4500 AUD? And that was when $100AUD=$110USD so australian prices are going to go back up now its swapped.

also your house. I live in a 3 bedroom one bathroom house on a small block valued at 450k. America has things cheap. its not our fault your government rips you off in minimum wages. I take it unions aren't a big thing in the US?

also if you wanna whinge about taxes come to Australia, we are charged taxes for taxes!

GST on top of stamp duty!

[PCBudgetSolutions]

I am so close to giving you the middle finger on that one,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

We even have the best airport in the world!

How ignorant can people get?!  :angry:  'chillax'

We are 10 years from becoming a 3rd world country in the USA, so meh, but sorry for assuming.

[ConfusedDolphin]

Ya our sales tax is only about 7-10%.  We also have an alcohol tax.

so do we

 

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/alcohol-duty.htm

[PCBudgetSolutions]

We've been over this many times.

computer hardware pricing isn't as bad anymore we're getting pretty close to american costs. its everything else thats massively expensive.

I'm on 24.50 an hour as a techie.

rent in my town for a one bedroom apartment is 280pw. I get a lowered tax because of being a disabled pensioner. but for the average person they pay a shitload of tax. then we've got a massively inflated cost to fuel (1.64 p/l AUD in my town) crazy power costs, we pay interest on things in australia too. can't get other the fact in america you can buy a car from a dealer on a payment scheme and not pay any interest.

higher wages mean higher costs. the complaint is its an illegitimate price hike. if something sells for 500USD it should sell here with a max of 10-20% increase after conversion to allow for local profits to distributors. 

Remember when we went over my computer cost? $2900 USD but I've spent $4500 AUD? And that was when $100AUD=$110USD so australian prices are going to go back up now its swapped.

also your house. I live in a 3 bedroom one bathroom house on a small block valued at 450k. America has things cheap. its not our fault your government rips you off in minimum wages. I take it unions aren't a big thing in the US?

also if you wanna whinge about taxes come to Australia, we are charged taxes for taxes!

GST on top of stamp duty!

No the republicans got rid of them.  Also, where do you live thats 450k?  If that's the city then you're lucky, that's HALF what we pay.  Also 2900 USD is roughly 3200 AUS factor in the average noncity cost of living vs average wages earned, that would be 6100 USD in reference to our economy, so you made out well, saving about 2000 USD (4500 AUS is about 4050 USD)

[Puppet]

My point was everyone thinks electronics are cheaper in the US.  They are in perspective of US, but you have to look at other factors.  AUS is a lot difference.  Outside the city their cost of living is only about 1.4-1.6 times what ours is across the board, but min wage is more than twice ours, their entry level jobs are twice ours, but their electronics are a whole 5% more than us.

I agree with you and it's not just the cost of living, it's about logistics and how companies trade globally. I think some countries go too far when it comes to imports and taxes though. If somewhere like Australia were to reduce taxes or import fees it would more than likely wreck their economy, they really don't have it that bad compared to parts of Asia or South America.

 

In fact, when you think about it maybe that's part of the reason why countries like the US and the UK are in so much debt.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

I agree with you and it's not just the cost of living, it's about logistics and how companies trade globally. I think some countries go too far when it comes to imports and taxes though. If somewhere like Australia were to reduce taxes or import fees it would more than likely wreck their economy, they really don't have it that bad compared to parts of Asia or South America.

 

In fact, when you think about it maybe that's part of the reason why countries like the US and the UK are in so much debt.

It's just I hate it when people think electronics are so cheap here.  Yes we pay less, but the state of our economy and our wages earned and terrible Unemployment rate, we're in FAR WORSE conditions than most.

[Puppet]

It's just I hate it when people think electronics are so cheap here.  Yes we pay less, but the state of our economy and our wages earned and terrible Unemployment rate, we're in FAR WORSE conditions than most.

Me too, I don't understand why people can't see that, individual consumers may get things cheaper but the cost to the country overall is fairly catastrophic.

[PCBudgetSolutions]

Cost of living aside, average wages in other countries are generally higher, but after the conversions things are far cheaper in many scenarios.

 

EX: GTX 780

USD: 650

AUS: 750 (673 USD)

23 bucks more.  My buddy at McDonalds makes 7.25/hr=1,160/month before healthcare taxes etc 

Friend works at McDonalds in AUS makes 16.23/hr(14.79 USD)=2366(USD) before taxes

For all intents and purposes, lets assume healthcare and taxes are 50% of wages.

2366/2=1183

1160/2=580

This is all converted to USD

1183-673=510

580-650= (-70)

 

Case and point, cost of living maybe higher, but electronics are still cheaper in average wages earned vs cost. AUS makes 2-2.2 times more than USD, but pays 5% more for electronics.  If cost of living scaled equally to be 2-2.2 times more than america, then a GTX 780 shuld cost 1300-1400 USD over in AUS, but it costs 673 USD in AUS.