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Comparing the U.S. to Scandinavian countries is like comparing New York City public schools to homogeneous suburban school districts (or better yet, private schools). A much bigger and more diverse country will have more of everything.Wow you have a truly ignorant view of things.
Sweden is not without its problems, however. Child poverty there is increasing at an alarming rate. This is due in large part to immigration.
For the 1/500 families that this scenario happens to this may be true (less so since Americans have Obamacare now) but for the other 499/500 families they are far richer than the average Swede. Go to Sweden and see their homes. They are clearly poorer and that's ok because they are content with it. It is extremely unlikely that an American family will receive game-changing medical bills that force them to sell their home or car, etc. It happens but you make it sound like it's to be expected. I have lived in both Europe and the US and Canada and the US is definitely the best. You have the opportunity to do anything there, something that many of the "native" Americans take for granted.
Health care is not a matter of 'if' but 'when', everybody gets old and needs care at some point. You conveniently forgot about education, try putting your kids in college for $40.000 each per year on a middle class salary without a scholarship when that is free or a few thousand per year in Sweden. The Swedish middle class is far richer than the American middle class in terms of purchasing power despite their slightly lower average income.
This is exactly what is going on but your post is conveniently being ignored. The slightly higher average income does not make up for the far higher costs of living when factoring in health care, education or other expenses which puts the US far below most other western countries in purchasing power. So, looking again at the statistic, even a middle class Swedish is far richer than a middle class American.
You seem to consider Numbeo to be a good source of information, based on your usage of it here:
Anyway, according to Numbeo, Sweden's overall cost of living is significantly higher than that of the US, and their local purchasing power is lower.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
Anyway, according to Numbeo, Sweden's overall cost of living is significantly higher than that of the US, and their local purchasing power is lower.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
To repeat it again: because they don't include costs of health care or education. Adjusted for that, Swedish middle class is far richer.
This is exactly what is going on but your post is conveniently being ignored. The slightly higher average income does not make up for the far higher costs of living when factoring in health care, education or other expenses which puts the US far below most other western countries in purchasing power. So, looking again at the statistic, even a middle class Swedish is far richer than a middle class American.
The american healthcare system was wrong, I hope it finally improves with obama care. For those who haven't been sick much, didn't not get treatment due to lack of insurance, they won't see it an issue.
So if you make more, but pay slightly more for insurance and then you think you're at square one?
near free university is going to be gone in Europe soon enough. I know the UK has upped and upped their prices each year. The US system is a bit silly with the high costs.
Income is still vastly higher.
Have you actually LIVED in the USA? You seem to think you're an expert.
To repeat it again: because they don't include costs of health care or education. Adjusted for that, Swedish middle class is far richer.
But Numbeo DOES rank countries by health care costs and quality. Sweden's health care index is ranked at 77 and the US is ranked at 68. And actually there are several EU countries who are ranked below the US.
Health care is not a matter of 'if' but 'when', everybody gets old and needs care at some point. You conveniently forgot about education, try putting your kids in college for $40.000 each per year on a middle class salary without a scholarship when that is free or a few thousand per year in Sweden. The Swedish middle class is far richer than the American middle class in terms of purchasing power despite their slightly lower average income.
Where do you even get these stats. $40,000 a year? That's not normal at all. Around here it costs 7k a semester which is similar to what I paid in Canada...Unless you plan on going to a fancy school it isnt going to be 40,000. And if you can't pay that, you get a student loan or you simply go to a cheaper school and get the same education.
According to Collegedata.com the average cost per year is $8,000 dollars not $40,000. Even if you go to a private university, which the vast majority of people don't do, it isn't even $40,000 a year.
Either way, you seem to think that Americans have one option for college and that is to pay 40,000 a year when in reality there are boundless options when it comes to college and you can pay for a really cheap one or a really expensive one. The vast majority of college educated Americans aren't going to pay 40,000 a year on college. That would mean people on student loans would have $160,000 in debt which AFAIK is unheard of. No offense, but you once again have no clue what you're talking about.
But Numbeo DOES rank countries by health care costs and quality. Sweden's health care index is ranked at 77 and the US is ranked at 68. And actually there are several EU countries who are ranked below the US.
No, it doesn't, not the statistic you posted. Rent, groceries and restaurants. And what about education?
To repeat it again: because they don't include costs of health care or education. Adjusted for that, Swedish middle class is far richer.
Oh yeah, not to mention that when I was a student in the US I had "free" healthcare too, and many people don't even go to college so I don't know why you factor that in like it's a required fee for living in the US. You don't get that you have options. Like the others said in the Netherlands thread, you really are confused.
According to Collegedata.com the average cost per year is $8,000 dollars not $40,000. Even if you go to a private university, which the vast majority of people don't do, it isn't even $40,000 a year.
So 8k a year, and you graduate in four or five years? So if you have two kids, it's a total of 64k-80k. That's a lot of money compared with the $0 that you pay in Sweden.
In Sweden you get $153 every month in child benefit for every kid you have until they are 16, so $58,700 FREE MONEY combined.
All this must be included (and more), because that's some of the reasons why the income is lower than in the US!
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