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Does anyone know of a cost of living comparison tool comparing European to US cities? Is there one here on CD?
This might help OP put all this in perspective
Another think to consider since you haven't lived in the US before is the income taxes taken out of your paycheck. You will have Federal, State, FICA and possibly local taxes deducted, which will be around 28%. When you complete your W-4 withholding form I would suggest claiming zero dependents so that you will not take a chance on having to pay at the end of the year. Your paycheck will be a little larger if you claim 1 (yourself) but there's always a chance you may not have enough taxes withheld and you will owe additional taxes at the end of the year. Also, any relocation expenses paid by your employer will be taxable income to you that will be have to be added to your wages at the end of the year via a 1099 form. Even if you lease a vehicle you will still have to pay property taxes and registration fees for the vehicle. Just want you to calculate these expenses when you are considering your budget.
to consider since you haven't lived in the US before is the income taxes taken out of your paycheck. You will have Federal, State, FICA and possibly local taxes deducted, which will be around 28%. When you complete your W-4 withholding form I would suggest claiming zero dependents so that you will not take a chance on having to pay at the end of the year. Your paycheck will be a little larger if you claim 1 (yourself) but there's always a chance you may not have enough taxes withheld and you will owe additional taxes at the end of the year. Also, any relocation expenses paid by your employer will be taxable income to you that will be have to be added to your wages at the end of the year via a 1099 form. Even if you lease a vehicle you will still have to pay property taxes and registration fees for the vehicle. Just want you to calculate these expenses when you are considering your budget.[/quote]
Will taxes be deducted automatically?
Moving costs will be paid by my current branch.
How much are the fees for leasing cars?
quote]
Will taxes be deducted automatically?
Moving costs will be paid by my current branch.
How much are the fees for leasing cars?[/quote]
Yes taxes will be taken right out of your check.
You should ask your employer to tell you how much tax, social security etc will be taken out of your check, you need to know this information.
Maybe you could speak with someone in HR in the US branch to get answers to some of your questions.
Leasing a car, IMO is NOT the best financial decision. You pay fees upfront, you pay fees at the end and don't you dare get so much as one scratch on that car or they'll charge you for that too. Some states charge monthly tax on a leased vehicle. Now if the company was paying for it, totally different story.
You might be better off paying cash for an older, used car and make due with that. When you leave, you can sell it, if you stay, trade it in toward your next car.
I'd highly recommend using a budget spreadsheet and plug in all the info you've gathered here to figure out exactly how much it's going to cost to live here.
Well your boss straight up lied to you. Expect mobile rates to be 60$+, internet 30+, tv 30+, 2 bedroom about the same but depends on location, food perhaps the same, life IDK, and public transportation youre gonna be hard pressed to rely on in Greenville at this point as Greenville is experiencing roughly the 1950s Atlanta effect .
OP posted what he/she was currently paying for mobile tv etc, not what the boss quoted him. At least that's how I understood it.
You pay property tax annually on your vehicle which depends on the age. I believe mine was around 450 this year.
Wait WHAT!?!? I have to KEEP paying for my car after its paid off if I live in SC?!?! This is obsurd!!! If one is already paying property taxes on the driveway its parked in, and paying state and local taxes for the roads it drives on, what is the reasonable explination of ripping more money out of our pockets for something we have already paid for an own!?!?!
Wait WHAT!?!? I have to KEEP paying for my car after its paid off if I live in SC?!?! This is obsurd!!! If one is already paying property taxes on the driveway its parked in, and paying state and local taxes for the roads it drives on, what is the reasonable explination of ripping more money out of our pockets for something we have already paid for an own!?!?!
All vehicles, boats, campers, motor homes, jet skis, etc. are considered property that is taxed annually just like land and homes. There is an annual property tax paid to the county and registration fees paid to the state. You also are required to have hunting and fishing licenses as well.
It was $494.71 to be exact....tax time for me. It does go down as your car goes down in value over time.
And the sales tax on a new vehicle is capped at 300. I pay property tax but I saved on the sales tax.
Drivers license fees, car title, registration, insurance, license plate are the same deal as other states. I'm sure rates may differ but not dramatically (except insurance).
Well, OP already stated that he has taken the position. Things to consider:: I would contact the local DMV and find out the cost to transfer your license to the US, see what you need to go through, I have no clue. I do agree that you should take some of what you have saved up and get an older car, the yearly property tax will be way less, you can get state minimun insurance, you wont be limited to how many miles you put on it, and no one will care if a shopping cart puts a little ding in the fender. Leasing is, in my opinion, a terrible idea for someone who has no credit history, no idea about the area you will be driving in, and the added cost to your insurance the first time you are in an accident (your fault or not) on a leased vehicle will likely be the cost of the clunker you can get as a temporary. Also, cheap vehicles are easy to come by, and even easier to get rid of if you dont stay.
On the phone... you can get a cell phone through walmart, called straight talk (in almost every area in teh USA) for $45 unlimited talk text and data. If you want international plans (though I recommend skype, as its free to video chat with anyone around the world), there are other carriers, but I would not recomend a contract plan for you, because you will pay hundreds of dollars if you dont keep it for 2 years.
Cable and internet... Depending on how much you really watch the regular TV, I would look into Netflix, Hulu, and research some local channels, as alot of them stream their shows the day after they air. This will save you $30-$60 a month, and as humans, we usually watch certain things, and maybe some movies, and that is it. If you plan to do this though, go with a mid range internet connection, I would say shoot for around 20 megabites per second. This will allow you to stream your TV or movies and do whatever else you need to do without lagging out alot. This will probably cost you about $50 a month, but prices may vary, and go ahead and take the 1 year promo offer if it meets your needs, becuase if you are still here in a year, you can swap to the next company for their promo offer, or a month and then get a new promo offer. Alot of times, companies will offer you a new promo offer, or offer you to keep your current rate just to keep you as a customer. I know this becuase I am still on my 1 year promo price 3 years later for my internet package.
As for vehicle insurance, being you will be very high risk, I have no idea where people are getting $50 a month from. I am not even high risk and it will cost me over $100 a month to insure my 1999 clucky SUV when I move to SC (using Greenville as the default location). To save some cash all the way around, look for an apartment in a small town NEAR greenville (like Greer, Anderson, even Spartanburg area is cheaper). You will save $100-300 a month in rent, a little bit in utilities, and in a small town the insurance on your car will be cheaper too. You will have about $100 more in gas each month if you commute to work, but balance that with what you want. If you dont mind a small little apartment in the middle of all the chaos of a city, then Greenville will be fine, but if you want something more spacios for the same price or less, and a little quieter, then look on the outskirts of town.
Try Lycamobile for mobile service in the US, you might already be familiar with them
they include international texts and calling with their plans
Also have cheap plans compared to the normal US rates
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Inexpensive Mobile
