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London is one of only two cities I know of that is more expensive than New York, on the whole. (Paris is the other.) If you're financially stable in London, you will be fine in NYC.
Health insurance is $750/month with no-deductibles and no co-pays other than $10-15 for doctors' visits. I didn't put it down because it's a fixed cost and I know for sure how much it'll be.
Check your plan again. Does it cover prescriptions? Even if it does, prescription co-pays can be killers. Does it cover dental? That is a separate insurance policy. Eyeglasses or contacts? Lab services like blood tests and x-rays? Wellness visits, check-ups, other preventative exams? No deductibles for doctor visits and hospitalization and prescription services? I doubt it. Health insurance here is complicated and there are always out of pocket expenses. And kids are always getting sick. Read the policy very carefully.
Check your plan again. Does it cover prescriptions? Even if it does, prescription co-pays can be killers. Does it cover dental? That is a separate insurance policy. Eyeglasses or contacts? Lab services like blood tests and x-rays? Wellness visits, check-ups, other preventative exams? No deductibles for doctor visits and hospitalization and prescription services? I doubt it. Health insurance here is complicated and there are always out of pocket expenses. And kids are always getting sick. Read the policy very carefully.
Double checked. 100% of prescriptions after $15 co-pay per 90 day supply. Dental is separate but included in $750 premium. There really is no deductible and $15/20 PCP/specialist co-pay. That's it. All lab stuff covered at 100%, check-up included every year.
Can get contacts every 24 months for $45 (don't get that over here in UK!).
Guess it's pretty good coverage but it is hard to accept paying so much for something you're used to getting for free
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BrownstoneNY
London is one of only two cities I know of that is more expensive than New York, on the whole. (Paris is the other.) If you're financially stable in London, you will be fine in NYC.
electric bill will be higher - so will food. that's 300 bucks a month per person, I would expect your bill to be at least 1500 a month. other than that - if you're paying that much for an apartment I don't see anything to worry about. For the record, all the london vs nyc comparison on the net are rubbish. i've been to london and live in nyc and both are about the same - london a tad bit higher. i think you will find yourself riding cabs more here.
electric bill will be higher - so will food. that's 300 bucks a month per person, I would expect your bill to be at least 1500 a month. other than that - if you're paying that much for an apartment I don't see anything to worry about. For the record, all the london vs nyc comparison on the net are rubbish. i've been to london and live in nyc and both are about the same - london a tad bit higher. i think you will find yourself riding cabs more here.
I would never take a cab (as in just hail one off the street) in London unless in a dire emergency. They are so much cheaper in NYC! Makes being without a car much more doable.
Do you really think food will be higher? We get by on about £120 grocery shop each week over here. Kids do school dinners which is another £18/week for the two of them. So we're spending about £600/month on food which is under $1000 and then I'm allowing for food being 20% more expensive in NYC.
I would never take a cab (as in just hail one off the street) in London unless in a dire emergency. They are so much cheaper in NYC! Makes being without a car much more doable.
Do you really think food will be higher? We get by on about £120 grocery shop each week over here. Kids do school dinners which is another £18/week for the two of them. So we're spending about £600/month on food which is under $1000 and then I'm allowing for food being 20% more expensive in NYC.
$1000/month for groceries is plenty for a family. I mean, as long as you're not doing all of your shopping at Dean & Deluca, you should be staying under that budget.
I think you could lower RENT and FOOD estimates. Electricity will likely be double your estimate, cell phone cost will be higher and your communications package will only stay at $100 for an introductiry period and then go closer to $150.
Add $150-$200 a month for health care even given the excellent corporate coverage.
All in all though, your total is probably pretty close, perhaps a bit high depending on what you can find in housing. You CAN easily spend $6000/mo. for rent but you don't HAVE to, presuming 2 bedrooms.
Definitely want 3 bedrooms in decent area within reasonable commute of midtown, doesn't have to be doorman/luxury building.
Why 150-200 for health if there are hardly any co-pays or deductibles? We won't be making 10 visits to the doctor each month (I hope!!).
Surprised at cell phone costs being higher. We spend about £50 per month jointly on our cell phones - I'd have thought America would be the same, if not cheaper. We also spend about £60 per month on our TV (pretty basic), internet and phone service. I just thought costs would be about the same and rounded up!
Why 150-200 for health if there are hardly any co-pays or deductibles? We won't be making 10 visits to the doctor each month (I hope!!).
You will likely find after your first trip to the dentist, thet almost nothing you NEED is covered by your insurance and one root canal post and crown will set you back $3 G's. Replacing a FILLING these days is $300. Usually these plans cover only examination, cleaning and X-rays.
Any hospital visit will likely cost several hundred per day co-pay.
Your cable package will be higher than 60 pounds but you can get that price the first year with a good promo package (try to make sure your apartment is wired for Verizon FIOS...it's a good perk.
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