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I guess. I’d rather live in Oklahoma in that case than be cash strapped and in a rat race.
Also my amenities living in the middle of nowhere in 2022 is dramatically different from 30 years ago because of the electronic age of Amazon Wi-Fi and social media .
Private house ownership rate is high. Paying up to $4,000 per month on rent is a very rare case except for just literally San Francisco. And Norway, Switzerland, even UK, Ireland, Sweden, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland have relatively expensive rent. USA would rank one of the best in Europe for total cash funds spending power/amount of cheap offerings to consumers. Right at the collective top. Going overseas for another Continent is just for the exciting memories of experience.
That is true on the contingent that you desire to replicate your possessions exactly matching the US but in Europe. That is, you have a car you want a small car there, you want single family home like here , etc … you want that life in Europe you will pay an insane price in every regard, Cars are more money, gas is think $9-$10 per gallon but it’s in liters you’ll see €2,70 / Litre. You’ll face tolls by the kilometer and tolls for travel across national boundaries and different required dashboard things varying by European country .
Also expect in Europe all spaces are tinier , food portions smaller , rooms tinier, if you want a king-size bed you’ll find only very expensive hotel suites offer this, same with central A/C and same with certain store brands you may prefer for clothing coffee etc …. BUT if you can make do with these lifestyle changes it gets better from there on, it’s not expensive to have a decent structured life in a Northern European city
But … you won’t keep a car in Germany/Netherlands/Belgium/Sweden/Finland you don’t need one. You have bus and rail and bike to/from , you have multi-townhouse dwellings but without noise nor crime and it’s relatively safe to keep doors unlocked. You’ll adjust that this isn’t a sacrifice like living in the inner city of US where it’s any bit sketchy if you aren’t poor … this is the everyday norm of life, with decent schools decent Medical facilities and public facilitie…. With that norm , without inconvenience of being stranded without a car as nobody else needs one either ….. it can be less stressful living European. You’ll part with things you thought you can’t live without and feel content knowing it’s something you don’t miss.
It's all well and good taking advantage of exchange rates to get cheaper cost of living somewhere else, until you actually need to work there and see how little the locals make. This is parasitic behavior in my opinion. One reason we don't have a one world currency by now is because it would actually seriously hurt the ruling class to peg the global cost of living under one calculation.
Taking advantage of exchange rates has long allowed some nations to prosper at the expensive of others. It's allowed large corporations to have ridiculous margins and insane profits. It's a simple truth. I used to believe the conspiracy theory about one world currencies, but the odds of that actually happening are remote for the foreseeable future.
We have it okay here. We are not a top tier nation, but far from being a third world slum. As far as housing costs, you can mostly blame the lockdowns and covid policies for that. The left thought it was selfish to worry about the economy first, without thinking about supply chains, material costs, and what shutting down supply would do when there was rebound demand. As predicted, the collateral damage was worse that if we had simply let covid run unchecked with no measures at all.
There's no easy way to fix this... no fix that doesn't require hard work. The supply chain problems need to work themselves out... material costs need to come down. We need more housing, but it's a chicken or the egg problem when contractors want people to pay $275,000 for a 2 bedroom starter home in middle America that was $170,000 3 years ago and people won't or can't pay... so we need housing but it's not getting built. Not a quick fix... perhaps a generational problem unless we get the recession we seriously need, not more QE, interest rate cuts, and pumping.
question...who the heck is paying $4k a month for rent?
Quote:
The average American renter pays $1,326 a month. For those looking to move, prices are even higher. The average asking rent is now $1,900 , with single-family houses averaging $2,018 a month, while a typical apartment costs an $1,659.
The average American renter pays $1,326 a month. For those looking to move, prices are even higher. The average asking rent is now $1,900 , with single-family houses averaging $2,018 a month, while a typical apartment costs an $1,659.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RetireinPA
question...who the heck is paying $4k a month for rent?
Yeah, that is kind of what I want to know.
And economics is more than just the cost of rent or a mortgage, it is cost of food, gas, taxes, etc.
There is nothing wrong with deciding to live in Europe....no different than if you chose to live in New York and not California or visa versa. Live where you want, and where you will be happy.
I love living in the US and am very happy here, wouldn't want to move to Europe (maybe visit but not live) and I wouldn't move for economic reasons alone, I think it would take more than that.
From my place in Cap d’Ail I have the sea, a great hike to La Turbie, a short walk into Monaco. Countless small towns with history. St Tropez is 1-2 hours away. Lake Como 3-4 hours away. Portofino, Cinque Terre 4 hours away. Firenze 4-5 hours away. Mediocre skiing 1-2 hours away. Some of the best skiing in the world, 5 hours away. By car.
I’m happy that it works out for you. I have been to the northern part of France and it’s wonderful there as well. I have a preference for cooler climates.
You can get a lifestyle that is at least equivalent to what you’re describing in any number of places on the east coast of the United States. You can go to the beach, do parasailing, jet skiing, gamble at casinos, go to world class museums or shopping or concerts or historic towns or ethnic neighborhoods, dine at Michelin restaurants, go to the top of skyscrapers, go mountain climbing or skydiving or ocean cruises ... Whatever your heart desires, you can do here. Or fly wherever you want to go from any number of airports.
At the end of the day, without money, you will always feel like a low man on the totem pole no matter where you live in the world. That is my experience.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crazee Cat Lady
Yeah, that is kind of what I want to know.
And economics is more than just the cost of rent or a mortgage, it is cost of food, gas, taxes, etc.
There is nothing wrong with deciding to live in Europe....no different than if you chose to live in New York and not California or visa versa. Live where you want, and where you will be happy.
I love living in the US and am very happy here, wouldn't want to move to Europe (maybe visit but not live) and I wouldn't move for economic reasons alone, I think it would take more than that.
Rent average is probably not 4K, but its also not 1600.
You have to remember these averages come from 2 main sources. Rent websites(rent.com/Apartments.com) and census income data.
Census data is artificially low because mom and dad who are smart accountant count their kid paying rent as both an adult dependent and income for themselves
The rent websites are artificially low because they only show listed apartment rates, not rent hikes of apartments that are occupied or apartment bidding wars as that is never reported.
Who pays $4,000 rent in the USA? just because YOU do, does not mean we all do.
I think New Yorkers who want to live near Manhattan do.. but you are the stupid one for paying $4,000 for a tiny 75 square feet closet you all want to live in just to be close to Manhattan.
You are wrong about Europe. Live close to the capital of France, and you will pay a lot. Also Japan.
I’m happy that it works out for you. I have been to the northern part of France and it’s wonderful there as well. I have a preference for cooler climates.
You can get a lifestyle that is at least equivalent to what you’re describing in any number of places on the east coast of the United States. You can go to the beach, do parasailing, jet skiing, gamble at casinos, go to world class museums or shopping or concerts or historic towns or ethnic neighborhoods, dine at Michelin restaurants, go to the top of skyscrapers, go mountain climbing or skydiving or ocean cruises ... Whatever your heart desires, you can do here. Or fly wherever you want to go from any number of airports.
At the end of the day, without money, you will always feel like a low man on the totem pole no matter where you live in the world. That is my experience.
I don’t like the north. Dreary, no sun, no topography. Also cold. I don’t consider the south a “hot” climate either. Winters are long and chilly (rainy and windy). Summers are short and generally warm though this year has been admittedly hot.
Out of all the places in the USA with a similar lifestyle, it would need to be California. But even here California fails by a long shot except for weather. Skiing is far better here. The Mediterranean is far more beautiful than the Pacific. Crystal clear water. Refreshing. I swim everyday here in the summer which I cannot do in California due to waves. Though I did enjoy surfing in California I much prefer swimming.
Then there are the towns etc I mentioned. Here the USA cannot compare. There is just not enough diversity.
But I do enjoy Miami. Miami I generally come in the winter (with trips back to my places in Europe for skiing) for sun, warmth and kite boarding.
I don’t like the north. Dreary, no sun, no topography. Also cold. I don’t consider the south a “hot” climate either. Winters are long and chilly (rainy and windy). Summers are short and generally warm though this year has been admittedly hot.
Out of all the places in the USA with a similar lifestyle, it would need to be California. But even here California fails by a long shot except for weather. Skiing is far better here. The Mediterranean is far more beautiful than the Pacific. Crystal clear water. Refreshing. I swim everyday here in the summer which I cannot do in California due to waves. Though I did enjoy surfing in California I much prefer swimming.
Then there are the towns etc I mentioned. Here the USA cannot compare. There is just not enough diversity.
But I do enjoy Miami. Miami I generally come in the winter (with trips back to my places in Europe for skiing) for sun, warmth and kite boarding.
I agree it's all about what you prefer and comes down to personal taste.
Warm climates make me feel lazy. After a while, I feel like sitting in an AC room and reading a book or just going to sleep.
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