American Man Living In UK Lists All The Reasons Why It's Better

[KingKhanWC]

An American man has outlined all the reasons why he believes that the United Kingdom is superior to the United States when it comes to quality of living.

Imgur user Chimichanga007 explained how he moved to the UK for work for a couple of years and admitted how he developed 'survivor's guilt after experiencing living in a sane country compared to America'.

Calling the two countries 'night and day' to insinuate they're on opposite sides of the spectrum, he started to explain exactly why.

So here's the list, as written by Chimichanga007:

"Free ATMs everywhere. Banks aren't making loot preying on the poor with fees like USA."

"Tons of paid holiday at every job."

"Public right of way walking paths all over the place."

"10 dollar (£7) prescription drugs."

"OTC [over the counter] drugs way cheaper."

"Modern and plentiful public transit."

"Less expensive and better quality fresh veg and meat."

"Cops that seem like servants not lunatic power trippers."

"Workers take their breaks religiously."

"Went to the ER and I got emotional because they treated me like a
human being and I wouldn't go into debt. (Getting emotional makes them embarrassed though [sic] so don't recommend)."

"Feeling that's hard to explain but imagine you know that everyone you know, your neighbours, random strangers, kids, moms, grannys, everyone you see everyday is covered and can go free to a doctor or ER [emergency room], taking care of each other."

He went on to explain: "I miss you UK and I am coming back when this is all over! I know EU gives you s*** but you're my happy place and have a lot of compassion in your society!

"Tl; dr: If you're not obscenely rich, UK is like a utopia compared to USA.

"Sorry not sorry."

https://www.ladbible.com/news/weird...udents-from-having-mullet-hairstyles-20210224

Very intersting. Anyone here lived in both countries?

Simple debate, which is a better place to live if you are on a good average income?

UK has to better surely?

 

[Local.Dada]

What did this guy do for a living?

 

[Bigboii]

Couple of relatives live in the UK wanted us to move

I was like yeah no...

The small houses alone would turn people off forget other things
you can buy some big a** houses for cheap like around 150,000$ in suburbs outside of midsize cities you can easily get a really big house

it would have been a backward move tbh like going from Dubai to Oman (similar language, decent living standards) or something sure they're both good but one is clearly better than the other

 

[ElRaja]

depends on what your doing, if your a business owner entrepreneur, then usa is signficantly better, if you are wealthy, then the usa is somewhat better, however if your middle class or working class the uk is significantly better.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Couple of relatives live in the UK wanted us to move

I was like yeah no...

The small houses alone would turn people off forget other things
you can buy some big a** houses for cheap like around 150,000$ in suburbs outside of midsize cities you can easily get a really big house

it would have been a backward move tbh like going from Dubai to Oman (similar language, decent living standards) or something sure they're both good but one is clearly better than the other

There are huge houses here, Stately Mansions if you want one. So US has better value for money not better houses.


What does he mean here?

"Modern and plentiful public transit." - Yanks dont have good buses or trains?

"Less expensive and better quality fresh veg and meat." - I can walk 10 mins and find allsorts of veggies , fresh and from around the world due to the many cultures who live here. Do guys only deal with pumpkins?

 

[KingKhanWC]

depends on what your doing, if your a business owner entrepreneur, then usa is signficantly better, if you are wealthy, then the usa is somewhat better, however if your middle class or working class the uk is significantly better.

Majority of people in both nations are middle or working class. So UK is better for most?

HAve you lived in America in the past?

 

[Bigboii]

There are huge houses here, Stately Mansions if you want one. So US has better value for money not better houses.


What does he mean here?

"Modern and plentiful public transit." - Yanks dont have good buses or trains?

"Less expensive and better quality fresh veg and meat." - I can walk 10 mins and find allsorts of veggies , fresh and from around the world due to the many cultures who live here. Do guys only deal with pumpkins?

you can buy some big a** houses for cheap like around 150,000$ in suburbs...

and you are literally comparing quality of houses how do you even determine that
isn't it done on an individual basis

 

[KingKhanWC]

you can buy some big a** houses for cheap like around 150,000$ in suburbs...

and you are literally comparing quality of houses how do you even determine that
isn't it done on an individual basis

US has more land so this makes sense.

How much are the taxes, rates etc?

UK, council tax - to pay for cops, local councils etc is around £2000 a year on average I think. On top of this you have to pay your usual bills of course.

 

[Bigboii]

depends on what your doing, if your a business owner entrepreneur, then usa is signficantly better, if you are wealthy, then the usa is somewhat better, however if your middle class or working class the uk is significantly better.

It depends tbh

for working-class people healthcare is free in US (depending on income levels) without the long queues or waiting lines
for middle-class people usually health care is provided by companies to them and thier families, if youre over 65 healthcare is free regardless of income

State colleges are free in the US (depending on the state) like in NYS you don't pay tuition (applies to both middle class lower income groups) only room and food costs

Also, all the colleges atleast in Northeast and parts of California, Texas are ranked pretty high compared to the rest of the world

Quality education is highly subjective but US degree is looked upon favourably across the globe and in the US only American (or to some extent Canadian but depends on Geography tho) degrees are looked upon favourably other degrees from other countries arent looked upon as kindly compared to thier North American counterparts (other than of course Oxford or Cambridge)

 

[Bigboii]

US has more land so this makes sense.

How much are the taxes, rates etc?

UK, council tax - to pay for cops, local councils etc is around £2000 a year on average I think. On top of this you have to pay your usual bills of course.

The above sums it up housing is important to me (and probably to many people) and that's why I like it here
warm weather with great housing and ample job opportunities with great salaries that's a dream right there

Tax is highly subjective I have seen people pay 100$ a month to around $600 per month, it depends on school district mainly than the size of land you are occupying, which part od town it is and many other factors

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Couple of relatives live in the UK wanted us to move

I was like yeah no...

The small houses alone would turn people off forget other things
you can buy some big a** houses for cheap like around 150,000$ in suburbs outside of midsize cities you can easily get a really big house

it would have been a backward move tbh like going from Dubai to Oman (similar language, decent living standards) or something sure they're both good but one is clearly better than the other

You can definitely buy more property for less in the US, that has to be a big plus, but I don't think I could ever get used to the idea of paying for healthcare. It's not even the money, it's more the principle. I like being in a country where your tax money goes towards universal healthcare.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but USA seems similar to places like India and Pakistan where if you have money you are good, but then you probably get slums and drug infested areas in the inner cities. The UK just seems a more balanced and tolerant society.

 

[King-Misbah]

America is better overall; better salary, houses, weather and a bigger economy.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

One other thing I noticed, American entertainment industry relies on British talent A LOT. So many of their films and acclaimed tv shows, once you start digging you find that all their best actors are actually British putting on an American accent.

You would think that with such a big population to choose from, they wouldn't need to rely so much on British creativity and talent, but they seem to recognise that sometimes quality really is more important than quantity.

 

[Stewie]

My wife has lived in the UK.

There are very few people who are in the upper class category ... for most others UK is probably better. But sky is the limit if you are ambitious and want to go places (in business or other fields)

There are very few people who end up like Steve Jobs, Gates, or do well in sports at the pro level or end up working for NASA or Google or Apple, etc. if you are that ambitious and talented USA is better and if not UK is the place to be.

Personally I admire the socialized medicine, cheaper college education, and less authoritarian law enforcement of UK compared to US. But for all that the trade off is higher taxes and lower and fewer income opportunities. Always a trade off!

 

[Bigboii]

My wife has lived in the UK.

There are very few people who are in the upper class category ... for most others UK is probably better. But sky is the limit if you are ambitious and want to go places (in business or other fields)

There are very few people who end up like Steve Jobs, Gates, or do well in sports at the pro level or end up working for NASA or Google or Apple, etc. if you are that ambitious and talented USA is better and if not UK is the place to be.

Personally I admire the socialized medicine, cheaper college education, and less authoritarian law enforcement of UK compared to US. But for all that the trade off is higher taxes and lower and fewer income opportunities. Always a trade off!

Is she a UK citizen?

 

[Stewie]

Forgot to add .. yes, housing is another major difference. You can buy a bigger and better house in the US without breaking your bank. I understand housing in UK is really expensive.

$250 k-$350 k = nice new to semi old 3-4 bedroom house in the US (I’m not including really expensive areas like NYC, CA, Seattle, etc)

How much does a similar specced house cost in the UK?

 

[Stewie]

Is she a UK citizen?

No, but she has a big extended family in the UK and they all are.

 

[KingKhanWC]

The above sums it up housing is important to me (and probably to many people) and that's why I like it here
warm weather with great housing and ample job opportunities with great salaries that's a dream right there

Tax is highly subjective I have seen people pay 100$ a month to around $600 per month, it depends on school district mainly than the size of land you are occupying, which part od town it is and many other factors

Property is a big issue in the UK esp for first time buyers. If a person only earns £20k a year, he/she would have to put up a huge deposit and will be paying off their home for decades. 20 years ago houses were very much great value, I was lucky to invest at that time, even though I was young.

Do you pay school fees? I always see yellow buses on tv shows from US, are those free for all pupils, regardless of where you live?

 

[KingKhanWC]

One other thing I noticed, American entertainment industry relies on British talent A LOT. So many of their films and acclaimed tv shows, once you start digging you find that all their best actors are actually British putting on an American accent.

You would think that with such a big population to choose from, they wouldn't need to rely so much on British creativity and talent, but they seem to recognise that sometimes quality really is more important than quantity.

US have Hollywood and some great music esp in Rap/Rnb but overall the culutural aspect of the UK is far superiour imo. There are so many styles here esp fused with various cultures. I cannot imagine an Apache Indian, mixing desi sounds/words with Reggae in a place like the UK. BBC news is a joke now but they have produced the best tv for decades. Attenborough's wildlife shows are a hit worldwide, nothing comes close.

 

[ElRaja]

It depends tbh

for working-class people healthcare is free in US (depending on income levels) without the long queues or waiting lines
for middle-class people usually health care is provided by companies to them and thier families, if youre over 65 healthcare is free regardless of income

but theres also a significant minority of ininsured people, likely to be those who are more vulnerable. for a country as rich as america its an even bigger problem given some proportion of those uninsured could likely be covered if buyers had greater bargaining power.

State colleges are free in the US (depending on the state) like in NYS you don't pay tuition (applies to both middle class lower income groups) only room and food costs

Also, all the colleges atleast in Northeast and parts of California, Texas are ranked pretty high compared to the rest of the world

Quality education is highly subjective but US degree is looked upon favourably across the globe and in the US only American (or to some extent Canadian but depends on Geography tho) degrees are looked upon favourably other degrees from other countries arent looked upon as kindly compared to thier North American counterparts (other than of course Oxford or Cambridge)

i assume by state college you mean university?

america has great tertiary education, i considered taking a few weeks off work and doing some short professional development type courses cum holiday but plans got put on backburner cos of covid.

fwiw i dont think the UK's education system is much to be proud of as someone who came through the most marginaised state schools. but my complaints are more to do with the archaic subjects and suppresion of aspiration then the ecnomics of it.

Majority of people in both nations are middle or working class. So UK is better for most?

i would say yeah, but it would depend on person to person, some people like big gov, to others the idea of a ranch with you own land and very little interaction with government is more desirable.

you lived in America in the past?

no, visited only, im making my judgement based primarily on people i know who have lived there or were born there.

 

[KingKhanWC]

My wife has lived in the UK.

There are very few people who are in the upper class category ... for most others UK is probably better. But sky is the limit if you are ambitious and want to go places (in business or other fields)

There are very few people who end up like Steve Jobs, Gates, or do well in sports at the pro level or end up working for NASA or Google or Apple, etc. if you are that ambitious and talented USA is better and if not UK is the place to be.

Personally I admire the socialized medicine, cheaper college education, and less authoritarian law enforcement of UK compared to US. But for all that the trade off is higher taxes and lower and fewer income opportunities. Always a trade off!

Plenty of jobs in the UK at the lower end, you have to be lazy not to find work here. But it seems more higher paid jobs in the US.

For me the cultural aspect and history of the UK is one of the best in the world. America seems lame by comparison.

 

[ElRaja]

Property is a big issue in the UK esp for first time buyers. If a person only earns £20k a year, he/she would have to put up a huge deposit and will be paying off their home for decades. 20 years ago houses were very much great value, I was lucky to invest at that time, even though I was young.

Do you pay school fees? I always see yellow buses on tv shows from US, are those free for all pupils, regardless of where you live?

wait, what? i always assumed you were the same age as me, lol.

 

[Bigboii]

Property is a big issue in the UK esp for first time buyers. If a person only earns £20k a year, he/she would have to put up a huge deposit and will be paying off their home for decades. 20 years ago houses were very much great value, I was lucky to invest at that time, even though I was young.

Do you pay school fees? I always see yellow buses on tv shows from US, are those free for all pupils, regardless of where you live?

the district taxes are basically school fees
they go up and down depending on the district - but its public schools so no fees per se

that's why thier is no big private school culture in US (of course except for some seriously rich people)
because you just move to a better district if you want better schooling

 

[Stewie]

Plenty of jobs in the UK at the lower end, you have to be lazy not to find work here. But it seems more higher paid jobs in the US.

For me the cultural aspect and history of the UK is one of the best in the world. America seems lame by comparison.

By that if you mean the colonial/monarch oppressive past of the British, I would happily pass that over the more freedom loving history and hodge lodge of American culture (although the slavery of blacks is a sore sticking issue here)
Plenty of history here from Alamo down in TX to the Liberty Island in NY.

 

[Bigboii]

"but theres also a significant minority of ininsured people, likely to be those who are more vulnerable. for a country as rich as america its an even bigger problem given some proportion of those uninsured could likely be covered if buyers had greater bargaining power."
agreed but I would rather have public option than universal coverage, I think too much gov involvement would make the system bureaucratic and slow
[MENTION=56933]ElRaja[/MENTION]

"i assume by state college you mean university?

america has great tertiary education, i considered taking a few weeks off work and doing some short professional development type courses cum holiday but plans got put on backburner cos of covid.

fwiw i dont think the UK's education system is much to be proud of as someone who came through the most marginaised state schools. but my complaints are more to do with the archaic subjects then the ecnomics of it."

yeah universities, there are some poor schools in US but the higher education is top class (compared to the rest of the world of course there are issues but comparatively they are better)

 

[Bigboii]

By that if you mean the colonial/monarch oppressive past of the British, I would happily pass that over the more freedom loving history and hodge lodge of American culture (although the slavery of blacks is a sore sticking issue here)
Plenty of history here from Alamo down in TX to the Liberty Island in NY.

nah dude if you like history UK takes the cake
I would love to go to UK just to watch all the museums and the castles

the museums are next level (of course stolen but you know...)

 

[KingKhanWC]

wait, what? i always assumed you were the same age as me, lol.

Im not that old lol.

the district taxes are basically school fees
they go up and down depending on the district - but its public schools so no fees per se

that's why thier is no big private school culture in US (of course except for some seriously rich people)
because you just move to a better district if you want better schooling

Why dont you guys were school uniforms? Also why do they still say they are going to school when they are like 18?

By that if you mean the colonial/monarch oppressive past of the British, I would happily pass that over the more freedom loving history and hodge lodge of American culture (although the slavery of blacks is a sore sticking issue here)
Plenty of history here from Alamo down in TX to the Liberty Island in NY.

Im not into the Royal family nonsense or colionial monuments which celeberate this but there is much architecture which although may be related but is still amazing. Others are unrelated apart from perhaps being financed due to pillaging but this the same for many places. It also brings up interesting connections with India/Pak. If you get time watch this.... a Punjabi girl was the main reason why women got the vote in the UK. The house she lived in was more English from the outside but totally Punjabi from the inside. Seems a great lady she was tbf.

Also

 

[Bigboii]

Why dont you guys were school uniforms? Also why do they still say they are going to school when they are like 18?

- Cause we are not idiots... I mean why would anyone want to wear same dress day in day out...
- HS lasts till 12th grade after that straight to 4 year university for bachelors

 

[KingKhanWC]

- Cause we are not idiots... I mean why would anyone want to wear same dress day in day out...
- HS lasts till 12th grade after that straight to 4 year university for bachelors

I assume Brits are smarter dressed, in fact this is cannot even be debated. School uniforms takes away the difference between middle class and working class. Kids dont need to worry if they dont have the latest clothes, everyone looks the same. It's also ensures everyone is dressed in a smart way, official. It also goes further to haircuts, piercings etc.

Here you can study A levels in college or school, I guess the terminology is just different.

 

[guna]

Given a choice, I would live in USA over UK any day. USA has better job opportunities and cost of living is pretty cheap compared to big cities like London. Not to forget pathetic weather in UK.

The only thing UK has one over USA is probably desi food. My brother visited London and he said he liked Indian food over there compared to US.

 

[Kroll]

Given a choice, I would live in USA over UK any day. USA has better job opportunities and cost of living is pretty cheap compared to big cities like London. Not to forget pathetic weather in UK.

The only thing UK has one over USA is probably desi food. My brother visited London and he said he liked Indian food over there compared to US.

Nah mate, the major thing as you can already see from the article is the universal health care for all, ie the NHS. If you live in Scotland, higher education (university/college) is also free as the tuition fees are paid by the state.

Its a real eye opener that in such a wealthy place such as the US, tens of millions don't have access to basic health care due to the cost of health insurance.

 

[shaz619]

I gather this fella also discovered the many wonders of a minimum wage

 

[ahsan17]

US healthcare access resembles more like third world healthcare to be honest. You have money, you get the services. You don't have the money, no one cares if you die. Only exception is Medicare for 65+. About 30% of US is not insured or underinsured. 60k people die because of a lack of health insurance. 600k go into bankruptcy. Lesser life expectancy. This doesn't happen in developed countries. Of course they cherish their shorter wait times (which is only true in certain circumstances). I mean, if you removed 30% of the people from the line, of course the wait will be lesser for other people.

 

[KingKhanWC]

US healthcare access resembles more like third world healthcare to be honest. You have money, you get the services. You don't have the money, no one cares if you die. Only exception is Medicare for 65+. About 30% of US is not insured or underinsured. 60k people die because of a lack of health insurance. 600k go into bankruptcy. Lesser life expectancy. This doesn't happen in developed countries. Of course they cherish their shorter wait times (which is only true in certain circumstances). I mean, if you removed 30% of the people from the line, of course the wait will be lesser for other people.

How much do you need to pay for healthcare on avg? I.e if you earn $30k, live in New York, what is the rough amount?

 

[Stewie]

UK is also more congested. Plenty of parking in the US, wider and bigger roads, spacious housing, etc.

 

[KingKhanWC]

UK is also more congested. Plenty of parking in the US, wider and bigger roads, spacious housing, etc.

UK is far superiour when it comes to driving. Our signposts are amongst the best in the world, many nations have copied out style. Sure it may be more congested in the cities or some motorways but we now have toll rounds. We also can drive much faster, 70mph is the limit but most do 90mph when its not busy. We have some amazing countryside roads, where you can really test your car to the limit, amazing corners with amazing scenery. We also produce much better cars, American cars are improving now but previously were so lame, only decent for straight roads.

 

[ahsan17]

How much do you need to pay for healthcare on avg? I.e if you earn $30k, live in New York, what is the rough amount?

Depends on the employer and the type of health plan you pick, if you are married, if you have kids, etc. It gets very complicated. The factors that effect cost of healthcare to end users are as follows:

1) How much % employer covers
2) Whether you have a plan that only allows you to visit "in-network" providers
3) How big your deductible is.
4) If you visit an "out of network" provider and even if your plan allows for that, they have their own deductible. In other words, in network providers have a separate deductible from out of network providers
5) How big your co-pays or co-insurance is

And this is not the exhaustive list. It's honestly a complete **** show. A truly horrific third world-like health care system. Hard for most people to understand, and even if you get a really good plan from an employer, there are lots of clauses and loopholes for insurance companies to deny claims.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

If you are well educated ( doctor, engineer, coder) then the US is quite attractive for pay....but the work life balance doesn't seem that great and the cost of living perhaps higher than the UK. The healthcare situation isn't that attractive either.

Culturally ( and I could be way off here) people in the US seem more receptive to ambition and wanting to graft to climb the ranks. Wealth isn't something to be ashamed of either. In the UK I think the culture/social climate sometimes holds back the entrepreneurial spirit and wanting to really better your financial condition is sometimes looked down upon.

 

[ahsan17]

How much do you need to pay for healthcare on avg? I.e if you earn $30k, live in New York, what is the rough amount?

To answer your example of someone making 30k in NY - I am not sure if that person would qualify for medicaid. Medicaid is for people at or near poverty line. 30k would near the borderline. The people that really get screwed over are middle income earners around 40 - 70k. Their deductibles are often in several thousands of dollars despite paying a few hundred a month in premiums.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

People also may have different views of unions but i think in the UK, unions have managed to obtain a reasonable level of comfort for most employees. The downside of that is that the "collective" can sometimes unjustly affect high-risers ( esp when it comes to collective bargaining) but on the whole in my experience I have only seen positive effects of the workforce unionising. This seems to be really frowned upon in the US and many blue-collar workers seem to get shafted as a consequence.

 

[Bi_Jamalo]

There are huge houses here, Stately Mansions if you want one. So US has better value for money not better houses.


What does he mean here?

"Modern and plentiful public transit." - Yanks dont have good buses or trains?

"Less expensive and better quality fresh veg and meat." - I can walk 10 mins and find allsorts of veggies , fresh and from around the world due to the many cultures who live here. Do guys only deal with pumpkins?

Outside London the public transport is actually not very good and overpriced (thanks to privatisation during Thatchers era).

In a small town in Southeast, it costs me almost 4£ for a single bus ride of 2-3 km. Catching a train from
London to Bham is often more expensive than a shorthaul euro flight.

 

[ElRaja]

Culturally ( and I could be way off here) people in the US seem more receptive to ambition and wanting to graft to climb the ranks. Wealth isn't something to be ashamed of either. In the UK I think the culture/social climate sometimes holds back the entrepreneurial spirit and wanting to really better your financial condition is sometimes looked down upon.

totally agree with this. this country (and pbly any other) cant compete on the entrepreneurial front, american vc companies stomp all over the rest of the world, and when someone outside of america does come up with something groundbreaking, an american company comes and buys it, a la deepmind and google.

they tell themselves an origin myth of the intrepid frontiersmen fighting the elements to stake a claim for economic freedom, the so called american dream, and that filters into their attitude towards entrepreneurial risk.

 

[Tubs]

Only good thing in the US is that wages are better (at least for jobs that require a degree and especially in my field of CompSci/AI, where wages are more than double than here in the UK), and housing is more affordable. While public transport and housing are very expensive here, we have a lot going for us in other areas. The biggest being accessible higher education (I'm very working class and managed to go to uni multiple times thanks to generous student loan system), free healthcare (didn't pay a penny for my 3 biopsies, very large limb reconstruction for oncological purposes, scans and x-rays which number in the 50's by now, and nearing 100 doctor consultations- this would all be over 100k in the US) and far less religious idiots running policy decisions.

 

[hiyuo]

If you are poor, have little education and don't have much goal in life, then the UK is better, why not? But USA is better in almost every metric. If you are talented, if you are motivated, if you are educated, America is the country to be; the one nation that rewards talent and hard-work more than anywhere else.

 

[ahsan17]

If you are poor, have little education and don't have much goal in life, then the UK is better, why not? But USA is better in almost every metric. If you are talented, if you are motivated, if you are educated, America is the country to be; the one nation that rewards talent and hard-work more than anywhere else.

Yeah, it's not like US needs tens of millions of minimum wage workers in the Walmarts, restaurants, factories, etc.

 

[RajBan]

Having lived in both countries , I can say both countries have their advantages and disadvantages. It's possible wherever you have lived first, you will be biased to that place. But honestly speaking I am pretty impressed with both places.

It matters where you have come from and where you are staying in US though. Some people like big cities , some don't. UK in that sense is much more compact.

Also US , atleast the big cities are not a place for people who takes their own time to do stuff. Life is fast and one needs to adapt to it.

 

[Itachi]

Going by PP demography, I would choose US over UK any day. If the basic necessities are met, then social interactions, community plays a vital part. And it seems like expats of UK are a bit close minded, going through an identity crisis and insecure where as the US expats have successfully blended more in the relevant culture and hence more open towards difference of opinion.

 

[moghul]

If you like small house and lots of Taxes, move to UK.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

I have visited UK several times but never stayed longer than a month.
I don’t think I have ever experienced any discrimination in UK or in USA; however, my brother in law who studied in UK and lived there for 5 years, moved to the US a couple of years ago. And according to him, the racial discrimination in the US is at an altogether different level. This is how bad he thinks it is here.

My personal experiences in UK are all good. Locals are friendly and polite.

Perhaps problem with Americans (mostly Whites and blacks) is that they are generally very loud with thick and heavy voice quality. This sorta makes them appear a little impolite, rude and intimidating.

But what can you do? This is how they are.

Their voice quality is naturally very strong, heavy and powerful. I don’t think any other nation in the world has this strong of a voice quality as Americans do.

In UK the inner city roads/street seem a little tight so driving is not a whole lot of fun.

I think gas (petrol) is somewhat more pricier and houses are small with limited backyards.

In the US taxes are a killer and healthcare is broken to pieces.

But then I think the US police is more resourceful and quick to respond.
There is also tons of opportunity if you want to follow your dreams through legal channels in almost any field.

I was also disappointed to see a few immigrants and a few 3rd and 4th generation desis, shamelessly abusing the welfare system. I think, for such young people, USA is ideal. It will MAKE them lazy buggers get up in the morning and go to work. It will push them to go school and earn a professional degree or else they know that back breaking odd jobs are their future.

Recently I have heard that some portion of desi youth of Pakistani decent is slowly moving into drug trade and petty street crimes. Not sure if it’s true, but I am sure that’s not the case with Pak desi youth in USA.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

One other thing I noticed, American entertainment industry relies on British talent A LOT. So many of their films and acclaimed tv shows, once you start digging you find that all their best actors are actually British putting on an American accent.

You would think that with such a big population to choose from, they wouldn't need to rely so much on British creativity and talent, but they seem to recognise that sometimes quality really is more important than quantity.

How about the reciprocal?

May be that portion of British talent finds its worth in the American entertainment industry than finding good value in UK?
Perhaps it’s that portion of British talent that relies on the American entertainment industry? Just a thought.

At a comparison, what portion of Americans work in the British entertainment industry?

 

[Stewie]

If you like small house and lots of Taxes, move to UK.

This! +1

Also, I think US trumps every country because of its sheer magnitude and freedom of enterprise. Most of the big tech giants are American, the biggest fortune 100 employers are American, so job hopping, career switching is easy.. if you strive for excellence in your field, sky is really the limit in what you can achieve in terms of financial freedom. Taxes are lower, real estate is still cheaper compared to most advanced countries .. the housing situation in Canada and UK is pretty dire. If you want to live in council housing, UK is fine but you can own a decent house for 1/4th or 1/6th of what you pay in the UK.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

US has more land so this makes sense.

How much are the taxes, rates etc?

UK, council tax - to pay for cops, local councils etc is around £2000 a year on average I think. On top of this you have to pay your usual bills of course.

Real estate and school taxes depend on the city and state.
To give you an example
My brother has a 5000 sqft house, built on one acre lot in NY. His yearly tax bill is about $24,000.00

I have the same size of house in the Midwest and my real estate taxes are $7000 a year with better school district and greater quality of life.

Do you pay school fees? I always see yellow buses on tv shows from US, are those free for all pupils, regardless of where you live?

Those yellow buses are for public schools. Both the schools and busses are free (because you pay them through your taxes)

However, private schools are not cheap and you must provide your own transportation PLUS you are not exempt from paying public school taxes even though your kids are not attending the local public school.

My elder one goes to a pvt school
$30,000 yearly tuition fee, driver, gas, books and meals are an additional cost, plus we pay taxes for public school.

The younger ones goes to a pvt Islamic school. The tuition is about half. Rest is the same.

Why dont you guys were school uniforms?

It’s a multi billion dollar clothing industry.
Kids get into competition of wearing brand names.
Each shirt costs $50 to $200, shoes are not as bad and pants are OK too. But then they want a different one every day, and the entire new wardrobe every year.

Govt collects huge sale taxes and yet the quality of American middle and high school education is quite behind many first world countries.
Many consider American schools (K-12) as a social club.

At an average, each public school kid costs $12,000 a year to the govt/tax payer but the end product is mostly disappointing when compared to cost.

I super strongly support uniforms for school kids to begin fixing the problem but you know, money talks and rest walks.

 

[Third_Umpire]

London (lived there for 2 years in my mid 20s) is on par with living anywhere in America, despite the terrible weather. London is one of the greatest cities in the world. Rest of the UK, not so sure.

America is MUCH bigger than the UK and on average has way more to offer. Different lifestyles, weather, economies etc. it is also a much more assimilated and multi cultural country, you’re more likely to find a spot that feels like home in the US (whatever home feels like for you).

The American dream is real, if you want a shot at gold and are willing to work hard for it, this is still the best place for you.

 

[Thulsa]

https://www.ladbible.com/news/weird...udents-from-having-mullet-hairstyles-20210224

Very intersting. Anyone here lived in both countries?

Simple debate, which is a better place to live if you are on a good average income?

UK has to better surely?

I have lived in the US for over 7 years and while my main home is in the UK, I spend a fair bit of time in both.

As others have said - if you are talented/successful your ceiling is much higher in the US than it is in the UK. The cost of healthcare in the US is trivial when you are pushing a good household income but the standard of care is far better compared to the UK equivalent - especially in terms of access geographically - it is far too skewed in the Uk.

Overheads are fairly lower also - fuel, household food (but I prefer the diversity of UK shops), utilities (massive difference), childcare for 1 to 4 year olds, and private education - far better from my experience in the US.

Property - no brainier really - even if you include upmarket places the cost is lower - especially when you factor in supplementary costs like property surveys, handling fees etc. Factor in the cheap cost to drive - living outside the main cities is not as much of a barrier.

Where the UK does edge out the US is however when you start pushing to the top of your career - the amount of politics, social class/snobbery syndrome is far more prevalent in the US compared to anything I have ever observed in the UK and the level of tolerance for diversity is a lot lower.

Oh and the quality of local TV - programmes overall, comedy, culture and arts, commercials....the US is dire compared to the UK - but maybe that’s just my growing up in the UK.

 

[Thulsa]

Oh a d I forget to add - administrative burden in the US is farcical compared to the UK - you need a dedicated accountant, financial advisor, solicitor far more than in the uk as everything paperwork wise takes so bloody long. I don’t miss that aspect of the states at all.

 

[amax]

Europeans have high culture and civilization even Americans living in Germany also say this but usa has its own advantages usa is land of opportunities for risk takers and entrepreneurs.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

UK is also more congested. Plenty of parking in the US, wider and bigger roads, spacious housing, etc.

This is one area where the US definitely has the advantage. Access to some great living space and climate is a big plus, and depending on where you live, the scenery. The UK also has some great locations for what it's worth, but the property prices in the more scenic regions are astronomic. Also they are overwhelmingly white which puts me off. I already live in a white area and would prefer a more cosmopolitan feel.

 

[amax]

One other thing I noticed, American entertainment industry relies on British talent A LOT. So many of their films and acclaimed tv shows, once you start digging you find that all their best actors are actually British putting on an American accent.

You would think that with such a big population to choose from, they wouldn't need to rely so much on British creativity and talent, but they seem to recognise that sometimes quality really is more important than quantity.

British actors have strong theater background and are technically much more sound , even top US actors with no british background like al pacino ,Brando etc started from theater. Now this recent influx of computer generated stuff has even further deterioted the quality of local US actors.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Going by PP demography, I would choose US over UK any day. If the basic necessities are met, then social interactions, community plays a vital part. And it seems like expats of UK are a bit close minded, going through an identity crisis and insecure where as the US expats have successfully blended more in the relevant culture and hence more open towards difference of opinion.

Indians and Pakistanis get on fine over here. You may have noticed you very rarely get any British Indians on PP who can offer some perspective. All the Indians on PPare from abroad, and most of them are immigrants and very nationalistic, and we British won't put up with the trolling without responding in a befitting manner.

Other than that, you may ask any British Indian and they love it in the UK, that is why they are queueing up to get work visas here.

 

[ElRaja]

some people on this forum seem loaded going from this thread, maybe [MENTION=8]MIG[/MENTION] could stick in an anonymous poll to see what ppl on this site earn lolol

 

[Itachi]

Indians and Pakistanis get on fine over here. You may have noticed you very rarely get any British Indians on PP who can offer some perspective. All the Indians on PPare from abroad, and most of them are immigrants and very nationalistic, and we British won't put up with the trolling without responding in a befitting manner.

Other than that, you may ask any British Indian and they love it in the UK, that is why they are queueing up to get work visas here.

I am sure brits love their country. Though I am not sure what that has got to do with what I wrote.

 

[LongHorn]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltVtnCzg9xw

I saw this video yesterday; while I am aware of many of the cultural differences between the US and UK what I simply did not know was that in the 1940s the UK was much more accepting of Blacks and Colored people than the US. This very point is mentioned in this video

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

I am sure brits love their country. Though I am not sure what that has got to do with what I wrote.

No problem then I will explain.

You said according to your experiences ( based upon online inter-action only) it seemed British were closed minded and going through identity crisis. So I added some experienced knowledge that you cannot tell from online forums what people are like in real life. The British you meet on here might only be engaging with you on a like for like basis.

You don't have to base your opinion about Britain based on opinion on here, you could ask a British Indian for their view and compare.

 

[Itachi]

No problem then I will explain.

You said according to your experiences ( based upon online inter-action only) it seemed British were closed minded and going through identity crisis. So I added some experienced knowledge that you cannot tell from online forums what people are like in real life. The British you meet on here might only be engaging with you on a like for like basis.

You don't have to base your opinion about Britain based on opinion on here, you could ask a British Indian for their view and compare.

Fair enough. I am taking your suggestion and will discuss more about this subject with my NRI friends.

 

[Badsha]

so many misconceptions here.

For the average american, and I'm talking living in the middle of nowhere your quality of life is so much higher.

As someone who travels to europe 3-4 times a year and usually stays for a week I appreciate some aspects of UK/Netherlands but overall there is no question how much better life can be here on average.

I know countless folk who romanticize going to UK or something from America then are shocked at the lack of disposable income and housing crises all over. Not to mention how everything in UK is SO expensive.

Stuff in America is cheap and of better quality.

 

[RajBan]

This is one area where the US definitely has the advantage. Access to some great living space and climate is a big plus, and depending on where you live, the scenery. The UK also has some great locations for what it's worth, but the property prices in the more scenic regions are astronomic. Also they are overwhelmingly white which puts me off. I already live in a white area and would prefer a more cosmopolitan feel.

Big US cities are as cosmopolitan as it gets. NY is very cosmopolitan , so is Bay Area.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Big US cities are as cosmopolitan as it gets. NY is very cosmopolitan , so is Bay Area.

I don't really like big cities, much prefer the suburbs. Kent for example is about one hour from London, but it is totally different experience, much more green and natural beauty, but property prices are astronomical. Also wasn't that cosmopolitan a good while back, that might have changed in the last decade, but not much I suspect.

 

[ahsan17]

Oh a d I forget to add - administrative burden in the US is farcical compared to the UK - you need a dedicated accountant, financial advisor, solicitor far more than in the uk as everything paperwork wise takes so bloody long. I don’t miss that aspect of the states at all.

I agree with this, at least when it comes to US vs Canada. Dealing with the government and even private companies in the US is far more convulated than in Canada. Not surprised lot of Americans dislike government because of this. Although a lot of this convulated stuff is actually pushed by private corporations to help their interests.

 

[ahsan17]

Another major difference is that corruption in the US is at a different level than other developed countries. In the US, it basically is called campaign contributions and payments to give speeches, etc. This exists in other developed countries but it's not the same level. In the US, nearly all major issues that are unique to the US in developed countries are as a direct result of this issue.

 

[RajBan]

I don't really like big cities, much prefer the suburbs. Kent for example is about one hour from London, but it is totally different experience, much more green and natural beauty, but property prices are astronomical. Also wasn't that cosmopolitan a good while back, that might have changed in the last decade, but not much I suspect.

I guess to each his own. Staying in a lush green natural environment is highly desirable no doubt. Likewise staying is a multicultural diverse environment is a mindblowing experience as well.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

so many misconceptions here.

For the average american, and I'm talking living in the middle of nowhere your quality of life is so much higher.

As someone who travels to europe 3-4 times a year and usually stays for a week I appreciate some aspects of UK/Netherlands but overall there is no question how much better life can be here on average.

I know countless folk who romanticize going to UK or something from America then are shocked at the lack of disposable income and housing crises all over. Not to mention how everything in UK is SO expensive.

Stuff in America is cheap and of better quality.

This is quite true.
If healthcare is costly in USA then trust me, lots and lots of other necessities and even some luxuries are quite affordable in USA. And I am not beating the bush about housing and real estate.

Gas (petrol) is one. Clothing, groceries, travel, entertainment, leisure etc, is a lot more easily affordable then in UK.

And it's primarily because how American economy is designed to work.

With the power of dollar, they push back the inflation all over the world but take minimum inflation upon themselves.