Cost of living in US? (From an Aussie perspective)

[iraasuup]

Okay, so I live in Australia. I love my country, but MAN it is so expensive to live here.

Housing just keeps going up, as does food, fuel, electricity etc. I honestly don't know how people starting out these days, can afford anything. We are RENTING a CHEAP house, and we pay 330 a week -to get all the basics we require (in the area we like - safe, good amenities/ facilities etc)

I guess for every con there's always a pro - like Australia has one of the greatest health care systems in the world, we have great weather, and we're free to do and believe what we like. We're also very multicultural (although that is a con in some cases too).

Anyway, the purpose of my post is to gather some information. I have been researching the cost of housing in the US, and my husband and I are in utter amazement as to how cheap it is! We may possibly consider the move, but we're still praying about it. In the meantime, I'm trying to get as much information together and do my research so we can make a more informed decision.

From my understanding, the rate of pay is less in America, but then it's all relative I guess since housing etc is so much cheaper too. I have a general idea of the cost of housing. I've looked at many areas across the country, but I think I'm tossing up between Nashville, TN and Indianapolis, IN (as I could prob easily pick up work there with a sister company). We would probably buy a house (since they are so insanely cheap- we could possibly buy outright)

So the info I'm looking for is:

The cost of things such as:

Electricity/gas
Food
Public transport
Phone/internet connection
Insurance (household)
Insurance (health -I understand this is a necessity over there)
Cars (how much to buy and what does it get you?)
Minimum wage (is there a minimum per month? does it depend on age/qualifications/ field etc?)
General day-to-day household bills.

Assuming we didn't have rent or a mortgage - would we be able to meet all the daily expenses and live comfortably on say $500 USD a week?

You can give me your answers in USD (I'll convert).

Any info you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Katie

[zeroturbulence]

Hi Iraa

Well I hate to burst your bubble but Indianapolis and Nashville have high crime rates. Indianapolis came in 28th in highest crime rate out of nearly 400 US cities. Nashville came in 56th. Here is a link to a site which has the city ranks for crime rates in the US (under "City Rankings"):
CQ Press: City Crime Rankings 2009

Here is a good cost of living chart by city. Kiplinger's is a reliable source of info.
Best Cities 2010: How Does Your City Stack Up? Sortable Data, U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Population, Cost of Living Index, Creative Class, Median Household Income, Income Growth - Kiplinger

I would have suggested southern california because I think it is similar to australia in terms of climate and being multi-cultural but it also has a high cost of living. Rent on a small house (around 1,000 sq. ft. or less) in a nice, upscale neighborhood here will run you about the same as what you are paying now, around $1,400/month (although I don't know what the exchange rate is). Gas here is around $3.15 for regular (87 octane) and $3.35 for premium right now. We have special gas taxes that the rest of the country doesnt have because of our strict vehicle emissions standards. Minimum wage here is $7.25/hour and I think that is the highest in the US.

Ok I just found out that $1.00 Australian = $0.84 US dollars

[grace]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._minimum_wages

The highest I found on the list was $8.55/washington.

[iraasuup]

Thanks so much.

I am open to any areas, but I just chose Nashville, and Indianapolis because I think the US braches of the company I work for are based there, but that's not a major issue.

I will look at those links, thanks so much.

[iraasuup]

Wow Grace.

That amazes me. So, is it like a flat minimum, regardless of age/qualifications etc.

Here the minimum rate in say retail would be significantly lower than the minimum rate in a trade position or teaching or nursing etc. It varies depending on your qualifications, experience, age etc. Under 21 is considered junior and your rate increases each year after your birthday until you reach 21. Then it's only if you get a pay rise or the minimum rate for your industry is increased.
eg: I am in a LOW PAYING retail job here (for a retail Manager) and I'm on 17AUD an hour which equates to $14.31 USD (and for a Manager position here I'm about $5 under the normal rate).

My husband is a TQ Cabinet Maker- what would the minimum in a trade like that be?
That's interesting, thanks. -

Katie,

A good used family car (like a 2000 model Toyota or Honda) will cost between 5K and 8K USD. A new car will usually go for anywhere between 15K and 30K. If you don't mind driving around a banged up vehicle, you can get a semi-reliable one for 2-4K. If you have a car you're required to get insurance, which has usually cost me about 100$ a month. Fuel costs tend to be a couple hundred dollars a month as well, but vary greatly based on what kind of car you get, how far you drive, and what the driving conditions are like.

Public transportation is sort of shoddy in the states (save for a few of the larger cities). You can get bus passes in most cities, but I don't know how much those run you. Most married couples just own one or two cars, and just drive where they need to go. Unless you're in a very large city, there's usually street-parking or parking garages for your cars. Businesses will often have their own parking lots, if you work there.

Food costs a lot less here than in other countries, from what I've seen. You can get a decent meal at a restaurant for 10-20$ a person. Groceries run me around 300$ a month, but I like nice foods and eat out regularly as well.

I don't know people who have land-line phones, but a robust cell-phone contract can be had for 70$ a month. Internet for $35-75 a month, depending on how fast you want it.

Health insurance is often provided by an employer, if you have a good job. I don't know what it would cost on your own.

Minimum wage often isn't really an issue, unless you're getting an entry-level job. To answer your question though, it ranges from 5-9 dollars an hour, think. Different states have different minimum wages, which you can usually find on google.

Originally Posted by iraasuup

Assuming we didn't have rent or a mortgage - would we be able to meet all the daily expenses and live comfortably on say $500 USD a week?

That realllly depends on where you live, but I think that sounds pretty feasible.

[iraasuup]

Thank you Topher, that was very informative!

[NodMyHeadLikeYeah]

Originally Posted by iraasuup

Okay, so I live in Australia. I love my country, but MAN it is so expensive to live here.

Housing just keeps going up, as does food, fuel, electricity etc. I honestly don't know how people starting out these days, can afford anything. We are RENTING a CHEAP house, and we pay 330 a week -to get all the basics we require (in the area we like - safe, good amenities/ facilities etc)

I guess for every con there's always a pro - like Australia has one of the greatest health care systems in the world, we have great weather, and we're free to do and believe what we like. We're also very multicultural (although that is a con in some cases too).

Anyway, the purpose of my post is to gather some information. I have been researching the cost of housing in the US, and my husband and I are in utter amazement as to how cheap it is! We may possibly consider the move, but we're still praying about it. In the meantime, I'm trying to get as much information together and do my research so we can make a more informed decision.

From my understanding, the rate of pay is less in America, but then it's all relative I guess since housing etc is so much cheaper too. I have a general idea of the cost of housing. I've looked at many areas across the country, but I think I'm tossing up between Nashville, TN and Indianapolis, IN (as I could prob easily pick up work there with a sister company). We would probably buy a house (since they are so insanely cheap- we could possibly buy outright)

So the info I'm looking for is:

The cost of things such as:

Electricity/gas
Food
Public transport
Phone/internet connection
Insurance (household)
Insurance (health -I understand this is a necessity over there)
Cars (how much to buy and what does it get you?)
Minimum wage (is there a minimum per month? does it depend on age/qualifications/ field etc?)
General day-to-day household bills.

Assuming we didn't have rent or a mortgage - would we be able to meet all the daily expenses and live comfortably on say $500 USD a week?

You can give me your answers in USD (I'll convert).

Any info you can give me is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Katie

Katie,

Im gonna agree with zero, the two places you picked to probably live arent any good. Plus nashville is the country music captial of the world.Just for that fact alone i wouldnt live there lol

I think i can probably help you out. I live in norfolk Virginia. I just bought a house for 210,000 dollars. My mortgage is 1,350 a month. Electricity i pay about 150 dollars internet and cable well that just depends on what provider you go through. Water is about 150 as well. Insurance, yes it is a must! Depending on who you go through it can get expensive. Groceries for two people yeah about 300 dollars

In the city i live in Public Transportation isnt very safe. So a lot of people here have cars, I bought a 1999 Honda accord for 8,000 dollars. I paid in cash so i dont have a car payment or anything so i cant help you as to what those are like. However you have to get car insurance as well. Food, well thats why we got wal-mart! Everything at walmart is cheap. Especially food.

Minimum wage here is $7.25 As to weather you get paid more or not does depend on skill and qualifications.

I wouldnt pick the capital of a city to live in katie, because those always have the worse crime rates. However you were right on with picking the south to live in

[NodMyHeadLikeYeah]

Originally Posted by zeroturbulence

Hi Iraa

Well I hate to burst your bubble but Indianapolis and Nashville have high crime rates. Indianapolis came in 28th in highest crime rate out of nearly 400 US cities. Nashville came in 56th. Here is a link to a site which has the city ranks for crime rates in the US (under "City Rankings"):
CQ Press: City Crime Rankings 2009

Here is a good cost of living chart by city. Kiplinger's is a reliable source of info.
Best Cities 2010: How Does Your City Stack Up? Sortable Data, U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Population, Cost of Living Index, Creative Class, Median Household Income, Income Growth - Kiplinger

I would have suggested southern california because I think it is similar to australia in terms of climate and being multi-cultural but it also has a high cost of living. Rent on a small house (around 1,000 sq. ft. or less) in a nice, upscale neighborhood here will run you about the same as what you are paying now, around $1,400/month (although I don't know what the exchange rate is). Gas here is around $3.15 for regular (87 octane) and $3.35 for premium right now. We have special gas taxes that the rest of the country doesnt have because of our strict vehicle emissions standards. Minimum wage here is $7.25/hour and I think that is the highest in the US.

Ok I just found out that $1.00 Australian = $0.84 US dollars

ohh yeah California is great if you like earth quakes and heat all year round

[iraasuup]

Originally Posted by NodMyHeadLikeYeah

Katie,

Im gonna agree with zero, the two places you picked to probably live arent any good. Plus nashville is the country music captial of the world.Just for that fact alone i wouldnt live there lol

I think i can probably help you out. I live in norfolk Virginia. I just bought a house for 210,000 dollars. My mortgage is 1,350 a month. Electricity i pay about 150 dollars internet and cable well that just depends on what provider you go through. Water is about 150 as well. Insurance, yes it is a must! Depending on who you go through it can get expensive. Groceries for two people yeah about 300 dollars

In the city i live in Public Transportation isnt very safe. So a lot of people here have cars, I bought a 1999 Honda accord for 8,000 dollars. I paid in cash so i dont have a car payment or anything so i cant help you as to what those are like. However you have to get car insurance as well. Food, well thats why we got wal-mart! Everything at walmart is cheap. Especially food.

Minimum wage here is $7.25 As to weather you get paid more or not does depend on skill and qualifications.

I wouldnt pick the capital of a city to live in katie, because those always have the worse crime rates. However you were right on with picking the south to live in

Thanks so much. Again, very informative.

I hear you on the country music thing, but isn't there a lot of Christian music there too? I work in the Christian Music/Books industry... so that's why I was thinking there... but like I said I'm open to anywhere. I do like the southern accents, so it'd have to be south.

Pass on California, no earthquakes or heat for me!

[iraasuup]

Okay so what in the blue blazers is the deal with the ridiculous house prices in Atlanta Georgia? They might as well be giving them away.

Is it safe? Are there jobs? What's the city close to? What's the population? What is crime like? Why the heck are houses so cheap?!

[NodMyHeadLikeYeah]

Originally Posted by iraasuup

Okay so what in the blue blazers is the deal with the ridiculous house prices in Atlanta Georgia? They might as well be giving them away.

Is it safe? Are there jobs? What's the city close to? What's the population? What is crime like? Why the heck are houses so cheap?!

Atlanta depending on what part you go in, has a lot of crime! My grandparents are from Georgia, my parents are in georgia right now actually visiting them. My grandmother is a real estate agent there in Albany georgia, Houses have always been pretty cheap there. Also depending on which area you wanna move to. And if you dont like heat, i would NOT move to georgia, especially south georgia. Mississippi, alabama, georgia very very hot there. I have relatives in all those states. North Carolina is awesome. Winston salem, kernersville, greensboro. The houses there are great prices, My cousins live there. There are tons of christian book stores music stores there.

The jobs you would probably look for there are Lifeway, heaven and earth. Those are two christian book store/music stores there.

[resurrection33]

Reno, Nevada, isn’t the cheapest place to live, I don’t think:

Electricity and natural gas $55-110 per month (two-room apartment).
Local phone 18.16
Long distance phone 5.95 + calls
Hi speed DSL internet 28.00
Rent 535/month (it doesn’t get much cheaper than this in Reno)
Gasoline a little over 3.00 per gallon at the moment
Car insurance 224.15/6 months for a 1998 Nissan Sentra no accidents
Medical-dental 59.68/month
I don’t have household insurance
2010 Honda Civics start at 15,455
2010 Honda Accords start at 21,055
US minimum wage 7.25 as of 07/24/2009

Recently at the grocery store:
Gallon of milk 2.28
Half gallon of orange juice 3.58
10 packs of Quaker oatmeal 4.28
Box of Shredded Wheat (16.4 oz/464 grams) 3.98
Healthy Choice frozen dinner 3.78
Pound of bread 0.88
Tide laundry detergent 4.98/737 grams
Jif peanut butter 2.98/510 grams

Bus prices:
10 ride pass 17.00
7 days 21.00
31 days 70.00
24 hour 12.00

I should gross a little over 30,000 this year. I put 16% into a retirement account. I rent. I live alone. I pretty much break even financially.

[zeroturbulence]

Originally Posted by iraasuup

Thanks so much. Again, very informative.

I hear you on the country music thing, but isn't there a lot of Christian music there too? I work in the Christian Music/Books industry... so that's why I was thinking there... but like I said I'm open to anywhere. I do like the southern accents, so it'd have to be south.

Pass on California, no earthquakes or heat for me!

The earthquakes here usually never do major damage or cause any injuries or death. The ones that do only occur about every 20 years or so and you have to be lucky enough to live within a few miles of the epicenter where it originated. For the most part they are just a form of amusement because it gives people something to talk about for a couple of days. I've been through several already and they never last more than a minute and they usually feel like you're on a boat, but once in awhile it feels like up and down jolts, but unless you are running down stairs without holding a railing its not gonna make you fall or terrify you. All the buildings here are required to withstand a 7.0.

The heat here is actually mild compared to australia. Its usually between 60 and 85 farenheit (15.55 to 29.44 celcius) except during the summer months when it is usually between 70 and 95 (21.11 and 35 celcius). It does go up to 105 (40.55 c) or even 110 some days but only a handful.

Nod...what exactly do you have against country music?!!

[jimmydiggs]

Here where I live in Missouri, minimum wage is 7.25/h or 6.40/h depends on who you are working for, some businesses such as restaurants will pay much less than that. Prices for most things are relatively low though.

Where I lived in kansas, you could get a 5/h job and you could afford to live in the same standard as someone here in missouri making 15/h, but out where I lived in kansas, we didn't really have any neighbors.....

[1still_waters]

Most huge cities are going ton place high in crime compared to the other cities in America, so don't let that automatically make you discount moving there.

[iraasuup]

Wow, thanks for the info guys.

We're considering the option of buying a place as an investment for now. We figure the process of moving could take months and we don't know how long the real-estate will be this cheap for. At least then we have an option. If we decide to come over, we'll already have a place and we won't be losing out because it will be being rented in the mean time. I'm just not sure about buying a house from the other side of the world - without physically seeing it. All I've got to go by now is pictures - so we'll have to see if we can work around that.

But I appreciate the input guys. Thanks!

[jimmydiggs]

Considering the amount of foreclosed homes, you might get something good for a cheap price, if you know how to barter.

In "high crime" areas, you will find it still varies based upon your neighborhood. There are some places, like Arkansas and Idaho where housing is extremely inexpensive. In my town you can but a nice three bedroom for $50,000. The downside is the job situation, though if you have a good work history there are jobs available, especially in the nearby technology corridor. Most of the U.S. states have government sites that will show you labor info, like where jobs are available and how much they pay.

[Sharp]

Katie

I haven't read all of the responses here. But I was there some time ago, and its cheap as.

I can understand why people there get fat so easily (no offence anyone). The candy bars there are less than a dollar. Like these are king size things - the size you and me would pay about $3.50 for at a service station. Real food is also cheap too. I got the biggest pasta dish I've ever seen for about $6, at a very nice looking restaurant at a ski resort!!

I found some of the bigger cities had really cheap public transport. In LA or NY I think it was one trip is about $2, no matter where you go, as long as its just one train. The same thing here in Sydney could cost me $12, which is why I don't catch trains. Also people just talk to you in the street in america - that is acceptable behaviour haha.

But how are you gonna get a green card? Oh and don't get sick or injured, then you're stuffed hahaha!

Also those beanies that cover your ears and have dangly parts are really cheap. I bought about 10 from this mexican fella for about $12 !!!