Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

Hi, apologies if there's a thread here somewhere on this (couldn't find one): what approximate outgoings am I looking at per month? So far I have:

Rent: ~$2200
Tax for house?:
Healthcare:
Car lease:
Food:

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

There is no tax on the house if you are renting, in about 99% of the cases. The cost of tax on the house is part of the rent.

Your healthcare costs are entirely dependent upon your family size, health history, and employer contributions. A family of four with no assistance from the employer could spend $1500 a month for a nice plan, or say $600 for a subsidized plan, or $0 for a fully funded plan from the employer. Ask your company and read our wiki for a better idea:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Health_Insurance

Car lease. The car isn't the problem--insurance is the problem. Car leases can be seen in any paper (see the Washington Post automotive section) but the cost of insurance is going to be large given that you probably don't have a US credit history.

Food. What is your food budget in the UK? Probably a bit more especially if you like fresh organic stuff

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

Thanks penguinsix.

Is there a council-tax equivalent (rates etc)?

Our food budget at the moment is ~£350 a month.

Unsure about employer health care as yet, so will budget for the upper figure.

Do you have any rough idea for car leasing and insurance costs?

Many thanks!

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

Council tax is not a term used over here, however there are quite a few "state and local" taxes you may have to deal with.

First is income tax. You'll pay not only a tax on your income to the Federal government (Washington) but to your local state government (Annapolis, Maryland). You probably already sussed that bit out. You may also have a city income tax which will be added to your state tax bill.

At the local level, there is a property tax on any real estate that is owned. However, as a renter you won't pay that--it will be factored into the rent price.

There may be charges for water / sewer / garbage pickup / gas / electric / cable TV / phone, etc, depending on the terms of your lease. Some of these are provided by the government (i.e. water and sewer) and others are private like cable TV and phone.

You will pay a tax on every gallon of gasoline you buy (which is worked into the price so you probably won't even know how much it is) along with a 'sales tax' that is added to nearly every purchase (6%). When you see something advertised for $100 expect to pay $106. This, by the way, is not refundable should you be visiting (like the VAT is in Europe).

As for car insurance, depends on what type of car and your credit rating. I'd say at least $100 a month but I would suspect a bit more. Take a look at some other threads on car insurance.

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

Thanks, would you be able to guesstimate these costs at all?

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

I'd start with a paycheck calculator. There are dozens of these that will tell you how much you'll actually take home. From there you can then start adding in other costs you discover (i.e. phone, car, etc)

http://www.paycheckcity.com/NetPayCa...calculator.asp
or just google "salary calculator" or "paycheck calculator"

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

city-data.com is a good place to look up cost of living....craigslist too for an idea on rent.

What kind of car are you looking for? google it and you'll get advertised lease options and then expect to pay a chunk more because you don't have any US credit history.

Things like utilities, you might be asked to put down a deposit because of not having a US credit history.

Grocery shop, well if you want decent quality goods, places like WholeFoods and Trader Joes, google them and run through their prices. If you're not bothered, check out Walmart. There are a range in between, Kroegers, Hannafords etc, but will depend on location.

Medical insurance, ask the employer how much, but also what they offer because you've got to factor in the cost of usage such as any co-pays, deductibles and what is or isn't covered.

Re: Cost of living - budget (Maryland)
 

Renters do not pay tax on the rental property. The landlord pays the taxes which comes from the monies he generates through renting the property.

No one can tell you what to budget for the other items. How do we know which healthcare company you will choose to get insurance from if you don't have employer benefits? We don't have any idea what deductible you can afford or what your prior health is or what medical conditions you currently have.

What type of car do you want to lease? Make, model, year, length of time of lease, etc. Car insurance is based on your age, driving history (of which you will have none), where you live, the type of vehicle you will be driving, the amount of coverage you wish to take out, the amount of the deductible you want for collison and comprehension.

You could all be obese and eat from morning to night and consume junk food until you vomit. You might only eat organic foods and range chickens, etc. You could be a family of 1 or a family of 19.

Perhaps you should be looking on the internet for sites that will give you comparable living stats for there and here.