Going back to Old Blighty next week.My English neighbour just got back and said everything is at least twice as much and the Houses really high.

Is it that expensive in England right now?

Twice as high as what?

As prices in the USA?

We're headed out to Arizona to live in November. I had a similar question to yours, but in reverse... comparing the cost of living between London and Phoenix for example.

What I could find, plus my limited personal experience of Phoenix & London, suggests that Phoenix is about 40% cheaper overall cost of living (compared to London) - but some things in UK are cheaper, such as mobile phones, utilities (approx 20%), cigarettes, health care (!), internet access, car insurance. Oh, this 40% cheaper bit is skewed by health care etc - dentistry in UK is typically much (much!) cheaper than the US, and you can take out of the equation the need frequently to top up your employee health insurance with a significant chunk of your own income... If you compare prices and adjust for relative buying power (percentage of your 'after tax' income that is needed to pay for each individual category of item) then I'd say Phoenix is about 2/3 cost of living in London.

It costs more in UK, esp the SE, to have a similar sized home.

I guess it depends on what's important to you and where you're going to be, plus what income you'll have...

Oh, lastly, in my limited experience, beef steaks are smaller than in US but generally taste better, and generally food is much cheaper in US - eating out in the UK is getting better as far as quality goes - it's still pretty poor compared to many other countries, yet is generally good enough. Continental Europe has generally better food but it is in my restricted experience (larger cities of Western/Northern Europe + Italy) more expensive.

Chuck some specific aspects out to this thread and I'll shoot some prices back at you - I live in the SE. Until November!

Cheers

Harry

Wouldnt that depend where you live?

Thanks Harry,we are just going back for a visit.
I was thinking of keeping our 2 suticases as light as possible but now I think I will pack most of my clothes USA side. I was going to buy most of them in England.
Though I know I have to buy something,can't resist.

It is so nice to be going back but our time will go by far too quickly.

All my best to you.

I'm a little out of touch with buying clothes in the US, but last time I looked (last July), clothes were approx the same cost, in general. Except for good quality Jeans and good quality mens' shirts - they're cheaper in the US, by about 25%.

Enjoy your visit - and bring an umbrella!

Cheers

Harry

I'd be very wary of making such broad comparisons. Which bit of Phoenix and which bit of London? There are places in Phoenix where you can get houses for virtually nothing but you probably wouldn't want to live there.

Just bought a house in Phoenix, I got a good deal but they certainly weren't giving it away like in some of the suburbs.

Well lets put it this way....England is held to legal randsom by its goverment..the avergage price of a gallon of gas $5.70 the averag price of a semi detached house or duplex i think you call it is $225,000 so in essence very expensive!!!

The miniumum wage is widespread that there will be no new home owners for some time, but the slumlords will profit from it all.

Barnsely must have improved then if a house there costs twice as much as this.

Sticker price only $55million

Depends where you are living now. I find food prices in UK to be quite cheap and houses to be about the same.
Arizona is cheaper than here though.
If you were in NY then you may find UK to be a bargain.

Twice as much as under Labour

That's akin to asking 'how long is a piece of string'.

Where in England?
I can feel the old "London does not mean the whole of the UK" rant coming on.

Exactly, it depends where you live, and there are lots of extra expenses here that UK residents take for granted.

Take eating out , you can pretty much add on 30% just for tips and tax.

Gas may be cheaper here , but the cars get less MPG and generally the distance you drive will be greater, and the public transportation system is limited.

Houses are cheaper though, so all in all, I think you may better off here financially, just don't get sick !