Moving back to the UK from California.....relative cost of living?
Aug 4th 2018, 12:33 am
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Malibu, CA
Posts: 921
Moving back to the UK from California.....relative cost of living?
This post is really about cost of living. I've been away from the UK for long enough I'm out of touch with the reality of cost of living there.
After all the effort to make it to US citizen status..... I'm tempted to leave and make my tax situation as complicated as I can. I'm also wary of wandering into a post-Brexit apocalyptic wasteland, but on the other hand my parents are not getting any younger. And sometimes, deep down, I just fancy some haggis and a pint of Best more regularly than once a year.
So here's the skinny. A recruiter called me out of the blue from Edinburgh this past week and asked if I'd be interested in a position there. It seemed like a fairly interesting job and Edinburgh sells itself. I'm a scientist/engineer in Los Angeles and so when he asked about salary I was candid and just told him what I make right now as a starting point. I could feel him recoil on the other end of the phone. It's pretty clear that a California engineer's salary, when converted directly from USD to GBP, is substantially more than what one can expect for a similar role in Scotland.
Now....of course the cost of living in California can be pretty absurd. However a decent house in the Edinburgh area is not exactly pocket change either. I have no idea where to start in terms of comparing costs like healthcare and other things that people take for granted in the UK. I have a family with two teenage boys, 13 and 15, so university costs could also become a consideration, but I'm not up to date on the finer points of UK university costs these days and how long you have to be a resident before you apply.
So......for those of you who have made the transition from the US back to the UK, I'm ready for your stories.
(P.S. I know there is a separate forum for moving back to the UK, but I'm specifically interested in the relative costs between California and the UK right now as I try to measure up salary ranges, so hopefully this is the right place for this post.)
After all the effort to make it to US citizen status..... I'm tempted to leave and make my tax situation as complicated as I can. I'm also wary of wandering into a post-Brexit apocalyptic wasteland, but on the other hand my parents are not getting any younger. And sometimes, deep down, I just fancy some haggis and a pint of Best more regularly than once a year.
So here's the skinny. A recruiter called me out of the blue from Edinburgh this past week and asked if I'd be interested in a position there. It seemed like a fairly interesting job and Edinburgh sells itself. I'm a scientist/engineer in Los Angeles and so when he asked about salary I was candid and just told him what I make right now as a starting point. I could feel him recoil on the other end of the phone. It's pretty clear that a California engineer's salary, when converted directly from USD to GBP, is substantially more than what one can expect for a similar role in Scotland.
Now....of course the cost of living in California can be pretty absurd. However a decent house in the Edinburgh area is not exactly pocket change either. I have no idea where to start in terms of comparing costs like healthcare and other things that people take for granted in the UK. I have a family with two teenage boys, 13 and 15, so university costs could also become a consideration, but I'm not up to date on the finer points of UK university costs these days and how long you have to be a resident before you apply.
So......for those of you who have made the transition from the US back to the UK, I'm ready for your stories.
(P.S. I know there is a separate forum for moving back to the UK, but I'm specifically interested in the relative costs between California and the UK right now as I try to measure up salary ranges, so hopefully this is the right place for this post.)
Last edited by caleyjag; Aug 4th 2018 at 12:40 am. Reason: Missed a bit...
Aug 4th 2018, 10:10 am
#2
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2018
Location: BC
Posts: 15
Re: Moving back to the UK from California.....relative cost of living?
I live in Paisley, on the west of Scotland (1 hr commute from Edinburgh on train/drive)
If you go onto St Andrews university website you will find fees on there, one of the best universities in Europe and about 1hr 30mins commute from the centre of Edinburgh, other universities too to consider you have Herriot Watt University, Napier University or Edinburgh University or you have 3 Universities in Glasgow too, only 1 hr commute.
House prices are like any UK city, if you want a nice house in a nice area then it will be expensive but there are other towns nearby like;
Musselburgh
Livingston, some very nice ares, my cousin lives there, lots of new developments for great prices ' £170k+ for a three or four bedroom detached house"
Bathgate
Dalgety Bay
Queensferry
probably get more for your money with that lot, bigger garden, less council tax, schools closer by, community feel, not as congested with traffic.
university fees are free for children living in Scotland, not sure on the whole thing about the time you need to apply.
hope I was a bit useful
If you go onto St Andrews university website you will find fees on there, one of the best universities in Europe and about 1hr 30mins commute from the centre of Edinburgh, other universities too to consider you have Herriot Watt University, Napier University or Edinburgh University or you have 3 Universities in Glasgow too, only 1 hr commute.
House prices are like any UK city, if you want a nice house in a nice area then it will be expensive but there are other towns nearby like;
Musselburgh
Livingston, some very nice ares, my cousin lives there, lots of new developments for great prices ' £170k+ for a three or four bedroom detached house"
Bathgate
Dalgety Bay
Queensferry
probably get more for your money with that lot, bigger garden, less council tax, schools closer by, community feel, not as congested with traffic.
university fees are free for children living in Scotland, not sure on the whole thing about the time you need to apply.
hope I was a bit useful
Last edited by Curivan123; Aug 4th 2018 at 10:45 am.
Aug 4th 2018, 10:43 am
#3
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,192
Re: Moving back to the UK from California.....relative cost of living?
Healthcare is obviously free and so is university for your sons if they choose to study in Scotland. After three years residence they'll also be eligible for government student loans to study in the rest of the UK if they choose. I suspect just those two things alone will make a significant difference to your financial calculations compared to the US equivalent.
Aug 4th 2018, 4:55 pm
#4
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Moving back to the UK from California.....relative cost of living?
I can't help, but it's nice to see you pop back in. Good luck with the move if you take it! 
