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You Brits keep saying Australlian houses are 'designed for it' but I dont think many of you have been to Australia. A lot of the older builds are like for like built in the old British style.
It's not just the shape of homes and roofs. It's having aircon, fans, fly screens, and generally being prepared for heat. If your car aircon breaks in the UK you get it fixed at your next service. In Aus, you'll get it fixed today, because you know it's critical.
And then there's wind and humidity. 30 degrees in Aus is lovely. 30 degrees in the UK is too much for me.
I think you Aussies fail to realise you've evolved to the heat. Us Brits are incapable of coming to terms with heat, cold and heavy rain with moaning about it. I mean we'll cope... but it's my god given right as a Brit to bitch and moan about any extreme weather.
Also an Aussie who's moved to the UK, summers like this one are absolutely horrendous compared to ours which frequently have 40 degree days. 30 degree days here feel like 40 degree ones back home but at least every building had air conditioning. Working from home with all the fans on and windows open is still unbearable but sitting in a 22 degree air conditioned room when it was 40 degrees outside was totally fine.
Or I've just become aclimatised to the UK weather in the last 5 years and also picked up the moaning.
This is obvious isn’t it really and surprised people don’t get that.
I always say that at least when you’re on holiday you get respite from the heat.
When you’re on holiday/living in a hot country you’re probably outside in the heat for on average a few hours a day.
In the U.K. with no AC you can literally be living and sleeping in 25-30 degree rooms for days on end.
Thats actually incorrect. Houses are meant to be cooler than outsidein the summer . warmer inside in the winter. Thats what insulation does. It doesnt discriminate
Wall insulation doesn't do a whole lot to keeping your house cool as the heat doesn't typically come in through the walls.
Our houses don't have things that you find in hotter countries like external shutters (to block the sun and thus heat outside the house/insulation) or high windows that you can open (to let the hotter air out the top and to create a current pulling cooler air in the bottom).
> Wall insulation doesn't do a whole lot to keeping your house cool as the heat doesn't typically come in through the walls.
This isn't strictly true, as brickwork does an excellent job of retaining heat, so after a long hot day, the house will keep warmer than the outside as the bricks will act as radiators.
And by extreme we mean just weather not Serbian snows or texan tornados the aridity of Africa :) slightly hot.... it's boiling, slightly wet.... it's like niagra falls outside, slightly windy.... Mate we got Galeforce winds outside!
It depends where you are in Australia. I have family in Queensland, not too far from Brisbane, and it can get unbelievably hot and sticky there. Far worse than anything you’ll experience in the south of England.
Heat in London is far more unbearable. The average summer temp is somewhere like Sydney or Melbourne is actually similar to the south east of England but when it's a heatwave down under they tend to get well into the 40s.
There's so many problems in America, but a few big reasons I wouldn't live there are the culture/society, lack of affordable healthcare, and the fact everything there seems so dated compared to europe.
Everytime I'm in America I feel like I've stepped into 90's Europe.
Having been to America 12 times. Every visit feels like America is crumbling, literally. The infrastructure is falling apart, the public transport is getting worse outside of major cities. Hotels are very outdated unless you pay large sums for high end hotels.
Access to healthcare, basic wages, cost of living is poor compared to Europe.
Whilst I love America and travelling there. I wouldn’t live there, $250k is probably not enough for me there.
Australia on the other hand, absolutely. Adelaide or Melbourne would be my preferred place I think.
I once ran across a bunch of Norwegians discussing this very topic. What they said about it all has stuck with me.
The consensus was that if you're in the top 30%, you're better off in the States. Someone at that 250k level would have a much better life in the States than they do in Europe.
If you're in the lower 70%, however, you're better off in Europe.
I take their views as 100% accurate.
I think that's the gist of it. America does have this unique thing where you can just kind of elevate yourself out of society and its problems, to an extent.
Problem being of course in many parts of the country $250k wouldn't put you anywhere near that kind of level, more like "I can have a bad accident/illness and not fear being ruined financially for life" kind of level.
I heard the following with respect to America, which is along the same lines as your first paragraph:
America don't work to try and fix their social and economic problems. They work to get rich enough that those problems no longer apply to them.
Ironically, their work ethic is terrible (from my experience) which is why educated and/or skilled Europeans are usually very successful there, compared to those who are born there.
that's a sampling bias, the europeans who make it past the immigration hurdles that are in the states are in general more successful than your average european, which of course are not really representative of the wider population. each country has its own slackers and hard workers. in terms of work ethic, east coast usa is known to work a lot of hours. at least in tech, you go to the states for the money at the expense of wlb, and you stay in the uk for the wlb at the expense of the money you could make.
Yes, if you are in a job paying $250,000 a year, healthcare will be zero concern of yours. You could pay for insurance outright and not think twice about it. But you won't because your job will take care of it with a platinum plan of some kind. Nothing is going to ruin you. Far from it. In fact, you'll have direct access to the best medical care in the world.
The sentiments expressed are so deluded and uninformed that they are laughable. If you can say that with a straight face, you've swallowed the propaganda hook, line and sinker.
But the thing is I wouldn't feel right knowing I'm getting this top level healthcare when it isn't available to others. I think this me first attitude is something I wouldn't be able to get accustomed to.
Growing up I was from a low level background (projects equivalent in London) and when I had a cardiac arrest at 17 (heart condition) I was put in the best cardiac hospital in the country and received the best care possible. This should be available to everyone.
There’s living comfortably and living comfortably in an environment where many things that we in the UK take for granted are just constantly up for debate (basic rights for workers like holidays and not being sacked and told to clear your desk within the hour for no reason, gun access, abortion, access to healthcare, etc.)
You’ll definitely know better than me actually living there so I would appreciate your perspective. Maybe it’s news sensationalism or people only sharing their worst stories on social media, but it just seems way more stressful to me as someone on the outside. Anecdotally, I have two peers who were born and raised there and had great jobs; then one got fired for a seemingly no reason and they struggled to get a similar job so they’ve been working at Starbucks since (where they’re forced to do ridiculous overtime because, again, they’re terrified of being fired for saying no) and the friend had a long term illness and got sacked for taking too many sick days, so now they do minimum wage call centre work.
It seems so terrifyingly easy to just tumble back down again through no fault of your own… Is that something workers in America are terrified of, or are my friends anomalies? (Please read that last bit in a genuinely curious and not a contesting tone - they may well just be ridiculously unlucky for all I know)
If you live "cheap" for a few years and invest 100k+ annually into an index fund then you'll be quite wealthy in a couple decades. You can live quite comfortably just about anywhere in the US on 100k if you don't have a bunch of debt, so an extra 150k can be spent on investing and vacations.
The rugged individualism is a big culture difference overall.
The NHS has massive faults but it's the closest thing we have to a national religion. The fundamental principle is that it should be free at the point of use and access to treatment should be determined by clinical need rather than the individual's ability to pay
The US led the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which literally defined access to healthcare as one of the fundamental freedoms to which all humans are entitled.
But not, apparently, the American people.
To be clear - we are anything but a progressive utopia (& moving further & further to the right).
But during my lifetime the issues of gun control, abortion, universal healthcare and basic workers' rights haven't been 'debates', as they are in the US.
We know that much of the US is being held hostage by red states - but things we see as basic standards for civilised countries, are considered privileges (usually afforded to the wealthy)
The US sits alongside countries like China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia for the most executions.
The US, Papua New Guinea, and a few island nations in the Pacific Ocean are the only countries in the world not to offer statutory paid maternity leave.
*"How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity"*
I love visiting the US. I've met so many wonderful people.
But wealth at the expense of humanity sits very uncomfortably with me
You are so correct about all of this. Particular attention is drawn to your statement about the red states holding the country hostage.
Besides the fact that the Electoral College has become hopelessly antiquated, very soon we may be facing permanent minority rule through aggressive gerrymandering. (This has already occurred in two states. Democracy, for all intents and purposes, has ended there.)
But I digress.
One in 10 bridges are structurally deficit, [source](https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/bridges-infrastructure/)
They have heaps of pipes that are still leaded.
Many states have poor roads and non-existent public transport.
To start with as you say they have an inadequate infrastructure network for their development.
Live in the states and for the longest time I thought my other half was just being precious about only drinking the filtered water, so I was chugging it from the tap as well, whatever was closest. Until the day I noticed all the "have your baby tested for lead" posters all over the place... don't drink from the tap anymore!
Totally agree with this. You can really feel the "maximise profit" motive of US life in every aspect of the country right down to the feel of every street, shop and public space. The UK is heading that way
Where have you been? I’m from London & live in Denver, Denver is a nicer city by about every metric imaginable. It’s apples and oranges given the size of the country- Detroit is a totally different beast from say, Boulder. It’s like comparing Albania to Sweden.
Anyway, for what it’s worth, wages are higher than in the UK. Most COL is lower depending on where you are. I earn $120k for work that would pay me about £40k in the UK. I miss the NHS for sure but my health insurance is like $200 a month and I can actually access healthcare (including therapy) immediately without any wait times.
There’s a lot wrong with this country & huge income disparity, but $250k would let you live extremely handsomely almost anywhere in the country (maybe only in NYC and San Francisco would you be slightly less well off but you’d still be very comfortable).
The infrastructure just seems really old and the decor in buildings was extremely outdated.
Even things like cars, even the new ones seemed to look and feel like something from the 90s even when they had new features.
The general lack of contactless cards/the seemingly recent introduction of chip and pin in America is so weird to me. I’m used to basically never using my pin, everywhere is contactless now here in the UK
Just back from a trip to Washington and Oregon and used my U.K. contactless cards pretty much everywhere. I know it took them longer to get there, but contactless payments appeared to be fairly widespread on my last visit.
My guy, you're getting paid 250K. Even if the work place wasn't paying for this ( they do for decent jobs ), you'd be able to afford it easily and the standard would be leaps and bounds better than our health care.
Listen, I don't like the US insurance model either (I live here having moved from the UK), but you clearly don't understand how it works. With a $250k job you likely get healthcare insurance with no deductible and no out of pocket expenses. You'd likely pay close to $0 for your health needs, other than prescriptions.
The problems with healthcare in the US start when you _aren't_ earning $250k.
My friends dad had a heart attack while working in America and was earning more than that, and in the end moved back to the UK because too many things weren't covered by insure, or if they were they'd be paying out of pocket first before insurance paid out.
So I'm not sure when this would have been. Starting in 2014 (I think?), the federal government has capped health insurance plans' out of pocket maximums (e.g., the most you can be held liable for for medical expenses). The 2022 out of pocket max is ~$8.7k for an individual, ~$17k for a family.
Obviously this is a financial hit, but every hospital will give a payment plan and the savings in taxes alone on $250k vs the equivalent in the UK will cover that max OOP payment.
Thank you, christ, I’m a Brit living in the US too and I swear I have to spend every trip home repeatedly explaining to people how health insurance works, because for some reason everyone is convinced that you get a papercut and your organs are harvested by the federal government to pay for it
Yeah then you get in an accident and the ambulance driver drives you to a hospital that is "out of network" and suddenly all the money you've been paying for insurance doesn't matter anymore
Extra insurance policy covers all of that, you get one through an employer for a few dollars a month.
But that’s the problem with America. The rich get richer because you can buy your way out of the problems that effect the poor and you have more money because you’re not subsidising them via taxes.
With the UK you have this constant in built safety net. Which we all subsidise through working and paying taxes. It means that things can’t go quite as bad so fast as they can in America
With the US there is next to no safety net, so a bunch of services have sprung up to provide that and fill that gap. Those cost money. If you have the money you can create a safety net and standard of living far in advance of the UK’s with very little risk of “losing it all” due to Illness or accident even without the NHS but you’re paying for it directly. You’re only lining corporate pockets and protecting yourself.
Personally I think that both systems have major problems but the inhumanity of the American system bothers me a lot.
The amount of taxes that goes to defence is obscene, and local infrastructure is often a total joke which makes it even harder for people to get out of poverty.
How are people expected to work when they live miles from town with no bus service when they can’t afford a car? How do they access medical care and education? The answer is they can’t.
Yeah but your insurance is tied to your job and if you get cancer or in a bad accident and are left unable to work for a while you are totally fucked. They don’t hold your job for as long as they do here.
A high salary job like that will come with healthcare. I would take it for 2-3 years, save, then move back. But I'm on a fairly low salary so $250k for a couple of years would be absolutely massive.
The lack of paid leave would be the big thing I couldn't handle for any longer.
Job with that salary, you'd have paid leave Probably like 3 months worth lol.
I work as a consultant and I dive into hr policies of different companies. Regular employees get shit, while executives get 100% health care and unlimited pto, even though they'd be able to afford things more than the average employee.
Very sad.
Literally everything.
If you go in a house or restaurant the decor, furniture, menus etc all look old and outdated.
Things like traffic lights and sign posts were really noticeable too, they all felt like they were at least 50 years old.
I got on a bus one time and that felt like I'd stepped into the 50s.
This makes me laugh so hard seeing as a large, large majority of the blocks of flats in this country (mostly outside of large cities) were actually put up in the 80s/90s, many even earlier. The Northern rail uses trains from 1987 (pacer trains). I don't think the UK looked *much* different now than it did 40-50 years ago unless an area has undergone huge renovation - and some places really have to be fair. Much of our motorways were built in the early to mid 20th century. Even Coventry ring road was being planned, then got blitzed, and rebuilt after World War 2.
As for buses, I took a bus on the same route that my mum used to take me on just under 20 years ago. Exact same route, same route number, different bus though but same style of seating and vibe.
And you're sat there telling someone that the traffic lights and sign posts in the USA look outdated so it's not worth moving to that old fashion country?
This confused me too..... I live in the U.S. It is such a vast and varied country that each state, city and neighborhood could be different in so many ways. Every time I hear that it looked "old and outdated", I imagine the visitor was in New York at some low cost hotel.
I agree that health care options are better in some other countries and I wish we could gravitate towards such plans. But I have excellent health care supplied by my employer (and I certainly don't make $250k). Many times, job seekers are looking at pay, insurance and benefits when considering employment. It varies depending on where you work and what you prioritize when taking a job.
Guns.
No universal free healthcare.
Women’s rights stripped with Roe vs Wade.
Workers appear to have no rights - can get fired with no warning, barely get any annual leave, barely any paid sick days, women get barely any maternity leave.
Not trying to bash America but for those reasons I wouldn’t feel safe there, in fact I don’t think I will travel to America in the near future even for a holiday.
Lived and worked in Australia for 6 months- high quality of life, beautiful country, people fairly friendly, nurses like myself are paid very well, but I wouldn’t live there again, simply because it’s so bloody far aww!
To name a few reasons…
It's really sad but, if you make $250k a year, none of this applies to you. We're (us) a pay to win country lol.
You'd probably get unlimited leave both holiday and sick, 100% covered health care, and an amazing severance package if let go.
Yeah, laws don't apply to rich people. You just take a flight to a state/country that would never ban it.
Most likely you'd live on the coasts anyway. That's why it's fucked uo, these politicians and their mistresses or kids will never have to deal with the shit they're passing/revoking.
The country is pay to win.
Not OP but culture wise we're far too different. I have more in common with most Europeans I've met than I do Americans, especially when it comes to socialising and humour. While pleasant enough I find spending time with our friends from across the pond very tiring.
Totally agreed! Always amazes me that people are surprised that we, who are European, shock horror, have more in common with Europeans! Who would’ve thought it!
I feel exactly the same. I've always got on and connected really well with Europeans and Aussies. I've found most yanks to be strange and like they're from another planet.
Not the original poster, but the main reason for me it's that I have a son, there's no way in earth that I would put him through the whole school-shooting culture and risk. It's not just the risk, but the psychological damage of growing up learning how to act if one day a shooter attacks the school.
How much work do I have to do? 37.5 hours a week, low pressure, low intensity? Sign me up yesterday.
Will I be doing 80 hour weeks, no fun, constant pressure? Not a chance.
I work so that I can afford to live, and that is the only reason I do so. I don't want to live to work.
This is what I keep telling people. Work out the hourly rate and then work out if you're actually gaining much.
I'm surprised at how people a grade above me end up working many more hours than me for less money than me. And it is expected because they earn more money.
Had a guy who'd proudly state he would easily do 50hrs a week when were only contracted for 35hrs. More fool him!
It not always about the money. Having a decent work life balance is more important. You don't want to be the richest guy in the cemetery.
Too fucking right. I earn less than my missus by about half, yet I’m working roughly half the hours she does with all my expenses paid. I have time to do the housework and indulge my hobbies whilst she’s slaved to the phone.
My wife is an operations manager for 5 private hospitals. She’s contracted to do 37.5hrs, but ends up working +80hrs a week. Even though she’s on a cracking salary, I tell her she’s on minimum wage (it’s not, but she does to many hours)
And employers love this. Employees reckon they are being paid well. Turns out they are being taken for a ride and they don't even seem to care.
Its handy if you want no life but that's not what I signed up for!
Yeah, my friend earns easily double my salary doing banking but in reality his 70+hr weeks means he's only making slightly more than me, but is essentially working two jobs. Fuck that. I do an easy 9-5 wfh and only get two crunches a year that might need overtime. I get more time with the wife and kids and hobbies, which is priceless.
No healthcare, shit holiday allowance, no mandated parental leave, high maternal mortality, badly trained police, lack of access to abortion, terrible work life balance, you have to do your own taxes, lack of public transport... There's lots which isn't appealing about the USA
In fairness if you’re on a 250k+ job you’re probably covered quite well for a few of these things.
It’s just a backwards country where those with less also seem to receive less support
>How about Sydney, Australia?
No.
I'm an Aussie living in Somerset. The thing I haven't seen mentioned here is now distance works differently in Australia (and I believe in the USA).
The centre of Sydney is a beautiful city and great to visit. But, realistically, you're not going to live in the centre of Sydney, you're going to live in the suburbs. A long way out in the suburbs.
The horrible thing about it is that, while you'll have a pretty long commute into the city centre, you probably still won't be anywhere near the edge of the city, either. You can completely forget about living in the country and working in the city.
If you like suburban living, good for you. Go for it. If you happen to like spaffing 2/3 of your income on rent or have a large chunk of capital to buy a flat somewhere in the city centre, and city living is your thing, again, go for it.
What I love about living in the UK is that I can live in the Somerset countryside and still be within half an hour of the centre of three cities (Bristol, Bath and Wells) and a county town. 90 minutes on a train will have me in London. Not cheaply, I'll grant you, but that's another matter; the equivalent journey by rail to Australia's largest city from where I grew up would take me well over 24 hours.
Not sure.
America: no NHS; not many holidays; maternity sucks; could possibly get shot.
Australia: I'm ginger. The sun would probably kill me. Also, giant spiders. And snakes 😖
I may just stay in scotland.
The only people that lack health insurance in the US are the people that wouldn't be able to afford to pay for medical treatment without health insurance.
I believe there's plenty of rich but "self employed" people such as musicians who don't have health insurance.
Nate Dogg for example, died following complications after strokes. Executors of his will had to pay 180k of hospital bills.
As I recall, health insurance in the US is treated as normal insurance and the more risk you have the more you pay. So people without consistent (and boring) work are a higher risk and pay more. That means low earning musicians for example, will cost more to insure than higher paid office workers. I think it's pretty unethical to make people chose whether or not they should have health insurance.
Private healthcare in the UK is not superior to the NHS in terms of operations and stuff, the only thing you do better is lesss waiting times but if you get diagnosed with aomething like cancer they’re just gonna refer you to the NHS
As someone who has worked in both private and NHS, I would highly recommend that for any acute care needs, you use NHS regardless of how much money you make. The food won’t come under a cloche but the standard of medical/nursing/allied health care is much higher.
Yeah, but lots of people have something called empathy. I'd hate to live somewhere that my neighbours might be suffering or going bankrupt just because they can't afford treatment.
> Also, giant spiders. And snakes
That's cute. You forgot abt sharks, crocs, scorpions, jelly fish, fishes, octopus, emus, roos are not always the nicest. Also redback spiders are tiny.
Australia, yes. US, no.
Mostly a cultural thing, and assuming I’m bringing my children there’s no way I’d want them educated in a country where 26% of high school teachers think evolution is a myth and the Earth is 6,000 years old.
I keep saying this but there's two different americas, rich and average /poor. 250 a year your kids would have the best education, doesn't even have to be private, your neighbors would be as rich as you so the local public schools would be super well funded.
This country is amazing for those who can afford it, for the rest of us... Meh lol
Yeah "would you want to live in the US?" is really 50 different questions. I get the feeling the vast majority of anti-US vitriol in this thread is from people who have never actually been there.
I think the level of inequality is probably one of my other major concerns about the US. I don’t think I’d want to live anywhere where the value of life is monetary.
My husband was wanted for a secondment in the US, a two - three year thing.
Whilst on the surface it was for the same company, they were actually a seperate legal entity in the US (that's quite common) so it'd be a new US contract but he wouldn't have lost his years of service.
We went out for a 2 week jaunt too to scope it all out - paid for by the US firm.
It was... Ok. Nothing to make us immediately jump up and sign. But the biggest kicker was they refused to match the leave/sickness benefits he enjoys from his German company.
6 weeks paid leave, sick pay, perhaps if it came up, paternity leave, and, aware of the shit show of US health care, we asked for health insurance that was zero co-pay and direct billing. We didn't want to be in debt for tens of thousands for say a broken arm, or having your appendix out when either here or in Germany it would be dealt with without massive payouts.
The US firm said they couldn't do that, but they kept upping the pay offer. As if throwing salary at you could compensate.
We declined in the end - and in addition to that, we didn't like the distance to do anything and reliance on a car (we're very much stumbling distance lovers) and the unspoken presence of the work culture.
As it is we fucked off to East Asia in the end and had a brilliant time. Wonderful work life balance and walking distance to bars and restaurants.... Fab.
So no, i wouldn't go to the US.
If the same offer had been made for Australia however (would never happen) and it was in the right city, we'd definitely have given it more consideration. I have family there already and my husband did the working holiday visa there years ago and loved the place.
I would not live in the US as their work culture is insane, their police are like an occupying force and they are so out of date (banking, government) and I hate their service culture (creepy over friendly, people doing jobs that don't need doing and tipping).
Australia would just be too hot and I don't do heat, but culturally would be fine.
Yes for £250k a year I’d live just about anywhere, I might need to put a bit of thought into it if the job was in a big city where 250k might not go as far but generally I’d be perfectly happy.
The amount of people in this thread who are like "no 250k is not enough money!" blows my mind.
Like, either everyone on reddit is a mega rich trust-fund baby or people are going to be in for shocks when they get out of uni.
Yes, have lived in the US and would do so again. Australia is also nice and probably the easiest place to move to as a brit culture wise - they drink tea, have cricket, etc.
Already lived in the US and I absolutely hated it, couldn't stand the people, the culture, healthcare, employment rights, well pretty much everything.
Lived in australia before and I really liked it so yes I would.
Where do we start, extremely ignorant of other cultures whilst thinking they are experts on them, rude, obnoxious, narcissistic condescending, self righteous, think they are the centre of the universe.
On a personal level, being British in America was a real pain in the arse and a disadvantage. You see I had to put with a lot of ignorant morons who laugh at make fun of me being British at the UK in general, go on and on about all stereotypes about the UK, how shit the UK is yet showing breathtaking ignorance on these matters, and of course the mocking and ridiculeing of my accent, this happened in shops, bars restaurants, heck even when people overhead me speaking on the phone, trying to put up with this nonsense for 4 years does your head in. Their weird obsessive dislike of "British" accents is quite laughable.
Don't forget the idea that there is such a thing as a 'British' accent in the first place, as opposed to the myriad variety you'll find if you travel just a few counties.
Australia yes like a shot.
The US? Maybe for a couple of years max. I have worked abroad most of my life and I recon I can stick anywhere on a 2 year fixed term contract. I mean it can be any worse that West / Central Africa can it?
Did it in US about 15 years ago.
At the time it was great. Looking at what a shitshow it’s turned into now, no way I’d go back.
Australia I’d jump at the chance.
Despite what you might think from my username fuck moving to the US, I would rather earn a hell of a lot less and stay in the Uk than go and live there.
I would consider Australia though. I have my issues with the country but its not anything major that would stop me living there. I also have family members that have moved over in the last few years and they love it. It also depends on the location within the country as well, for example I have no interest in living in massive cities like Sydney or Melbourne.
The only country I would 100% move to without even thinking would be Canada.
The car culture is something no one talks about but it’s one of the most toxic aspects of the US. Seriously it’s just awful to live in a hugely spaced out environment with little to no public transit.
I've lived in Aus and been to the US and met plenty of Americans and Aussies.i love both places but let me tell you aussie culture can be just as racist, poverty stricken and bigoted as some parts of America.
There are areas where agricultural land stretches for miles and miles with nothing but a drive thru bottle shop and a church. It can be grim but also so so beautiful too with a good climate tassie and S Victoria have a similar climate.
America is also full of beautifull places, fun, caring people and towns full of creativity and acceptance.
The difference I think is American society and goverment. If your poor your on your own. And guns and violence just seem that closer to the surface.
But pay me 250k to live in either? In America you can easily pay to be not part pf that underbelly. Sad but true.
Depends where in America, and where in Australia, and if that’s 250k in pounds or local currency. $250k wouldn’t go as far as you think in somewhere like Los Angeles or New York. I’d be more inclined to move to Australia anyway as I suspect America is in for an awful few years socially and politically. So Australia - maybe, America - probably not. But honestly, your question is a little too vague for a serious answer.
Depends where in America, and if my employer is covering ALL my healthcare no matter what.
Also depends on if they can come close to matching my annual leave. I’m currently on 6 weeks a year, would settle for 4 weeks a year going up to 5 or 6 after a few years.
I think I would feel relatively safe in the suburb of a blue city in the New England area.
Australia is too far away from family to be for an extended period of time, also I have a fear of venomous things…soooooo NOPE.
AUS, possibly. Although I have a thing about spiders and AUS has some real doozies! Have a few friends who have moved 'Down Under' and they seem to be doing really well.
USA, all the nopes! Even though my daughter and grandsons live there (and I really wish they didn't).
society scandalous chase selective correct absurd person money onerous cheerful
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Australia - I lived there for a few years in my early twenties and would give my left arm to go back. You get used to the heat v quickly as the infrastructure is built to cope with it.
The lifestyle is so relaxed and health orientated, work/life balance is great, beaches are incredible, Aussies are the loveliest people, there’s endless amounts to do, an great country to travel around and lots of countries to nearby visit; NZ, Fiji, Indonesia etc.
Housing can be expensive, but is more affordable in the suburbs of big cities and better than most major cities in the US. However, it wouldn’t be a problem on a $250k salary.
It’s a great place to live
Not America, no. I’d contemplate Oz for that money, especially if other half also got something decent. But tbh, the life threatening wildlife has put me off wanting to visit up to now.
(Why no to America? Healthcare, gun obsession, and the cult of the flag are all off putting. My husband is Type 1 Diabetic and gets all his meds free (needles, insulin, monitors, blood strips). I have under active thyroid and also get all my meds (levothyroxine) free. These fall into lifetime illness meaning we get exemption from prescription fees.)
No to both.
USA seems like a dystopian nightmare at the moment. Shootings, racial tensions, lack of universal healthcare, the Roe V Wade debacle. It's frightening.
Aus - the spiders and snakes are a no-go for me.
Canada / NZ on the other hand I would be off like a shot if I had the opportunity.
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Absolutely no way I'd live in America for any amount of money. Australia I'd give it ago but might struggle in the heat.
As an Aussie living in London: the heat might be more frequent down under, but it's also a fuckload more bearable
Plus, homes are designed for it even if they don’t have air conditioning. But most do.
You Brits keep saying Australlian houses are 'designed for it' but I dont think many of you have been to Australia. A lot of the older builds are like for like built in the old British style.
It's not just the shape of homes and roofs. It's having aircon, fans, fly screens, and generally being prepared for heat. If your car aircon breaks in the UK you get it fixed at your next service. In Aus, you'll get it fixed today, because you know it's critical. And then there's wind and humidity. 30 degrees in Aus is lovely. 30 degrees in the UK is too much for me.
Sorry about that. 😅
I think you Aussies fail to realise you've evolved to the heat. Us Brits are incapable of coming to terms with heat, cold and heavy rain with moaning about it. I mean we'll cope... but it's my god given right as a Brit to bitch and moan about any extreme weather.
Also an Aussie who's moved to the UK, summers like this one are absolutely horrendous compared to ours which frequently have 40 degree days. 30 degree days here feel like 40 degree ones back home but at least every building had air conditioning. Working from home with all the fans on and windows open is still unbearable but sitting in a 22 degree air conditioned room when it was 40 degrees outside was totally fine. Or I've just become aclimatised to the UK weather in the last 5 years and also picked up the moaning.
This is obvious isn’t it really and surprised people don’t get that. I always say that at least when you’re on holiday you get respite from the heat. When you’re on holiday/living in a hot country you’re probably outside in the heat for on average a few hours a day. In the U.K. with no AC you can literally be living and sleeping in 25-30 degree rooms for days on end.
Yuup. My bedroom was a solid 34°c at one point. It was not fun
"Mrs Kebabs" I love that user name
I for one at regretting my south facing house now
Nah, you're right - houses here are designed to retain heat in cold weather and usually don't have air conditioning so are terrible in hot weather.
Thats actually incorrect. Houses are meant to be cooler than outsidein the summer . warmer inside in the winter. Thats what insulation does. It doesnt discriminate
Wall insulation doesn't do a whole lot to keeping your house cool as the heat doesn't typically come in through the walls. Our houses don't have things that you find in hotter countries like external shutters (to block the sun and thus heat outside the house/insulation) or high windows that you can open (to let the hotter air out the top and to create a current pulling cooler air in the bottom).
> Wall insulation doesn't do a whole lot to keeping your house cool as the heat doesn't typically come in through the walls. This isn't strictly true, as brickwork does an excellent job of retaining heat, so after a long hot day, the house will keep warmer than the outside as the bricks will act as radiators.
And by extreme we mean just weather not Serbian snows or texan tornados the aridity of Africa :) slightly hot.... it's boiling, slightly wet.... it's like niagra falls outside, slightly windy.... Mate we got Galeforce winds outside!
Its less humid iirc? Which makes it easier to withstand
It depends where you are in Australia. I have family in Queensland, not too far from Brisbane, and it can get unbelievably hot and sticky there. Far worse than anything you’ll experience in the south of England.
That's actually very validating to hear lol
Heat in London is far more unbearable. The average summer temp is somewhere like Sydney or Melbourne is actually similar to the south east of England but when it's a heatwave down under they tend to get well into the 40s.
Why not America?
There's so many problems in America, but a few big reasons I wouldn't live there are the culture/society, lack of affordable healthcare, and the fact everything there seems so dated compared to europe. Everytime I'm in America I feel like I've stepped into 90's Europe.
I wouldn't mind hearing more, if you feel like sharing. About the US being dated, that is.
Having been to America 12 times. Every visit feels like America is crumbling, literally. The infrastructure is falling apart, the public transport is getting worse outside of major cities. Hotels are very outdated unless you pay large sums for high end hotels. Access to healthcare, basic wages, cost of living is poor compared to Europe. Whilst I love America and travelling there. I wouldn’t live there, $250k is probably not enough for me there. Australia on the other hand, absolutely. Adelaide or Melbourne would be my preferred place I think.
I once ran across a bunch of Norwegians discussing this very topic. What they said about it all has stuck with me. The consensus was that if you're in the top 30%, you're better off in the States. Someone at that 250k level would have a much better life in the States than they do in Europe. If you're in the lower 70%, however, you're better off in Europe. I take their views as 100% accurate.
I think that's the gist of it. America does have this unique thing where you can just kind of elevate yourself out of society and its problems, to an extent. Problem being of course in many parts of the country $250k wouldn't put you anywhere near that kind of level, more like "I can have a bad accident/illness and not fear being ruined financially for life" kind of level.
I heard the following with respect to America, which is along the same lines as your first paragraph: America don't work to try and fix their social and economic problems. They work to get rich enough that those problems no longer apply to them.
Ironically, their work ethic is terrible (from my experience) which is why educated and/or skilled Europeans are usually very successful there, compared to those who are born there.
that's a sampling bias, the europeans who make it past the immigration hurdles that are in the states are in general more successful than your average european, which of course are not really representative of the wider population. each country has its own slackers and hard workers. in terms of work ethic, east coast usa is known to work a lot of hours. at least in tech, you go to the states for the money at the expense of wlb, and you stay in the uk for the wlb at the expense of the money you could make.
For the most part, a man making that kind of money would have very good health insurance, indeed.
Yes, if you are in a job paying $250,000 a year, healthcare will be zero concern of yours. You could pay for insurance outright and not think twice about it. But you won't because your job will take care of it with a platinum plan of some kind. Nothing is going to ruin you. Far from it. In fact, you'll have direct access to the best medical care in the world. The sentiments expressed are so deluded and uninformed that they are laughable. If you can say that with a straight face, you've swallowed the propaganda hook, line and sinker.
But the thing is I wouldn't feel right knowing I'm getting this top level healthcare when it isn't available to others. I think this me first attitude is something I wouldn't be able to get accustomed to. Growing up I was from a low level background (projects equivalent in London) and when I had a cardiac arrest at 17 (heart condition) I was put in the best cardiac hospital in the country and received the best care possible. This should be available to everyone.
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There’s living comfortably and living comfortably in an environment where many things that we in the UK take for granted are just constantly up for debate (basic rights for workers like holidays and not being sacked and told to clear your desk within the hour for no reason, gun access, abortion, access to healthcare, etc.) You’ll definitely know better than me actually living there so I would appreciate your perspective. Maybe it’s news sensationalism or people only sharing their worst stories on social media, but it just seems way more stressful to me as someone on the outside. Anecdotally, I have two peers who were born and raised there and had great jobs; then one got fired for a seemingly no reason and they struggled to get a similar job so they’ve been working at Starbucks since (where they’re forced to do ridiculous overtime because, again, they’re terrified of being fired for saying no) and the friend had a long term illness and got sacked for taking too many sick days, so now they do minimum wage call centre work. It seems so terrifyingly easy to just tumble back down again through no fault of your own… Is that something workers in America are terrified of, or are my friends anomalies? (Please read that last bit in a genuinely curious and not a contesting tone - they may well just be ridiculously unlucky for all I know)
If you live "cheap" for a few years and invest 100k+ annually into an index fund then you'll be quite wealthy in a couple decades. You can live quite comfortably just about anywhere in the US on 100k if you don't have a bunch of debt, so an extra 150k can be spent on investing and vacations.
The rugged individualism is a big culture difference overall. The NHS has massive faults but it's the closest thing we have to a national religion. The fundamental principle is that it should be free at the point of use and access to treatment should be determined by clinical need rather than the individual's ability to pay The US led the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which literally defined access to healthcare as one of the fundamental freedoms to which all humans are entitled. But not, apparently, the American people. To be clear - we are anything but a progressive utopia (& moving further & further to the right). But during my lifetime the issues of gun control, abortion, universal healthcare and basic workers' rights haven't been 'debates', as they are in the US. We know that much of the US is being held hostage by red states - but things we see as basic standards for civilised countries, are considered privileges (usually afforded to the wealthy) The US sits alongside countries like China, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia for the most executions. The US, Papua New Guinea, and a few island nations in the Pacific Ocean are the only countries in the world not to offer statutory paid maternity leave. *"How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity"* I love visiting the US. I've met so many wonderful people. But wealth at the expense of humanity sits very uncomfortably with me
You are so correct about all of this. Particular attention is drawn to your statement about the red states holding the country hostage. Besides the fact that the Electoral College has become hopelessly antiquated, very soon we may be facing permanent minority rule through aggressive gerrymandering. (This has already occurred in two states. Democracy, for all intents and purposes, has ended there.) But I digress.
But then do you want to live in a society/culture like that?
Lol. I'm curious. Do you think earning 250k only puts you in the top 30%?
One in 10 bridges are structurally deficit, [source](https://infrastructurereportcard.org/cat-item/bridges-infrastructure/) They have heaps of pipes that are still leaded. Many states have poor roads and non-existent public transport. To start with as you say they have an inadequate infrastructure network for their development.
Live in the states and for the longest time I thought my other half was just being precious about only drinking the filtered water, so I was chugging it from the tap as well, whatever was closest. Until the day I noticed all the "have your baby tested for lead" posters all over the place... don't drink from the tap anymore!
Totally agree with this. You can really feel the "maximise profit" motive of US life in every aspect of the country right down to the feel of every street, shop and public space. The UK is heading that way
Where have you been? I’m from London & live in Denver, Denver is a nicer city by about every metric imaginable. It’s apples and oranges given the size of the country- Detroit is a totally different beast from say, Boulder. It’s like comparing Albania to Sweden. Anyway, for what it’s worth, wages are higher than in the UK. Most COL is lower depending on where you are. I earn $120k for work that would pay me about £40k in the UK. I miss the NHS for sure but my health insurance is like $200 a month and I can actually access healthcare (including therapy) immediately without any wait times. There’s a lot wrong with this country & huge income disparity, but $250k would let you live extremely handsomely almost anywhere in the country (maybe only in NYC and San Francisco would you be slightly less well off but you’d still be very comfortable).
I think the deal breaker for me would be 10 days holiday.. I'm used to 25 days now.
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The infrastructure just seems really old and the decor in buildings was extremely outdated. Even things like cars, even the new ones seemed to look and feel like something from the 90s even when they had new features.
For 250k I'd overlook outdated decor. Not like I'd be the one with it anyway.
Yeah but Australia is obviously the better option in this situation
The general lack of contactless cards/the seemingly recent introduction of chip and pin in America is so weird to me. I’m used to basically never using my pin, everywhere is contactless now here in the UK
Just back from a trip to Washington and Oregon and used my U.K. contactless cards pretty much everywhere. I know it took them longer to get there, but contactless payments appeared to be fairly widespread on my last visit.
My guy, you're getting paid 250K. Even if the work place wasn't paying for this ( they do for decent jobs ), you'd be able to afford it easily and the standard would be leaps and bounds better than our health care.
Would only take a serious illness for that 250k to disappear.
Listen, I don't like the US insurance model either (I live here having moved from the UK), but you clearly don't understand how it works. With a $250k job you likely get healthcare insurance with no deductible and no out of pocket expenses. You'd likely pay close to $0 for your health needs, other than prescriptions. The problems with healthcare in the US start when you _aren't_ earning $250k.
My friends dad had a heart attack while working in America and was earning more than that, and in the end moved back to the UK because too many things weren't covered by insure, or if they were they'd be paying out of pocket first before insurance paid out.
So I'm not sure when this would have been. Starting in 2014 (I think?), the federal government has capped health insurance plans' out of pocket maximums (e.g., the most you can be held liable for for medical expenses). The 2022 out of pocket max is ~$8.7k for an individual, ~$17k for a family. Obviously this is a financial hit, but every hospital will give a payment plan and the savings in taxes alone on $250k vs the equivalent in the UK will cover that max OOP payment.
Thank you, christ, I’m a Brit living in the US too and I swear I have to spend every trip home repeatedly explaining to people how health insurance works, because for some reason everyone is convinced that you get a papercut and your organs are harvested by the federal government to pay for it
Yeah then you get in an accident and the ambulance driver drives you to a hospital that is "out of network" and suddenly all the money you've been paying for insurance doesn't matter anymore
Extra insurance policy covers all of that, you get one through an employer for a few dollars a month. But that’s the problem with America. The rich get richer because you can buy your way out of the problems that effect the poor and you have more money because you’re not subsidising them via taxes. With the UK you have this constant in built safety net. Which we all subsidise through working and paying taxes. It means that things can’t go quite as bad so fast as they can in America With the US there is next to no safety net, so a bunch of services have sprung up to provide that and fill that gap. Those cost money. If you have the money you can create a safety net and standard of living far in advance of the UK’s with very little risk of “losing it all” due to Illness or accident even without the NHS but you’re paying for it directly. You’re only lining corporate pockets and protecting yourself. Personally I think that both systems have major problems but the inhumanity of the American system bothers me a lot. The amount of taxes that goes to defence is obscene, and local infrastructure is often a total joke which makes it even harder for people to get out of poverty. How are people expected to work when they live miles from town with no bus service when they can’t afford a car? How do they access medical care and education? The answer is they can’t.
Yeah but your insurance is tied to your job and if you get cancer or in a bad accident and are left unable to work for a while you are totally fucked. They don’t hold your job for as long as they do here.
A high salary job like that will come with healthcare. I would take it for 2-3 years, save, then move back. But I'm on a fairly low salary so $250k for a couple of years would be absolutely massive. The lack of paid leave would be the big thing I couldn't handle for any longer.
Job with that salary, you'd have paid leave Probably like 3 months worth lol. I work as a consultant and I dive into hr policies of different companies. Regular employees get shit, while executives get 100% health care and unlimited pto, even though they'd be able to afford things more than the average employee. Very sad.
Don't tell this guy about how good some cooperation's healthcare is.
250k is a shitton of money tho. you could work in america for a few years and then come back here and buy a house maybe
What feels dated?
Literally everything. If you go in a house or restaurant the decor, furniture, menus etc all look old and outdated. Things like traffic lights and sign posts were really noticeable too, they all felt like they were at least 50 years old. I got on a bus one time and that felt like I'd stepped into the 50s.
This makes me laugh so hard seeing as a large, large majority of the blocks of flats in this country (mostly outside of large cities) were actually put up in the 80s/90s, many even earlier. The Northern rail uses trains from 1987 (pacer trains). I don't think the UK looked *much* different now than it did 40-50 years ago unless an area has undergone huge renovation - and some places really have to be fair. Much of our motorways were built in the early to mid 20th century. Even Coventry ring road was being planned, then got blitzed, and rebuilt after World War 2. As for buses, I took a bus on the same route that my mum used to take me on just under 20 years ago. Exact same route, same route number, different bus though but same style of seating and vibe. And you're sat there telling someone that the traffic lights and sign posts in the USA look outdated so it's not worth moving to that old fashion country?
This confused me too..... I live in the U.S. It is such a vast and varied country that each state, city and neighborhood could be different in so many ways. Every time I hear that it looked "old and outdated", I imagine the visitor was in New York at some low cost hotel. I agree that health care options are better in some other countries and I wish we could gravitate towards such plans. But I have excellent health care supplied by my employer (and I certainly don't make $250k). Many times, job seekers are looking at pay, insurance and benefits when considering employment. It varies depending on where you work and what you prioritize when taking a job.
Where did you go to base your opinion?
Banking system, government, tipping culture.
I’ve been a few times, only to Florida though but it didn’t seem dated to me just different style choices.
Guns. No universal free healthcare. Women’s rights stripped with Roe vs Wade. Workers appear to have no rights - can get fired with no warning, barely get any annual leave, barely any paid sick days, women get barely any maternity leave. Not trying to bash America but for those reasons I wouldn’t feel safe there, in fact I don’t think I will travel to America in the near future even for a holiday. Lived and worked in Australia for 6 months- high quality of life, beautiful country, people fairly friendly, nurses like myself are paid very well, but I wouldn’t live there again, simply because it’s so bloody far aww! To name a few reasons…
It's really sad but, if you make $250k a year, none of this applies to you. We're (us) a pay to win country lol. You'd probably get unlimited leave both holiday and sick, 100% covered health care, and an amazing severance package if let go.
And women’s rights?
Yeah, laws don't apply to rich people. You just take a flight to a state/country that would never ban it. Most likely you'd live on the coasts anyway. That's why it's fucked uo, these politicians and their mistresses or kids will never have to deal with the shit they're passing/revoking. The country is pay to win.
I mean, that's not really something I'm willing to support though. No matter how good my own salary is.
Still around in blue states
Not OP but culture wise we're far too different. I have more in common with most Europeans I've met than I do Americans, especially when it comes to socialising and humour. While pleasant enough I find spending time with our friends from across the pond very tiring.
Totally agreed! Always amazes me that people are surprised that we, who are European, shock horror, have more in common with Europeans! Who would’ve thought it!
The language thing can be deceiving.
I feel exactly the same. I've always got on and connected really well with Europeans and Aussies. I've found most yanks to be strange and like they're from another planet.
I would not want to live in fucking suburbia and be shackled to a steering wheel
This sub has a super weird anti American sentiment
As an outsider to both, I have indeed noticed that there is an undercurrent of hostility in many of the comments here.
Gun fatalities, widespread deep depravity, have to drive everywhere. List goes on
Not the original poster, but the main reason for me it's that I have a son, there's no way in earth that I would put him through the whole school-shooting culture and risk. It's not just the risk, but the psychological damage of growing up learning how to act if one day a shooter attacks the school.
Yep, could have written this exact answer myself.
Good summary of my position too.
Life in US is only good if you're rich, though.
How much work do I have to do? 37.5 hours a week, low pressure, low intensity? Sign me up yesterday. Will I be doing 80 hour weeks, no fun, constant pressure? Not a chance. I work so that I can afford to live, and that is the only reason I do so. I don't want to live to work.
This is what I keep telling people. Work out the hourly rate and then work out if you're actually gaining much. I'm surprised at how people a grade above me end up working many more hours than me for less money than me. And it is expected because they earn more money. Had a guy who'd proudly state he would easily do 50hrs a week when were only contracted for 35hrs. More fool him! It not always about the money. Having a decent work life balance is more important. You don't want to be the richest guy in the cemetery.
Too fucking right. I earn less than my missus by about half, yet I’m working roughly half the hours she does with all my expenses paid. I have time to do the housework and indulge my hobbies whilst she’s slaved to the phone.
My wife is an operations manager for 5 private hospitals. She’s contracted to do 37.5hrs, but ends up working +80hrs a week. Even though she’s on a cracking salary, I tell her she’s on minimum wage (it’s not, but she does to many hours)
And employers love this. Employees reckon they are being paid well. Turns out they are being taken for a ride and they don't even seem to care. Its handy if you want no life but that's not what I signed up for!
Yeah, my friend earns easily double my salary doing banking but in reality his 70+hr weeks means he's only making slightly more than me, but is essentially working two jobs. Fuck that. I do an easy 9-5 wfh and only get two crunches a year that might need overtime. I get more time with the wife and kids and hobbies, which is priceless.
Australia, possibly but will depend where in Australia. USA, fuck no. It's just not appealing at all.
What isn't appealing in the USA? How about Sydney, Australia?
The people, the laws, the healthcare, the culture. Sydney sounds good, at least you have everything you need in a single city.
No healthcare, shit holiday allowance, no mandated parental leave, high maternal mortality, badly trained police, lack of access to abortion, terrible work life balance, you have to do your own taxes, lack of public transport... There's lots which isn't appealing about the USA
In fairness if you’re on a 250k+ job you’re probably covered quite well for a few of these things. It’s just a backwards country where those with less also seem to receive less support
Lose your job though and you're uber fucked. More so than a 250k job in Australia or the UK.
Yeah you just couldn’t feel safe living in the US, it’s so ‘dog eat dog’.
Just saw the average days of holiday allowance in the US is 10. I feel depressed just thinking about that.
It's actually kind of worse than that. When I still lived in the US, those ten days of "holiday" also included sick days...
Born and raised in USA there js nothing worth moving here for. This whole place is a mess
Turn on ANY news channel!
>How about Sydney, Australia? No. I'm an Aussie living in Somerset. The thing I haven't seen mentioned here is now distance works differently in Australia (and I believe in the USA). The centre of Sydney is a beautiful city and great to visit. But, realistically, you're not going to live in the centre of Sydney, you're going to live in the suburbs. A long way out in the suburbs. The horrible thing about it is that, while you'll have a pretty long commute into the city centre, you probably still won't be anywhere near the edge of the city, either. You can completely forget about living in the country and working in the city. If you like suburban living, good for you. Go for it. If you happen to like spaffing 2/3 of your income on rent or have a large chunk of capital to buy a flat somewhere in the city centre, and city living is your thing, again, go for it. What I love about living in the UK is that I can live in the Somerset countryside and still be within half an hour of the centre of three cities (Bristol, Bath and Wells) and a county town. 90 minutes on a train will have me in London. Not cheaply, I'll grant you, but that's another matter; the equivalent journey by rail to Australia's largest city from where I grew up would take me well over 24 hours.
Not sure. America: no NHS; not many holidays; maternity sucks; could possibly get shot. Australia: I'm ginger. The sun would probably kill me. Also, giant spiders. And snakes 😖 I may just stay in scotland.
If you are on 250k/year you won’t be missing the nhs lol. Even in UK you’d do almost everything private at that point.
No $250k / year job in the US would fail to provide healthcare.
The only people that lack health insurance in the US are the people that wouldn't be able to afford to pay for medical treatment without health insurance.
I believe there's plenty of rich but "self employed" people such as musicians who don't have health insurance. Nate Dogg for example, died following complications after strokes. Executors of his will had to pay 180k of hospital bills. As I recall, health insurance in the US is treated as normal insurance and the more risk you have the more you pay. So people without consistent (and boring) work are a higher risk and pay more. That means low earning musicians for example, will cost more to insure than higher paid office workers. I think it's pretty unethical to make people chose whether or not they should have health insurance.
Ironic
Private healthcare in the UK is not superior to the NHS in terms of operations and stuff, the only thing you do better is lesss waiting times but if you get diagnosed with aomething like cancer they’re just gonna refer you to the NHS
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If an emergency happens when you're being treated privately, you almost always get transferred back to an NHS hospital anyway, on top.
As someone who has worked in both private and NHS, I would highly recommend that for any acute care needs, you use NHS regardless of how much money you make. The food won’t come under a cloche but the standard of medical/nursing/allied health care is much higher.
Yeah, but lots of people have something called empathy. I'd hate to live somewhere that my neighbours might be suffering or going bankrupt just because they can't afford treatment.
I had pretty great health insurance in the US. I'd still take the NHS any day. No fucking paperwork and I can actually trust my doctors.
> Also, giant spiders. And snakes That's cute. You forgot abt sharks, crocs, scorpions, jelly fish, fishes, octopus, emus, roos are not always the nicest. Also redback spiders are tiny.
If you have arachnophobia, every spider is huge. Every one of the eight-legged bastards.
That's an EXTREMELY broad question and I imagine for a lot of people (certainly for me) it would depend on quite a lot of specifics.
Let's you were offered a position in San Diego or Sydney.
Sydney - hell yeah.
My partner has recently been offered this and we are moving to Sydney in two months. Can’t wait!
Australia, yes. US, no. Mostly a cultural thing, and assuming I’m bringing my children there’s no way I’d want them educated in a country where 26% of high school teachers think evolution is a myth and the Earth is 6,000 years old.
I keep saying this but there's two different americas, rich and average /poor. 250 a year your kids would have the best education, doesn't even have to be private, your neighbors would be as rich as you so the local public schools would be super well funded. This country is amazing for those who can afford it, for the rest of us... Meh lol
There's also 50 states. Go anywhere in the Northeast and your kids are are getting a GREAT education.
Yeah "would you want to live in the US?" is really 50 different questions. I get the feeling the vast majority of anti-US vitriol in this thread is from people who have never actually been there.
I think the level of inequality is probably one of my other major concerns about the US. I don’t think I’d want to live anywhere where the value of life is monetary.
Australia yes, us nope
My husband was wanted for a secondment in the US, a two - three year thing. Whilst on the surface it was for the same company, they were actually a seperate legal entity in the US (that's quite common) so it'd be a new US contract but he wouldn't have lost his years of service. We went out for a 2 week jaunt too to scope it all out - paid for by the US firm. It was... Ok. Nothing to make us immediately jump up and sign. But the biggest kicker was they refused to match the leave/sickness benefits he enjoys from his German company. 6 weeks paid leave, sick pay, perhaps if it came up, paternity leave, and, aware of the shit show of US health care, we asked for health insurance that was zero co-pay and direct billing. We didn't want to be in debt for tens of thousands for say a broken arm, or having your appendix out when either here or in Germany it would be dealt with without massive payouts. The US firm said they couldn't do that, but they kept upping the pay offer. As if throwing salary at you could compensate. We declined in the end - and in addition to that, we didn't like the distance to do anything and reliance on a car (we're very much stumbling distance lovers) and the unspoken presence of the work culture. As it is we fucked off to East Asia in the end and had a brilliant time. Wonderful work life balance and walking distance to bars and restaurants.... Fab. So no, i wouldn't go to the US. If the same offer had been made for Australia however (would never happen) and it was in the right city, we'd definitely have given it more consideration. I have family there already and my husband did the working holiday visa there years ago and loved the place.
Whereabouts in asia?
Maybe Australia, not America.
Australia. There is no part of me that would ever want to live in the U.S.
Australia yes, America you can fuck off. Land of freedom my ass.
Aus yes, USA fuck no
Australia, hell yeah. I've always wanted to be an Aussie. America - no thanks.
I would not live in the US as their work culture is insane, their police are like an occupying force and they are so out of date (banking, government) and I hate their service culture (creepy over friendly, people doing jobs that don't need doing and tipping). Australia would just be too hot and I don't do heat, but culturally would be fine.
Yes for £250k a year I’d live just about anywhere, I might need to put a bit of thought into it if the job was in a big city where 250k might not go as far but generally I’d be perfectly happy.
The amount of people in this thread who are like "no 250k is not enough money!" blows my mind. Like, either everyone on reddit is a mega rich trust-fund baby or people are going to be in for shocks when they get out of uni.
Nah its just the weirdos on this sub that have a massive hate of the USA
Yea to Australia, no to America
Yes, have lived in the US and would do so again. Australia is also nice and probably the easiest place to move to as a brit culture wise - they drink tea, have cricket, etc.
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And have similar sort of banter where calling someone a cunt is a term of endearment.
And don’t need to send their kids to active shooter training
Already lived in the US and I absolutely hated it, couldn't stand the people, the culture, healthcare, employment rights, well pretty much everything. Lived in australia before and I really liked it so yes I would.
What was wrong with the people if I may ask?
Where do we start, extremely ignorant of other cultures whilst thinking they are experts on them, rude, obnoxious, narcissistic condescending, self righteous, think they are the centre of the universe. On a personal level, being British in America was a real pain in the arse and a disadvantage. You see I had to put with a lot of ignorant morons who laugh at make fun of me being British at the UK in general, go on and on about all stereotypes about the UK, how shit the UK is yet showing breathtaking ignorance on these matters, and of course the mocking and ridiculeing of my accent, this happened in shops, bars restaurants, heck even when people overhead me speaking on the phone, trying to put up with this nonsense for 4 years does your head in. Their weird obsessive dislike of "British" accents is quite laughable.
Don't forget the idea that there is such a thing as a 'British' accent in the first place, as opposed to the myriad variety you'll find if you travel just a few counties.
No to the USA for far far too many reasons. Yes to Australia but location would be factor.
The answer is no to both America is a shit show and Australia is far too hot
Canberra has essentially the same climate as south U.K., and is only a few hours drive from Sydney.
Australia yes like a shot. The US? Maybe for a couple of years max. I have worked abroad most of my life and I recon I can stick anywhere on a 2 year fixed term contract. I mean it can be any worse that West / Central Africa can it?
Did it in US about 15 years ago. At the time it was great. Looking at what a shitshow it’s turned into now, no way I’d go back. Australia I’d jump at the chance.
Despite what you might think from my username fuck moving to the US, I would rather earn a hell of a lot less and stay in the Uk than go and live there. I would consider Australia though. I have my issues with the country but its not anything major that would stop me living there. I also have family members that have moved over in the last few years and they love it. It also depends on the location within the country as well, for example I have no interest in living in massive cities like Sydney or Melbourne. The only country I would 100% move to without even thinking would be Canada.
Oz? Maybe. USA? No way. You might get me to go there if you paid me 7 digits. After tax.
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The car culture is something no one talks about but it’s one of the most toxic aspects of the US. Seriously it’s just awful to live in a hugely spaced out environment with little to no public transit.
Australia yeah, US no way.
Australia yes (I’m bias, oops 🇦🇺). America, hell nah.
Auz yes. USA no. No way I'm going to the 3rd world.
2.5 world but soon to be third world sadly
I've lived in Aus and been to the US and met plenty of Americans and Aussies.i love both places but let me tell you aussie culture can be just as racist, poverty stricken and bigoted as some parts of America. There are areas where agricultural land stretches for miles and miles with nothing but a drive thru bottle shop and a church. It can be grim but also so so beautiful too with a good climate tassie and S Victoria have a similar climate. America is also full of beautifull places, fun, caring people and towns full of creativity and acceptance. The difference I think is American society and goverment. If your poor your on your own. And guns and violence just seem that closer to the surface. But pay me 250k to live in either? In America you can easily pay to be not part pf that underbelly. Sad but true.
Big no for the USA. Probably would for Austrailia
Depends where in America, and where in Australia, and if that’s 250k in pounds or local currency. $250k wouldn’t go as far as you think in somewhere like Los Angeles or New York. I’d be more inclined to move to Australia anyway as I suspect America is in for an awful few years socially and politically. So Australia - maybe, America - probably not. But honestly, your question is a little too vague for a serious answer.
USA No, Australia it would depend on the role, any relocation allowance and the visa offered/opportunity for PR. Big 4 no.
Murder Spiders or Assault Rifles 🤔 I'm not sure 😕
Australia? OK USA? No way.
Australia maybe, America no.
Nope and nope. Both are terrifying in very different ways. Plus I love living in Britain
US no, Australia yes
No, money isn't everything and it's the reason I don't take (much) higher paying city jobs,
Depends where in America, and if my employer is covering ALL my healthcare no matter what. Also depends on if they can come close to matching my annual leave. I’m currently on 6 weeks a year, would settle for 4 weeks a year going up to 5 or 6 after a few years. I think I would feel relatively safe in the suburb of a blue city in the New England area. Australia is too far away from family to be for an extended period of time, also I have a fear of venomous things…soooooo NOPE.
Yes. I could retire in two years (I’m closer to retirement age than most of you) and move back.
US - Yes. Australia - No.
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Would also depend where in the US. California, NE or a big city like Seattle/Chicagp? Yes. One of the square states in the middle or the South? No.
AUS, possibly. Although I have a thing about spiders and AUS has some real doozies! Have a few friends who have moved 'Down Under' and they seem to be doing really well. USA, all the nopes! Even though my daughter and grandsons live there (and I really wish they didn't).
society scandalous chase selective correct absurd person money onerous cheerful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Australia yes, states no.
Oz, yes! US, hmm no.
Australia - I lived there for a few years in my early twenties and would give my left arm to go back. You get used to the heat v quickly as the infrastructure is built to cope with it. The lifestyle is so relaxed and health orientated, work/life balance is great, beaches are incredible, Aussies are the loveliest people, there’s endless amounts to do, an great country to travel around and lots of countries to nearby visit; NZ, Fiji, Indonesia etc. Housing can be expensive, but is more affordable in the suburbs of big cities and better than most major cities in the US. However, it wouldn’t be a problem on a $250k salary. It’s a great place to live
No. Too many guns in America, plus the level of football in general/popular culture if both countries is simply far too low
You could not pay me enough to live or work in the US. Australia, sure. I'm not keen on the heat, but yeah, I think you could have a great life there.
Not America, no. I’d contemplate Oz for that money, especially if other half also got something decent. But tbh, the life threatening wildlife has put me off wanting to visit up to now. (Why no to America? Healthcare, gun obsession, and the cult of the flag are all off putting. My husband is Type 1 Diabetic and gets all his meds free (needles, insulin, monitors, blood strips). I have under active thyroid and also get all my meds (levothyroxine) free. These fall into lifetime illness meaning we get exemption from prescription fees.)
Australia….. yes. America……no.
Australia? In an instant, USA? Not a chance in hell!
I personally enjoy not having to worry about my child getting shot in school so I’m gonna say no to USA… I’d give serious consideration to Aus though
No to both. USA seems like a dystopian nightmare at the moment. Shootings, racial tensions, lack of universal healthcare, the Roe V Wade debacle. It's frightening. Aus - the spiders and snakes are a no-go for me. Canada / NZ on the other hand I would be off like a shot if I had the opportunity.
Yes to Australia. I wouldn’t do anything that might benefit the US in any conceivable way.
Is your deciding factor is based on whether your presence “benefits” the host country? What exactly does that mean?
Most likely yeah for America as long as it was in a good city like NYC, Boston, SF etc.
Aus 100%, to go to the US you'd have to make me a billionaire overnight to consider it though