I'm just really curious about how your cost of living differs from mine. This is more a question/topic for older members.
Washington / Everett Area
Average 1br/1ba apartment - $700
Average 2br/1ba apartment - $800-1000
Average house *rent* - $1500 - $3500/mo
Average house - $260K - 500K
Sales Tax - 9.5% on everything except groceries (doesn't include "junk food")
*my personal* Average monthly food cost - ~$300
Minimum wage - $8.55 (highest in the nation)
Average wage - $41,000
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - 45 minute drive
Full Version: Cost of Living Comparison
Housing prices are about the same here (Providence, RI area).
Sales tax is 8% (On everything except clothes).
Minimum wage is $7.40.
We spend about $400 a month on food (3 people).
Average income is about 45k.
Nearest Walmart is about 5 miles. ( What does that have to do with anything?)
Sales tax is 8% (On everything except clothes).
Minimum wage is $7.40.
We spend about $400 a month on food (3 people).
Average income is about 45k.
Nearest Walmart is about 5 miles. ( What does that have to do with anything?)
Wisconsin - Burlington/Racine Area:
Average 1br/1ba apartment - $500-700 (Estimated)
Average 2br/1ba apartment - $650-950+ (Estimated)
Average house *rent* - Unknown. Probably about $800, varies a lot.
Average house - $193,000-$230,000
Sales Tax - 5.5% (My county is .5% higher to help pay for Miller Park, the baseball stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers.)
*my personal* Average monthly food cost - Unknown, though it's about $200 a week for my whole family.
Minimum wage - $7.25 (Just raised)
Average salary - $37,000
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - 2-5 minute drive.
Average 1br/1ba apartment - $500-700 (Estimated)
Average 2br/1ba apartment - $650-950+ (Estimated)
Average house *rent* - Unknown. Probably about $800, varies a lot.
Average house - $193,000-$230,000
Sales Tax - 5.5% (My county is .5% higher to help pay for Miller Park, the baseball stadium of the Milwaukee Brewers.)
*my personal* Average monthly food cost - Unknown, though it's about $200 a week for my whole family.
Minimum wage - $7.25 (Just raised)
Average salary - $37,000
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - 2-5 minute drive.
Not sure about my states averages; I'd have to look it up...
tl;dr I spend around $9,000 a year.
Rent: $665 a month (or $7,980 a year)
Electric bill: $30 - $50 a month depending on the weather. If it's 65 - 70 F outside, the A/C is off.
Water bill: Payed for by land lord
Gas for truck: $20 every 1 or 2 weeks
Truck repairs: $200 maybe twice a year?
Food: Not sure, but it's probably about $200 - $300 a month
School tuition: Free (thanks to lottery players)
Budget for fun stuff: Not existent
Internet: Free (thanks to stupid wifi owners)
tl;dr I spend around $9,000 a year.
Rent: $665 a month (or $7,980 a year)
Electric bill: $30 - $50 a month depending on the weather. If it's 65 - 70 F outside, the A/C is off.
Water bill: Payed for by land lord
Gas for truck: $20 every 1 or 2 weeks
Truck repairs: $200 maybe twice a year?
Food: Not sure, but it's probably about $200 - $300 a month
School tuition: Free (thanks to lottery players)
Budget for fun stuff: Not existent
Internet: Free (thanks to stupid wifi owners)
This is all I know ;)
Washington / Everett Area
Average House Payment- $1300
Sales Tax - 9.5% on everything except groceries (doesn't include "junk food")
(family of 4) Average monthly food cost - ~$500
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - Tulalip
As for house prices etc, they're all the same as pc.
Washington / Everett Area
Average House Payment- $1300
Sales Tax - 9.5% on everything except groceries (doesn't include "junk food")
(family of 4) Average monthly food cost - ~$500
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - Tulalip
As for house prices etc, they're all the same as pc.
Although I don't have all of the exact numbers, I know Texas has a considerably lower cost of living than most states (especially the west coast)
Some of the ones I do know:
Minimum wage: $7.25
Electric Bill: $70 in the winter, anywhere from $200 - $400 a month in the summer because of constant A/C
Phone, internet and cable combined: $100 - $200 a month
Gas- As low as $2.03 in parts of Houston
Month of food for my household (3, no fast food or restraunts)- $100 - $200
3,000 square foot house (4 bedroom, 3 bathroom)- $120,000 - $200,000 (much cheaper than most places)
Nearest Wal-Mart: About 4 miles, but anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Basicly, in Texas, our 4 bedroom home costs about $100,000 at my dad's, and my mom's 3 bedroom costs about $120,000 (it's newer), and in California, our homes cost anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000.
Some of the ones I do know:
Minimum wage: $7.25
Electric Bill: $70 in the winter, anywhere from $200 - $400 a month in the summer because of constant A/C
Phone, internet and cable combined: $100 - $200 a month
Gas- As low as $2.03 in parts of Houston
Month of food for my household (3, no fast food or restraunts)- $100 - $200
3,000 square foot house (4 bedroom, 3 bathroom)- $120,000 - $200,000 (much cheaper than most places)
Nearest Wal-Mart: About 4 miles, but anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Basicly, in Texas, our 4 bedroom home costs about $100,000 at my dad's, and my mom's 3 bedroom costs about $120,000 (it's newer), and in California, our homes cost anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000.
I don't know exact numbers but I'll give a peek at what it's like here.
40% of everything we make goes to the government, sales tax is 15% because the province is poor as hell and would otherwise live like the 1850s.
We are upper middle class. I'd say my parents together make about 120 000k a year.
BUT we own a house with 5 bedrooms, double garage, 2 living rooms, 3 bathrooms, music room.... I live in a big house. The house is 250 000 I think.
We also have a load of benefits like free cars since my dad works for GM (gm canada now has 10% of the employees it had since the 1990s fyi) and a ton from the government since my mom works there.. (like "recreational facilities" and whatnot)
So basically you pay almost no taxes when you're poor and a ton when you're rich, in a poor province. Once you're through the taxes, it's really easy to live, but still more expensive than in the US because of low population(distribution is expensive). Food prices are higher than in the states, not sure about electricity though.
If you live in a rich province (the urbanised ones, in wich like 4 cities have like 75% of our population), there isn't nearly as much taxes (as living is already high), but companies are taxed a lot more, forcing them to move to the poor provinces where they aren't taxed as much (combatting job loss in non-huge cities).
The recession hit the rich cities hard though. During this whole recession where I live has completely avoided it. Actually the economy has grown, but it's really just being stolen from other places.
40% of everything we make goes to the government, sales tax is 15% because the province is poor as hell and would otherwise live like the 1850s.
We are upper middle class. I'd say my parents together make about 120 000k a year.
BUT we own a house with 5 bedrooms, double garage, 2 living rooms, 3 bathrooms, music room.... I live in a big house. The house is 250 000 I think.
We also have a load of benefits like free cars since my dad works for GM (gm canada now has 10% of the employees it had since the 1990s fyi) and a ton from the government since my mom works there.. (like "recreational facilities" and whatnot)
So basically you pay almost no taxes when you're poor and a ton when you're rich, in a poor province. Once you're through the taxes, it's really easy to live, but still more expensive than in the US because of low population(distribution is expensive). Food prices are higher than in the states, not sure about electricity though.
If you live in a rich province (the urbanised ones, in wich like 4 cities have like 75% of our population), there isn't nearly as much taxes (as living is already high), but companies are taxed a lot more, forcing them to move to the poor provinces where they aren't taxed as much (combatting job loss in non-huge cities).
The recession hit the rich cities hard though. During this whole recession where I live has completely avoided it. Actually the economy has grown, but it's really just being stolen from other places.
QUOTE (Mcharger @ Oct 30 2009, 11:31 PM) 
Although I don't have all of the exact numbers, I know Texas has a considerably lower cost of living than most states (especially the west coast)
Some of the ones I do know:
Minimum wage: $7.25
Electric Bill: $70 in the winter, anywhere from $200 - $400 a month in the summer because of constant A/C
Phone, internet and cable combined: $100 - $200 a month
Gas- As low as $2.03 in parts of Houston
Month of food for my household (3, no fast food or restraunts)- $100 - $200
3,000 square foot house (4 bedroom, 3 bathroom)- $120,000 - $200,000 (much cheaper than most places)
Nearest Wal-Mart: About 4 miles, but anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Basicly, in Texas, our 4 bedroom home costs about $100,000 at my dad's, and my mom's 3 bedroom costs about $120,000 (it's newer), and in California, our homes cost anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000.
Some of the ones I do know:
Minimum wage: $7.25
Electric Bill: $70 in the winter, anywhere from $200 - $400 a month in the summer because of constant A/C
Phone, internet and cable combined: $100 - $200 a month
Gas- As low as $2.03 in parts of Houston
Month of food for my household (3, no fast food or restraunts)- $100 - $200
3,000 square foot house (4 bedroom, 3 bathroom)- $120,000 - $200,000 (much cheaper than most places)
Nearest Wal-Mart: About 4 miles, but anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes depending on traffic.
Basicly, in Texas, our 4 bedroom home costs about $100,000 at my dad's, and my mom's 3 bedroom costs about $120,000 (it's newer), and in California, our homes cost anywhere from $300,000 to $400,000.
I'll second all this information. However, I've got a walmart half a mile from my house, and about 5 starbucks in a 20 mile radius.
QUOTE (Stellar @ Oct 30 2009, 09:23 PM)
I'll second all this information. However, I've got a walmart half a mile from my house, and about 5 starbucks in a 20 mile radius.
Yeah, Houston only needs about 1/10 of the Starbucks it has in order to effectively distribute their crack-cocain...I mean coffee to the population of Houston. I am pretty sure there about 30 something Starbucks in a 20 mile radius of my house, hell, the main road to my neighborhood has 8 on it alone...
Mines about the same as PC sense we both live in this high cost state. I pay about 1500.00 for rent, about 700.00 in all for bills, and food it verys to much to really track down
I don't know my states average but this is my area.
Indiana/Broad Ripple
Average house *rent* - $500/mo
Average house - $70k-250K
Sales Tax - 8%
Average monthly food cost - ~$250
Minimum wage - $7.50 (highest in the nation)
Average wage - $42,000
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - 15-20 minute drive.
Indiana/Broad Ripple
Average house *rent* - $500/mo
Average house - $70k-250K
Sales Tax - 8%
Average monthly food cost - ~$250
Minimum wage - $7.50 (highest in the nation)
Average wage - $42,000
Nearest location of Wal-Mart from my house - 15-20 minute drive.
QUOTE (JJ17400 @ Nov 2 2009, 02:47 PM)
Mines about the same as PC sense we both live in this high cost state. I pay about 1500.00 for rent, about 700.00 in all for bills, and food it verys to much to really track down
Damn, do you rent a house or large apt?
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