How much does life costs where you live?

duno exact numbers for sydney but this are my observations.

one should be happy to save 40% of net income.

For this to happen, growing family of 4 needs total net monthly income around 25K aud in sydney.

This is rougly 6x average incomes, so people in city must struggle. Use of debt helps but it is only temporary relief.
 
Suburb of Sacramento, CA

Average monthly salary: I make about $4k per month...not sure what everyone else makes but its probably more or less close to that(maybe a little less)

2 bedroom apartment rent: $1000

Average house price: $170k

Big Mac Menu: $6.50

Volkswagen Golf: $19-22k

1 Galon of gas: $3.70

1.5 Liter bottle of Coke: We have 1 litres and 2 litres... The 1 litre is about $2. The 2 litre is about $1.50. (Yeah, I dont get this either)

Healthcare a year: $3,000-$3,500 per person for a healthy non-smoker in their mid 30s.

Doctor visit: $15-25 with insurance. Without, a minimum $200. Emergency room will run at least $500 without insurance and thats if they just look at you give you some medicine(which costs extra) and send you packing. God forbid if you actually have to have an x-ray or something.

Plummer visit: Been a long time since I needed one of these, but It's probably around $100-120 or so, is my guess.

School a year: Free, they even have a bus to come pick up the kids. Christian schools cost about $500-$1500 per month.

University: $7,500 per year(includes books, but not housing)
 
My Mtg is about $400.00 a month.
Coke?...uh....I can get a fountain Coke for .75 cents- any size I want, if I bring the container.
McD value meal is $1.00 for chzburger, $1.00 for fries, and $1.00 for a Large, refillable Coke.
Plumber is about $75.00 to show up, that'l cover having to snake out a drain/toilet.
Car? Mine's paid for, but I can get a decent car for $5K.
Internet/Cable is about $180, but I get High Speed Internet.
Cell phone bill is about $150 a month for 3 on a family plan w/unlimited Data and calls.
I shop for clothes at Resale shops, I get fancy clothes for $2 to $4 each for pants & shirts.
Hell, I found a new pr of $200 Clarks' dress boots for $8.00.
....I got Cutter and Buck golf shirts, Liz Claiborne for men dress pants, golf pants, new Dockers khakis...all for $4.00 each. Filled up my trunk with great clothes last time I went...damn near free actually.
Life is good in Tx.
 
In a rural area, so big range in what it costs for housing. Can rent a generic apartment for maybe $400, can buy a generic house for maybe $200k ($700/month mortgage), can rent a decent house on a little acreage for maybe $1200/month.

Can also drop millions on a great house and lots of land.

Can also pick up a good condition used Airstream for $8k and park it in the woods for free.

Coke? Ranges from $1.20 to $2.20 for a 2L, depending on whether its on sale or not.

Medical premies are ~$100/month for a family of four.

Nearest college is around $3k/year, I believe.

Can pick up a nicely maintained and lifted go-absolutely-anywhere Jeep for $5k, any day of the week. $2k if you have the skills to "refurbish" the mechanicals.

Plumber - don't know - had a locksmith out at 10pm on a rainy long-weekend Friday night (don't ask, lol) - that cost $85 (and happy I was to pay it!)

Free-range organic eggs are $3/dozen from my neighbor.

Cable? Zero, haven't had cable in nearly 15 years.

30Mbit internet is ~$50/month (plus/minus, forget exactly)

Gas is currently $1.20/litre.

McDonalds value menu is $1.39/item (not that I eat it).

Mobile phone - $20 for data, $20 for mucho minutes + texting (but you can pay much more or much less)
 
I would gladly pay 8.50/gallon for gas if health insurance was 400/year. Plus maybe it would make people move closer to where they work. I might only drive 5-7 thousand miles a year though.
Public schools are obviously free but here in the small wonder of Delaware unless you want your kid to speak ebonics and have a thug neanderthal mentality a decent private school starts at 15k/year plus all the trimmings.

$10 Big macs = fewer fat kids?
 
Web site full of details. Just keep scrolling down. Get about 20-25 minutes north from where I live, and you can cut everything in half. You can get killed a lot quicker too.
http://www.city-data.com/city/St.-John-Indiana.html

Just filled up my gas tank for $3.29 gal.
Can't remember the last time I had a Big Mac, but I'd guess a Big Mac with fries and a drink is probably around 5 bucks.
Health-care cost's me nothing as my wife works for one of the larger hospital/universities in Chicago. I'm on her plan.
 
Quote from CaptainObvious:

Health-care cost's me nothing as my wife works for one of the larger hospital/universities in Chicago. I'm on her plan.
More...

Taxpayer-funded healthcare. Nice.
 
Quote from Debaser82:

I was thinking what good is it to make 100K when you have to pay 20K a year a child just to let him go to school.

There are great differences in costs and salaries between countries but even between regions or cities!

So in a way ones capital or income is very case by case bound really and I thought it would be interesting to post a few stats on how much things cost where you live.

Maybe some more people could share some stats from where they live.

I live in Belgium Europe, here it goes.

Average monthly salary:2,300 US.

2 bedroom apartment rent: 1K$

Average house price: 250K$

Big Mac Menu: 10 USD

Volkswagen Golf: 24 K

1 Galon of gas: 8.5 USD

1.5 Liter bottle of Coke: 2 USD

Healthcare a year: 400 USD

Doctor visit: 8 USD

Plummer visit: 80 USD

School a year: 400 USD

University: 800 USD
More...


Sorry, but that is not your real cost. What is the VAT tax in Belgium? How much is the income tax on $27,600? Import duties? There is no free lunch. You are paying considerably more for healthcare and education one way or another.
 
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

vancouver-bc-arial-west-view-ecstaticist-big.jpg


view of Vancouver from the south east to north west, white blob is stadium, to the
left residential high rise - West End, downtown/business north and east, dark area
behind is Stanley Park then the North Shore and West Vancouver, upper extreme
left is Kitsilano - residential and shops, and sea area known as English Bay into city
average rainfall 47.2" temp summer: 72-86F winter 0F snowfall 11 days total 19"
Vancouver population 600,000+, multi ethnic with large Chinese origin, English is
the primary language with French the official national second language
crime rate in decline, most murders are gang-drug related
bicycle 'friendly', 7 day metered parking, free residential or with permit, most homes
have garage/drive. good roads/highways/bridges with increasing congestion as
the suburbs/populations grows. main airport accessed via bus or Skytrain lrt which
now services a lot of the Lower Mainland suburbs. several hospitals, walk-in doctors'
offices, good policing by Vancouver Police while some suburbs are policed by the RCMP
politics, a bit bouncy at times, same for Feds, but Democratic
good library service, nightclubs, theatres, movie houses, museums/art galleries
other recreational activities including winter skiing on the North Shore mountains
professional teams: BC Lions Canadian football, Whitecaps soccer, Vancouver
Canucks hockey; amateur: most sports including field hockey and cricket
and according to the licence plates, BC is: 'The Best Place on Earth'

Canadian $ - bouncing around par with US$

average weekly income Sep 2011: $830 - year $43,160
2011 minimum wage BC $8.75 per hour
Welfare rates per month: single: $610 up to $1221.06 family
Canada - Federal tax rates for 2011 are:
basic non taxable for 2011 $10,527 then
•15% on the first $41,544 of taxable income, plus
•22% on the next $41,544 of taxable income (on portion between $41,544 and $83,088), plus
•26% on the next $45,712 of taxable income (on portion between $83,088 and $128,800), plus
•29% of taxable income over $128,800
Capital Gain tax: 50.00% x marginal tax rate = capital gain tax -
capital gains tax on $100 is $21.50, leaving you with $78.50
plus
British Columbia (BC) Personal Income Tax Brackets and Rates:
first $36,146 5.06% first $35,859 5.06%
over $36,146 up to $72,293 7.70% over $35,859 up to $71,719 7.70%
over $72,293 up to $83,001 10.50% over $71,719 up to $82,342 10.50%
over $83,001 up to $100,787 12.29% over $82,342 up to $99,987 12.29%
over $100,787 14.70%
BC sales/vat tax: 12%
bus/lrt 3 zones, Vancouver: $2.50 good for 90 mins, into suburbs: $3.75
housekeeping room: from $300 per month
one bedroom: from $800 per month
house rental, estimate: from $1,200 per month + heat, electricity
condo price: current @ $550/sq ft: 800 sq ft: $440,000 variable on building/floor
average house price: Feb/11: $792,000 current $1,000,000+ ?
bank mortgage rate: 1yr 3.50% - 5 yr 5.24%
hydro - electricity: 6.67cents /kWh up to 1,350 + tax
heat and hot water: varies, electricity/natural gas/heating oil or included in rent
2012 Volkswagen Golf 3 door: $19,975 + del/prep + tax
regular gas: 132.9 cents per litre - $5.03 US gallon - Imperial gallon $6.04
medical: monthly: single $60.50, family $109.00 , income below $22,000 'free'
Big Mac - meal: $6.50
this week's Safeway flyer:
Coke bottle: 2 litre x 3 $6, 12 cans x 2 $9
Old Dutch chips: 180gm x 3 $6
Heinz beans: 398ml x 4 $5
whole wheat/multigrain 600g bread: 2 for $5
frying chicken: $2.59/kg min 2
boneless outside round roast: $3.49/kg
Kraft dinner: 5 for $5
Heinz Kethcup: up to 1 litre x 2 $8
russet potato: $2.18/kg
2 litre milk: $3.37
dozen brown eggs: $3.26
doughnuts: 6 for $2.99
many people will drive across the border to shop in the US since even after the
cost of the gas there's large savings - while the C$ is at par with the US$
haircut: $15
plumber: callout first hour $142.50 then $95/hr
school: property taxes
first year university: UBC: Arts $4,608.30 Law $10,338.17 Medicine $15,766.27
movie: $9.90 Tues $5.99
tv, internet, phone/mth: Shaw Cable: tv from: $35 internet & phone $27+$20.95 + tax
 
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