How do you rate the standard of living in the UK?

[Socci]

Today my mum said that she would consider migration to another country if she was younger because she feels that the standard of living in this country is not good enough and is getting worse.

What is your view on this? What do you think is good compared with other places in the world? What would you change?

My uncle emigrated to Australia about 30 years ago and he and his wife have never been completely happy.

So is it a case of the grass is always greener?

Standard of living in any country, incluidng UK, depends on how much you are earning and where in the UK you actually live.

My standard of living (ex-lawyer) was fab when I was single in London

Now with a toddler and DH having to support us all and living on the posh side of London and watching lots of very rich people go by, I find myself miserable due to lack of money.

Yes, I have considered living abroad. I have various options including USA, Canada. DH used to live in Dubai so have option to go back there.

But I hate the thought of not living somewhere in Europe.

This might sound snobbish, but I can't think of anywhere on earth that has the variety of high culture that we have in Europe.

This fact alone keeps me here, even though I know I would be financially better off in say the USA, like my BIL who lives in California.

But BIL's idea of a nice day out is going hiking or going for a swim in the sea and then going out for a Mexican meal followed by a night club.

It's not my scene.

I would much rather spend a whole day schepping around a European city looking at fantastic buildings and then having a snack, a glass of red wine followed by decent (non-Starbucks !!) cup of coffee sitting in a beautiful square !

I don't think the standard of living is that bad (apart from the NHS maybe) but it's too expensive here. Taxes are high. Childcare, the cost of housing, and my debt problem (which is dirently related to the first two items on this list) are making my life an uphill struggle. I do think about leaving the country, but I'm not sure that DH would be so keen on that idea.

NQC - I think you don't know much about Australia's immigration history. Per capita, we have had the highest immigration intake of any country in the world - except Israel. It even exceeds the USA.

I think the quality of life in Australia is much higher, but that's not really the whole story about whether you want to live somewhere. Your interests and family and friends also have a huge impact on whether you want to live somewhere.

I would move in a shot. I hate:
High taxes
Lack of good childcare and tax relief
Appalling crime rates
Rising level of anti-social behaviour with no-one doing anything about it
Celeb culture with little emphasis placed on education/work
Rubbish public transport
Unelected liberal elite running the joint
Postcode lotteries in the NHS
Little emphasis placed of families by the Govt
Lack of respect for teachers, emergency services etc

I could go on and on, and I'm sure there are problems with other countries, but I'm becoming very unimpressed with the UK.

The UK is a good country to live in. It's very difficult to rate it as it's got many big ups and many medium sized downs.

houses are crazy expensive and things in general are expensive. you need a good career to live well in the UK.

If you are one of these people, the UK is great.

The weather is a nightmare but you don't get all the bugs or the horrendous humidity some other countries suffer.

FREE HEALTH CARE! don't underestimate it. It's a big thing. it really is.

Government funded tuition - again, a very big thing.

the countryside is beautiful.

I think the UK is a hotspot for financial success. I think it's very easy to make alot of money in this country and there are endless opportunities.

so, IMO, it's a good country to live in and the british shouldn't moan as much as they do.

and stop moaning so much about the NHS. Yes, it has huge problems and inefficiencies but that goes hand in hand with trying to run a system like this. The NHS is a very difficult system to run and it's a miracle they've managed to keep it afloat this long.

Personally I can't think of anywhere better to live, and that is with family who are now in OZ.

It seems to me that OZ is now the 'America' places to go to, the land of dreams and gold paved streets.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SPIDERS!!! :)

There are more man killing spiders and other insects in OZ than anywhere else on earth.

Also everyone talks about great weather, well that depends on whwere you live. Melbourne and Perth still have a rainy temperate climate like the UK, OK they get hotter summers, BUT WHAT ABOUT SKIN CANCER??? :(

I can't imagine living somewhere that has over 30 degree heat every day for weeks on end, and forest fires atteh end of it.

Imagine also a country where a short drive to teh supermarket or Cinema is a round trip of 1hr each way - unless you live in the city.

What is the point of living in OZ if you just go and live in a city, you may as well stay in the UK.

AND THE MEN!!! Who on earth would find some neanderthal, throwback to cavemen attractive?? Aussie men are the most sexist, laziest bums on earth. You won't find an Aussie man to share the housework or look after the kids. They are beer drinking pigs :)

So I guess you can take it from me that I love the UK, not only becasue my family are here, but yes I am spoilt I have a good standard of living, a nice house, reasonable schools etc. Just by flying around the world you won't get these things as a matter of course. Wages are relative to UK, eg houses are cheaper, but you will earn less. So yes if you cash in your UK house and buy out there it seems great, but when you are a=on half the salary it is not so good.

Yes wages are high in the UK.

And as for the USA... bollox to that country. They don't support they're own citizens at all.

No healthcare

No tuition support - (6 figure uni bills)

No nothing.

The USA is lovely country.

And, just to clarify. I like the UK. I enjoy living here. London dis a wonderful city. I'm just fed up with the cost.

And, uh... your claims to no healthcare and no tuition support are both false.

Have to say I think Australia has done a better job of a public health system than the UK. It's true that it's not totally free like the UK, but most necessary things can be obtained for free - eg GP visits, having babies, surgery etc. Waiting lists are long, but better than the UK. And the hospitals are MILES better. My sister is a doctor and has a lot of friends who have worked in the NHS. They describe it as 'third world'. I think eidsvold has recently talked about the dramatic improvement in care for her DS dd when they moved to Australia.

We do pay for more than in the UK, but usually those who can't afford it don't have to pay anything and the rest pay relatively little. Overall I think it's a much better system than the much-beloved NHS (although it's definitely not perfect!).

But we have nothing even close to the BBC! :)

uwila - how so?

my american mates have 6 figure uni bills and you need health insurance in the USA unless you travel hours to a county hospital. Am I not correct?

By DaddyCool

so, IMO, it's a good country to live in

So why are you abandoning us ? and going back to Mooseland ??

You said "no" support. There is some for the truly poor. (though I'm no expert as I have always had insurance)

Anyway... I don't really want to get into a huge debat about the worth of the USA. I think it's a lovely place.

I also think the UK is a lovely place. Just think we need to address the abilty for people to support themselves here. Increasing axes for people who are already struggling is probably not a great idea.

I adore it and would hate to live anywhere else

I love the cultural diversity, the culture, the sense of humour, the beautiful countryside, the diversity within the uk of landscape, accent, attitude etc all within such a small space. The proximity to the rest of Europe where you can visit unimaginably differing cultures in any direction. I like the climate, like the cold, like the heat, like the fact that it doesn't rain much any more (I know bad for us but I love it!) I adore London and my life here

I am lucky not to have money worries, I agree it's expensive but I can afford it.

I would probably not like it much if I had to live in a tiny flat with no garden and be on the dole or a very low wage

kama, you'd have to ask a British person about the education system here! In Canada, I learned to sew, a bit. And some woodwork, which I preferred. But no knitting. And no knitting machines, either (that is the word for them, though, in English).

bloss, I think you misunderstood me, I'm afraid. I said: "Anyway, I like living in a multi-cultural society (and if you don't, Australia is not the place to go - I think they're up there with Canada in % of population being from other countries!)." As in, I think Australia has a lot of foreign folks living there.

The public transit does suck here.

Oh, and I'm with you about Australian men. When I worked in the City, the only way I could tell Aussie and Kiwi men apart was, if they were cute, they were Kiwis, if they weren't, they were Aussies. (I really can't tell the accents apart, sorry, I'm just not used to them enough.) This was remarkably reliable.

My standard of living is good, and I love living here - the weather, the countryside, the cities, the education I received, the care I've always had from the NHS, a friendly community around me - all sorts of things suit me really well. It does feel expensive to live here though.

I dislike the way that really expensive things are continually being presented as 'normal' in order to keep as all consuming - I assume it's much the same in other developed capitalist countries but not sure.

I think here you have to work harder and longer hrs to afford a home, car, nice clothes, nice food, holidays etc. And considering how much tax we pay the NHS/educations services are sub-standard.

But I hear it's the same in the US.

It's a very difficult question. We are able to move but still we remain here. Something keeps us here - probably familiarity. I'm sure people in the Middle East (UAE - not Iraq obviously) and Far East (Singapore, Malaysia) probably enjoy better quality of life - nice weather, nice people, slightly more relaxed pace.

But I can't really complain about the standard of living here, considering that much of the world does not have clean drinking water, basic education, nourishing food, shelter etc.

CD makes a good point. I've always had enough money while I've been here, both when I was working, and now that I'm a SAHM. If I'd struggled, it would be different, I'm sure.

Of course, poor here is still easier, probably than poor somewhere where there isn't universal health care. (Yes, uwila, I know some poor Americans are covered, but I gather you have to be poor enough, iyswim. Lots of people slip through the cracks.)

Agree with CountessDracula.

I agree with CD , too, apart from the cold. But then I grew up in Chicago which is MUCH colder than London so I know it could be a lot worse.

Oh, and I am very of:

"I am lucky not to have money worries, I agree it's expensive but I can afford it."

I wouldn't move from the UK permanently
I might move somewhere else in Europe for a short period but that's it
I bloody love it here, best place in the world imo

OOOH yes and zenophobia and racism I have heard are FAR FAR worse in places like OZ and USA.

I think the only place I could possible imagine living would be Canada, since I love the bloody cold and ski-ing!! BUT i have heard it is brain numbingly boring there too!! :) Sorry DC :)

Here here HRH QoQ (from a while ago), Crunchie and DaddyCool! Sorry but I can't stand Daily Mail speak. And really can't see the big attraction with Australia at all. Agree that the Gov't have got some things wrong here but overall we can't complain.