2 ms·

Can you share a rough estimate housing & living expenses ? My understanding that Scandinavian countries are very expensive for every day living expenses. (As

by yazr 8y ago

Can you share a rough estimate housing & living expenses ? My understanding that Scandinavian countries are very expensive for every day living expenses. (As a single healthy educated adult male, its too late to enjoy the free child care, education, health care, etc)

Broken_Hippo 8y ago
It is honestly harder for me to do so. I'm a cheap person by nature - I have the stuff that I want, my spouse (who has had to support me for much of the time) simply takes care of most of without my input. Also, I live in a cheap, small attic apartment that isn't much more than student housing :) We are slowly saving for a house, so it works out. But they are expensive. A single bus ride (paid in cash) is as much or more as a latte. Norway is a bit more expensive - to the point there is a (free!) bus that goes between here (Trondheim) and just over the border in Sweden so people can shop cheaply. The amount I spend on groceries and a bit of spending money would more than pay rent and my food (but not all of utilities) in Indiana. I also eat well (mostly vegetarian save for some fish at least once a week). If you go far enough north, you get taxed less, though, to encourage people to live up north. I'm not sure living expenses are cheaper, though. On the other hand, wages are different. You might make less as a programmer but more when working in retail. And I can definitely plan my expenses better.
mstade 8y ago
Depends on what city and country you're comparing with, and how you like to live. Scandinavia isn't cheap, but it's generally also value for money. I've used this tool in the past, and found it good to get a rough, general estimate: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/stockholm/london https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/stockho...?

2 ms·

Can you share a rough estimate housing & living expenses ? My understanding that Scandinavian countries are very expensive for every day living expenses. (As

by yazr 8y ago

Broken_Hippo 8y ago
It is honestly harder for me to do so. I'm a cheap person by nature - I have the stuff that I want, my spouse (who has had to support me for much of the time) simply takes care of most of without my input. Also, I live in a cheap, small attic apartment that isn't much more than student housing :) We are slowly saving for a house, so it works out. But they are expensive. A single bus ride (paid in cash) is as much or more as a latte. Norway is a bit more expensive - to the point there is a (free!) bus that goes between here (Trondheim) and just over the border in Sweden so people can shop cheaply. The amount I spend on groceries and a bit of spending money would more than pay rent and my food (but not all of utilities) in Indiana. I also eat well (mostly vegetarian save for some fish at least once a week). If you go far enough north, you get taxed less, though, to encourage people to live up north. I'm not sure living expenses are cheaper, though. On the other hand, wages are different. You might make less as a programmer but more when working in retail. And I can definitely plan my expenses better.
mstade 8y ago
Depends on what city and country you're comparing with, and how you like to live. Scandinavia isn't cheap, but it's generally also value for money. I've used this tool in the past, and found it good to get a rough, general estimate: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/stockholm/london https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/stockho...?