7 Differences Between Living In The UK And The USA

I am an Indian who lived in the USA and then moved to the UK and been there for 3 years before coming back to the USA again. Though I lived in the UK temporarily but I have noticed some good differences that I will share with you in this post. And I can say that It is not only about the difference between the side of the road for driving, fancy English accents, or sophisticated people. These two countries are different in every possible way.

So, let’s see the differences between the UK and the USA to find out what makes the USA or the UK worth moving to.

1. Train system and public transportation is better in the UK vs USA

Compared to the United States, the train system of the UK is reliable and accessible. Whether it is the underground known as ‘The Tube’ in London or even the intercity rail services, you can pretty much get around most of the UK without worrying about having a car or not. Here in the UK regardless of wealth, people use the train system to get from one place to another and only drive for special purposes.

2. The average US salary is higher than the average salary in the UK

Cost of living in the UK is high yet salary that employers offers there seems less compared to the US. The discrepancy in salary rates comes from various factors, including the cost of living, healthcare systems and mandatory benefits. Salary rates also change based on gender, age and industry (or type of work). A survey also revealed that out of all countries in the world, America has the highest average income.

3. Weather is far more predictable in the US than the UK

In the UK there’s a chance of rain almost every day, and you can’t rely on a forecast more than 6 hours in advance. Yes, I felt that personally. But there is a reason behind that, being an island nation surrounded by different air streams, British weather is unique and unpredictable. And if you compare USA weather with the UK then weather here in the US is far more predictable.

4. Houses are much closer together in the UK vs US

Photo ©The Blissful Aura

When I was in the UK, I lived in a semi-detached terrace house, located in the suburbs far from major cities like London and Oxford. You can imagine the scene in the major cities.

Outside of major UK cities, about 80% of British houses are attached to another house on one or both sides. Detached homes are simply not the norm like they are in the US, and buying one is far more expensive compared to a semi-detached or terraced house.

5. Cell phone bills are way cheaper in the UK than the US

So your cell phone bills went high after moving to the USA from the UK, that may be because American cellphone service is among the most costly in the world. When in USA-Choose you service provider wisely to save few bucks.

6. Laundry is a very different experience in the US vs UK

You are not going to find dryers in most British homes because there’s no room in the old homes here. Also, because energy costs are way higher than in the US so people don’t prefer dryers in the UK.

In the UK, clothes are either dried outside on a line, or inside on a clothes horse (or draped over the radiators). Warm and sunny days are okay for laundry but it’s a huge pain once the weather turns cool and damp.

7. National Health Care System is better in the UK vs USA

In the UK, a national system of healthcare, paid for by all citizens through taxes, provides a universal safety net. The US has settled for a complicated mix of private insurance and government subsidized programmes, often managed by private companies. Costs may be far higher for the same medication or procedure in the U.S. than in the UK.

All English residents are automatically entitled to free public health care through the National Health Service, including hospital, physician, and mental health care. That’s what we miss in the USA.

Conclusion

I would say the US and UK are two very different places regardless of the same language they share. You can feel and see many noticeable differences between them. The UK is smaller than the USA. In the UK you can travel by train and cover beautiful places in less than an hour, but in the USA it could take 5 to 6 hours to reach another city. The health care system is better in the UK but houses are much bigger and more affordable here in the USA. Weather and average income are other factors where the USA wins. So it’s simply your call to choose which country is suitable for you in terms of your preferences.