1. Most Things Are Cheaper
Following on from how British beer is inexpensive in the USA, ex-pats find to their delight that most things are actually cheap. And often not just cheap, but cheap
er. About 14% less expensive on the whole. One significant reason for the price differences lays in the much lower rates for sales taxes in the USA. Each state has its own sales tax percentage, but they are all far, far lower than the UK's VAT rate. But bear in mind that what sales tax there is isn't actually included in the number on the price tags in the stores. If a customer wants to make sure he's got enough cash in his pocket to cover the cost of a purchase, he's expected to know his state's tax rate and work out the extra amount due at the check-out for himself. Now that the positives are out of the way, let's start on the aspects of life in the USA that are not so pleasant. With these items, the focus is on elements of daily life that most ex-pats are going to encounter on a regular basis, rather than on guns and stetsons, fun though those are. First up is an issue that cannot have escaped the notice of any British person driving in the USA.