Tornado Alley (PROG)

[fuagf]

Yup, actually measured on a cost of living basis it sorta fits, though prices just out of Sydney are down a bit on many in here ..
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&city1=Tampa%2C+FL&country2=Australia&city2=Sydney

though milk here is now $2.50/L .. $1.71 in there ..

Melbourne vs Tampa? .. bit cheaper than Sydney, which is about, if not, the most expensive city in the world ..
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&city1=Tampa%2C+FL&country2=Australia&city2=Melbourne

USA vs Australia? Population has much to do with it .. USA has always been a less costly place to live ..

Conclusion

The US has been renowned for many years as a relatively cheap country to live in and this becomes more and more apparent when you compare the current cost of living in Australia to the current cost of living in the US. Even after you discount the wild swings in the currency exchange rates the cost of living in America is still significantly lower than that of living in Australia. However, we also need to consider the benefits of living in Australia and the prospects for the Australian economy.

There is no doubt that Australia is a country which has grown significantly over the last 20 years with many people believing the best may still be yet to come. The population has quadrupled since the First World War, predominantly because of a fairly relaxed immigration policy, and the continuing influx of skilled workers is having a beneficial impact on the overall Australian economy. On the downside, the influx of foreign workers attracting relatively high incomes has placed pressure on the property market and prices have risen substantially since 2000.

You need to balance the cost of living in Australia against the cost of living in America while also take into account the standard of living, the weather, prospects for the future, healthcare and other everyday issues. Only then will you be able to ultimately decide whether a move to Australia from the US would be beneficial to your lifestyle, your employment prospects and ultimately your overall cost of living and level of disposable income.
http://www.australiaforum.com/information/general/cost-of-living-in-australia-compared-to-the-us.html

Not sure why, but i still feel that over time, at least, a higher minimum
wage would in the US would be a positive. It certainly would help demand.