Since moving to the UK I've wanted to do a breakdown of taxes I paid in Colorado vs UK. Even though taxes are higher here and VAT is 20% I'm still convinced I have more income at the end of the year then I would in CO.
Some things I've noticed -
I surrendered a good chunk of my paycheck to health insurance in the states that's already folded into income tax in UK
Car insurance in UK is much cheaper because it only needs to cover damage to the car instead of hospital bills
Council tax (property tax) is significantly cheaper here. For instance, a £1,000,000 home in manchester might pay £2200-£2700 per year in council tax, while a $1,000,000 home in my old neighborhood in Denver is paying $6000 per year
Gasoline is more expensive here, but driving distances are not as high so I think that washes out even
Fruit, vegetables and meat is definitely cheaper here then anywhere in CO
Internet, cable, and phone plans are significantly cheaper here
Some things I've noticed -