Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We visited Italy, France and Monaco this summer and I was surprised that the prices overall were significantly less than the US.

Hotel rooms are definitely cheaper, the cost of food is significantly cheaper : a good croissant in Paris is 1.20 euros vs $5-$6 here at a comparable bakery. A scoop of icecream in Venice and Monaco is 3 euros vs $6-$7 here.
Restaurant food is almost half the price in Europe when you account for taxes and tips in the US ( not to mention you get better tasting food there).

I get the Covid stimulus packages passed in the US contribute to inflation but many European countries also passed those.

Why has inflation hit the US much harder?

Just traveled all over Spain for two weeks as a family of 4 and even with the crappier exchange rate, most things (except gas) are cheaper in Spain than the Wash DC area. Our airbnbs were massive and nice compared to anywhere in the U.S. Our meals and drinks were 50% cheaper than DC.

In Spain, a family of 4 might live on 1200 euros a month. Average household salary is 34k a year. Rent used to be 500 euros a month for an apartment, but when your airbnb charges 500 euros for two nights--no landlord is going to rent it to a family, so families are getting pushed out to the crappy suburbs. Plus grocery prices have absolutely skyrocketed. It seems cheap to us, but it's not for Spaniards.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We visited Italy, France and Monaco this summer and I was surprised that the prices overall were significantly less than the US.

Hotel rooms are definitely cheaper, the cost of food is significantly cheaper : a good croissant in Paris is 1.20 euros vs $5-$6 here at a comparable bakery. A scoop of icecream in Venice and Monaco is 3 euros vs $6-$7 here.
Restaurant food is almost half the price in Europe when you account for taxes and tips in the US ( not to mention you get better tasting food there).

I get the Covid stimulus packages passed in the US contribute to inflation but many European countries also passed those.

Why has inflation hit the US much harder?

Just traveled all over Spain for two weeks as a family of 4 and even with the crappier exchange rate, most things (except gas) are cheaper in Spain than the Wash DC area. Our airbnbs were massive and nice compared to anywhere in the U.S. Our meals and drinks were 50% cheaper than DC.

That was always true for Spain, even before the pandemic.

Anonymous wrote:We visited Italy, France and Monaco this summer and I was surprised that the prices overall were significantly less than the US.

Hotel rooms are definitely cheaper, the cost of food is significantly cheaper : a good croissant in Paris is 1.20 euros vs $5-$6 here at a comparable bakery. A scoop of icecream in Venice and Monaco is 3 euros vs $6-$7 here.
Restaurant food is almost half the price in Europe when you account for taxes and tips in the US ( not to mention you get better tasting food there).

I get the Covid stimulus packages passed in the US contribute to inflation but many European countries also passed those.

Why has inflation hit the US much harder?

Just traveled all over Spain for two weeks as a family of 4 and even with the crappier exchange rate, most things (except gas) are cheaper in Spain than the Wash DC area. Our airbnbs were massive and nice compared to anywhere in the U.S. Our meals and drinks were 50% cheaper than DC.

This is cultural as I said - I'm the PP. if you are used to choices, big houses, etc of course living with more frugality is not going to suit. However, the peace of mind having insurance and paying taxes for that I am sure is the same as me having 2 kids and still paying so much after I already pay for employer sponsored insurance. Look, you're gonna pay no matter what but if you live a certain lifestyle, it's more pressure to hustle and work to make the $ to live v live with whatever you have.

In terms of the OP question, I still think that it's about numbers of course but psychologically it's also our perception because culturally, we live a different way. It's less about whether you are happier or not and more about oranges and apples in comparing how and why we spend.