A question for Americans

[The Lawspeaker]

I am thinking about travelling to the United States in summer 2010. I will focus on New England - on Maine to be more specific and I wondered what the prices would be for ordinary stuff like daily groceries, public transport/ gas prices (I have been invited to stay with someone), taking someone out to dinner etc.

I will travel around a bit and see what the state is like. Trips could be to anywhere really. From Bangor to just across the border into Canada.

[Frigga]

I could tell you about California, but I know nothing about the standard of living in New England unfortunately.

[The Lawspeaker]

Anyone in the Northeast ? Allenson was from Vermont, right ?

[Germanicus]

You will find the prices cheaper all round compared to Europe, food, beer, petrol are all cheaper.
Mrs Germanicus and i travelled around California, Nevada, Arizona, the prices of everyday expenses IMO were very good, in the past i have been to Boston, New York, and Philidelphia, the meals we had dining out were very reasonable, even with the tips thrown in...:)

[Barreldriver]

I just know about Tennessee and Ohio, but Ohio I'd assume to be a bit more close to prices in Maine. For gasoline we average anywhere from $2.29-$3.00 per gallon, public transport in the cities around average $1.25-$1.50 ($1.25 for the Akron metro, $1.50 for Pittsburgh), daily groceries are a bit pending, for my kin we spend about $50 bucks for our food and it lasts about a week and a half to two weeks.

[Germanicus]

I just know about Tennessee and Ohio, but Ohio I'd assume to be a bit more close to prices in Maine. For gasoline we average anywhere from $2.29-$3.00 per gallon, public transport in the cities around average $1.25-$1.50 ($1.25 for the Akron metro, $1.50 for Pittsburgh), daily groceries are a bit pending, for my kin we spend about $50 bucks for our food and it lasts about a week and a half to two weeks.


You rotten swine, we did our big shop tonight for the week, it cost me £110
That's $184.21 :)

[Svarog]

Yeah, it's cheaper, especially food - but don't be fooled, if you wanna eat good, it will cost you just as much as it will in any average place in Europe. Gas is also much cheaper, all in all, just bring as much as you'd bring to England or France and you'll do just great with 'leftovers'.

[Barreldriver]

Yeah, it's cheaper, especially food - but don't be fooled, if you wanna eat good, it will cost you just as much as it will in any average place in Europe. Gas is also much cheaper, all in all, just bring as much as you'd bring to England or France and you'll do just great with 'leftovers'.

The bold faced cannot be emphasized enough. Quality food that is actually going to nourish you will cost quite a bit over here, I should have mentioned that earlier, the $50 bucks gets semi-quality food, if you want really good stuff it will cost quite a bit more.

[SwordoftheVistula]

I am thinking about travelling to the United States in summer 2010. I will focus on New England - on Maine to be more specific and I wondered what the prices would be for ordinary stuff like daily groceries.

Depends on what you eat, you can live comfortably on $30-$40/week. Groceries are generally somewhat more expensive in New England than in the farming regions of the country, but not by a huge amount. Lobster and blueberries are local, and thus cheaper and fresher than in other parts of the country.



public transport.

Does not exist in Maine. Maybe a small bus network in one or 2 of the larger cities, and a bus or train down the coast to Boston. Do not rely on this if you plan on travelling around Maine and seeing the state, as this will be impossible without a car.

They do have public transit in Boston and the near suburbs, including to the airport you will likely be flying into, but it shuts down shortly after midnight.


gas prices.

$2.60/gallon or so. Most trucks/suvs get around 20 miles per gallon, and small cars over 30.


taking someone out to dinner etc.

Just a simple dish and a soft drink or juice at a basic restaurant (99, Olive Garden, etc) will be about $10-$15/person, more if you get steak or certain seafood items. The food at most of these places is pretty decent, but it is considered 'low class' to take a girl to such places. If taking a girl out, assume at least $15-$20 per person bare minimum, plus drinks.

Alcoholic drinks at a bar or restaurant usually are about $5-6 for a 'good' regional beer like Sam Adams, Long Trail, Wachussett, etc.

Add 15-20% 'tip' at any place where they bring food/drinks out to your table. If you get it from a counter, like Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds, then no 'tip', unless you are getting alcoholic beverages, in which case the 'tip' still applies even though these people are doing the same task as the McDonalds worker.

[Allenson]

Anyone in the Northeast ? Allenson was from Vermont, right ?

Aye! Here I am. :)

If the current exchange rate holds near to where it is now, you should do pretty well for yourself. I took a pretty good hit using the Euro in Ireland just this past fall. :mad:

New England tends to be a bit pricier than other areas (except maybe California & NYC) but it's well worth it and again, your money will go farther here than the reverse.

I've lived in Maine some and I can certainly recommend some good spots for you to see while you're there. The coast is beautiful--particularly east of Brunswick & Bath--but it can be busy & touristy in the summertime. Portland is the largest city but small in comparison to real cities (63,000 or so souls). It has a real nice section called the "Old Port" where there are lots of bars, coffee shops, live music, etc.

Inland is nice too--although the old "mill strip" just inland from the coast is nothing spectacular (Lewiston, Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, etc.). The mountains in northwestern Maine and the Great North Woods are lovely if you're looking for a wilderness feel. There are lots of lakes, mountains, rivers, fishing, canoeing, rafting.... Baxter State Park is home to Maine's highest mountain--Katahdin--and a wonderful place for some Thoreau-esqe wilderness time. :)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2461/4043550947_a4aaa9d0be.jpg


Edit: yeah, what SOV said. There's little to no public transportation here in northern New England outside the larger towns. That is, if you want to really want to get into the feel of the place and visit spots off of the beaten track....

[SwordoftheVistula]

Depends on what you eat, you can live comfortably on $30-$40/week. Just a simple dish and a soft drink or juice at a basic restaurant (99, Olive Garden, etc) will be about $10-$15/person, more if you get steak or certain seafood items. The food at most of these places is pretty decent, but it is considered 'low class' to take a girl to such places. If taking a girl out, assume at least $15-$20 per person bare minimum, plus drinks.

Alcoholic drinks at a bar or restaurant usually are about $5-6 for a 'good' regional beer like Sam Adams, Long Trail, Wachussett, etc.

I think there might be bit of a mistranslation here based on your rep comments.

The 'live quite comfortably on $30-$40/week' is if you buy groceries from a supermarket and cook at home.

The '$5-6 for a 'good' regional beer' at a bar/restaurant is per beer, meaning a 12 oz (.333 ml) bottle or glass, plus another $1 tip.

If buying beer at a store, it is about $7-8 for a 6-pack of the .333 ml bottles, $13-15 for a 12-pack of said bottles, $25-27 for a 24-pack.

[Óttar]

In Boston, our public transport is decent but it could still use a lot of improvement (it's slow, costs too much, isn't 24/7 etc.) Groceries cost me $60-100 every fortnight. There are a lot of rednecks in Maine unless you live in Portland. My room-mate/college friend is from Maine. I never could understand being stuck in the middle of Podunk. Not a coffee shop or bookstore for miles!? I'd probably kill myself.

In MA, the houses are nice, and the New England air is fresh and crisp, but winters are brutal and can last 10 months.

[Allenson]

I never could understand being stuck in the middle of Podunk. Not a coffee shop or bookstore for miles!? I'd probably kill myself..

LOL. For me, it's pretty much thirty miles to anything significant, commercially speaking, that is. There's a used bookstore about 16 miles away and gas station coffee a mere 10 miles away. :coffee: ;)

[Phlegethon]

You will find the prices cheaper all round compared to Europe, food, beer, petrol are all cheaper.

Food and beer are definitely not cheaper than in Germany and in the Netherlands. Gas probably still is because there is no comparable taxation in the U.S. As a general rule of thumb the money you save on gas is spent on food and beer.

Keep in mind that Maine is appealing to the wealthier tourists.