sandiego, usa to tampere, finland

[bohica]

bohica: I am not considering this opportunity to make a quick buck....i truly feel this might be a good opportunity to further my career and do some traveling at the same time.

Just trying to understand the ground realities, since I will be dragging my fiance into this too

Oh, i didn't mean that in a bad way. I'm not allergic to money, I just meant that Finland isn't good good place to go if that's your plan.

[Nathan Lillie]

[quote="Andrew_S] The Finnish health service unlike the British NHS is not free, unless somebody is on income support from the Social Office.

It seems to me that workers get to pay loads of tax (with the employers non-payroll taxes as well which are still a tax on the value of a worker's work) and then have to pay again if they get sick (or have health insurance).[/quote]

I've found that paying full cost here for medical care (before I became a resident) was cheaper than paying the insurance deductibles in the USA.

I mean, when I got something done in the USA, even something minor, it always ends up costing $100s. There's the deductible first, which can be up to a couple hundred dollars, and then the insurance only pays 80% or something, and it take like 6 months for them to send the check, and they always disqualify at least part of whatever it was you had done (meaning you have to cought up that 300 or 500 or 1000$ or whatever it was).

None of that BS ever seems to happen with private care in Finland, although I've heard some horror stories about the public system. They're underfunded. But it is basicaly free at least, so even if they don't cure you, they won't charge you for it.

To you Europeans out there: 10 euros for anything in healthcare basically is free. In the USA, if the doctor says "good morning" to you, you already owe him 80 bucks, and good luck getting your insurance to pay it for you. And he's got no reason to fix you up - unless it happens to be a disease he can profitably bill the insurance company for (keeping in mind you're paying part of this too). They like doing MRIs in the States because they can charge alot for them. Never mind what your problem is, an MRI is just the thing for it. And if the insurance won't pay, they can just bill you. And if you don't pay, they just send it to collections.

[net_bh]

Just remember in Finland bedrooms are the size of a queen-size bed, and a flat consists of 2-3 such rooms so make sure your furniture fits... Wink

You are kidding, right?!!!! So bringing the queen size bed is out of question then?

Rent 500

Optimism of a studio flat in Hervanta? 600-700 more likely. Check http://www.oikotie.fi

Tampere is this expensive too? That website made very little sense. I could only navigate upto the page that showed the icon of a home....after that it was all latin...errm...finnish I will have to look at translations elsewhere....btw is there an online dictionary of Finnish->English?

Food 600-700 (16-20/day and restaurants once a week)

Going Lidl and jumping the kebab house trashcan on Fridays? Feasible.

Whats Lidl? Hmmm...so 900-1000 would be more like it I guess.

Garage parking ?

Where?

In flat/apartment complex....to avoid the winter sports (cleaning car in the morning)

Car insurance ?

ballpark:
2004 VW passat 1,8 engine in Tampere,
mandatory traffic 600,-
full (collision,moose,theft) insurance w/bonuses liability 150,- = 1100,-
w/o bonuses, liability 550,- = 340,-

So if I interpret this correctly, my insurance will be 600+340=940 for a full insurance w/o bonus and with a liability of 550?
But what is a bonus?

Thanks.

Regards,
Amit

[bohica]

Just remember in Finland bedrooms are the size of a queen-size bed, and a flat consists of 2-3 such rooms so make sure your furniture fits... Wink

You are kidding, right?!!!! So bringing the queen size bed is out of question then?

Yeah, I think he was, but not by much.

Rent 500

Food 600-700 (16-20/day and restaurants once a week)

Going Lidl and jumping the kebab house trashcan on Fridays? Feasible.

Whats Lidl? Hmmm...so 900-1000 would be more like it I guess.

Sort of life the German version of Walmart. Cheap products that are cheap quality.

[deojuvame]

I would definitely recommend getting things like bikes there and shipping them over to Finland in a container- the bikes here are much more expensive for a lesser quality (the one shining exception being Jopos ) Replacement parts are manageable for bikes if you import. Also it might be a good idea to get furniture there and ship it.

In regards to the queen size bed, however, keep in mind that the bed sizes are different here, so if you decide you need new sheets or something you'll have to import it from the States.

When you go to Oikotie, you might want to click on "Asunnot" at the top bar, then "Vuokrattavat" on the left hand navigation bar. This delivers you to a search engine for housing rentals- you need to specify budget, area, etc.

There's some online dictionaries posted in the keilikoulu (language school) section, I'm a bit too lazy to dig them up right now.

Happy trails and all that

[Rosamunda]

Just remember in Finland bedrooms are the size of a queen-size bed, and a flat consists of 2-3 such rooms so make sure your furniture fits... Wink

You are kidding, right?!!!! So bringing the queen size bed is out of question then?

Yeah, I think he was, but not by much.

We only JUST managed to get our bed into our bedroom in the first hoúse we rented here... then we couldn't actually open the cupboard doors! Our wardrobe had to be left in the hall.

BTW - fitted wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-floor cupboards with MDF louvred doors are the ultimate interior design feature here, every house has them. So don't worry too much about bringing real furniture (wardrobes, filing cabinets, chests of drawers, sideboards whatever) there is generally no where to put it all.

[Rosamunda]

Many flat/apartment complexes (and housing estates) have outdoor parking. Some kind of a shelter but not a closed, heated room. And in town I guess most people park on the street. My husband tells me it is bad to put a car in a heated garage in the winter because this increases the corrosion on the car... better to leave it out in -20 all the time. I know NOTHING about cars so just do as I'm told (we have garage and 2 cars but they stay outside all winter, the garage is full of general crap we can't fit in the house : skis, wine, lawnmower, bikes, wine, winter tyres, wine).

Outdoor car ports will keep the snow off your car but they are no good for storage. Generally they have these heater sockets, so you can plug your car into the wall and it heats up in time for work. You'll have to have a plug thing fitted to your car (unless you get a car here in which case they all have it) but somebody else can explain better than me, as I said I am clueless about cars.

[ronrubies]

Moi Amit,

I moved from California in March. While I cannot claim to be an expert, in my opinion there are definite benefits and some clear drawbacks. What they mean to you, of course, is subjective.

Housing: as stated before, homes in Finland are small and expensive compared to the average US home. However, compared to CA real estate, especially the overheated San Diego market, Finland is relatively inexpensive (even after adjusting for relative size). If you expect to be in Finland for at least a couple years, it's worth buying a home and there are government incentives for first time home buyers.

Child care: if you need it, the state provides it for almost nothing. Compared to the after tax cost of private child care in the US, it's a steal AND it's generally much better quality.

Other costs of living: definitely more expensive: food, clothing, entertainment, GAS, restaurants, etc., except perhaps car insurance which is very expensive in southern CA.

Savings: listen to Hank W. Income, savings and everything is taxed like hell in Finland, even compared to high CA taxes. If your lucky enough to have a Finnish salary (in Euros) that will be the same as in CA (in dollars), then expect that you will still save a little less than what you do in CA (though you will automatically be contributing toward your Finnish pension).

Lifestyle issues: CA is exceptionally cosmopolitan with a very high immigrant population even by US standards. On average Finns are not yet as used to foreigners, especially outside Helsinki, and especially for non-whites. This does not mean people will treat you maliciously but, for example, being frequently stared at might make you uneasy.

Please PM me shoul you want details. Good luck,
Ron

[sim]

I think you're being given a little too bleak a picture here..

You are kidding, right?!!!! So bringing the queen size bed is out of question then?

Don't worry about that. While the bedrooms aren't that spacious, a queen-size bed is definately no problem in most apartments.

Tampere is this expensive too? That website made very little sense. I could only navigate upto the page that showed the icon of a home....after that it was all latin...errm...finnish I will have to look at translations elsewhere....btw is there an online dictionary of Finnish->English?

Tampere is more reasonable than the Helsinki area, but you probably should still reserve around 600 for a decent place. Depends on what kind of place you're looking for, naturally.. you can spend anything from 300 to 2,000 for an apartment.

Whats Lidl? Hmmm...so 900-1000 would be more like it I guess.

That's ridiculous. Unless you plan on eating at expensive restaurants every week or otherwise have a very expensive taste, there is no way you need 1000eur/month for food. 600-700 is plenty for normal eating habits.

Garage parking ?
In flat/apartment complex....to avoid the winter sports (cleaning car in the morning)

If the apartment complex has a garage (not all do), a spot inside will likely cost around 25-55eur/month.

So if I interpret this correctly, my insurance will be 600+340=940 for a full insurance w/o bonus and with a liability of 550?
But what is a bonus?

A bonus is like points in some US states. When you drive without accidents you gain bonuses. Make sure you request your driving record from your insurance company before coming over -- that way you can get the highest bonuses (usually 70%) immediately. Assuming you don't have any accidents, of course

[Hank W.]

Oh, i didn't mean that in a bad way. I'm not allergic to money, I just meant that Finland

...just doesn't give you enough exposure to get any reactions, if you happen to be allergic to money

[Hank W.]

I mean, when I got something done in the USA, even something minor, it always ends up costing $100s. There's the deductible first, which can be up to a couple hundred dollars, and then the insurance only pays 80% or something, and it take like 6 months for them to send the check, and they always disqualify at least part of whatever it was you had done (meaning you have to cought up that 300 or 500 or 1000$ or whatever it was).

None of that BS ever seems to happen with private care in Finland,

Ah, do it this way:
1. Go to private dentist.
2. Apply refund from KELA.

[Hank W.]

Sort of life the German version of Walmart. Cheap products that are cheap quality.

Walmart is "Stockmann" compared to Lidl. Think Sam's club and everything on pallets. And triple the price.

I'd *love* to go on a shopping spree to a Wal-Mart...

[Hank W.]

Yeah, I think he was, but not by much.

I don't remember what the bed sizes were in the USA. All I remember I made the maid go crazy as I switched the bedclothes sideways as the bed in the hotel was too short, but I had ample space because it was so wide.

I have a 90cm (3 foot) wide bed right now. If I had the full-size (160cmx 205) bed in my bedroom, I could choose *either* to have a nightstand *or* have my closet doors open... the room is maybe 3x3. The study is a bit narrower...

[bohica]

Sort of life the German version of Walmart. Cheap products that are cheap quality.

Walmart is "Stockmann" compared to Lidl. Think Sam's club and everything on pallets. And triple the price.

Yeah, Lidl is pretty grim, although they do have some good stuff. I bought some kebab "meat" there once, and I couldn't even finish it because it was so greasy. And I'm an American and therefore have a natural resistance to grease.

[Hank W.]

as I said I am clueless about cars.

You explained what I was about to - perfectly. (and far less paronizing)

What you need to do when you get to finland is:

- Get anti-corrosion protection, TECTYL or DINITROL - but get it before you drive one meter. One winter and your car is not worth the paint that keeps the rust intact.

- *of course* you need a block heater, if you have modern poles in the yard you may even use an interior heater. If not, a gas heater like Ebespächer is the dogzballz, but they mainly use them in vans.

- garage parking is usually either nonexistant or then you pay more rent for that than for the flat... depends a lot on things. Row houses usually have garages (as penelope says, for storing everything else than cars) - in block of flats. Theres 180 flats, 10 garages - someone do the maths...

Bonus = % off the insurance. The "no bonus" insurance is such, that the payments are lower, but then you don't gain any reduction. With a bonus you first pay high premiums but then get your 10% a year off so if you are with "full bonus" you pay 20-25% of the "rack rate".