How your income stacks up

[Malthus]

OK probably a lot less than in North America, but still enough to live a nice, comfortable lifestyle. I would see no reason to complain with such a wage.

You also have to keep in mind there are less very wealthy people driving prices up at the exclusive end of the scale, when it comes to housing etc. Such a wage would allow you to live in a very nice part of Stockholm (and even without a very high income I live on Östermalm, which is the nicest part of central Stockholm, and I'm a student - this is thanks to rent control on the apartment complex where I live; there are many problems with our system of rent control but at least it alleviates some of the effects of gentrification. There are rent-controlled apartments even on the nicest street in Stockholm, Strandvägen - many people do not know this).

Heh that's a good point. Here in Toronto, a modest 3 bedroom house in a reasonable area costs a minimum of $500,000 - you'd be lucky to find that.  Indeed, 3 bedroom houses on my street (admitedly renovated)are now going for just under $1 million.

Cost of living is harsh here. 

[ulmont]

Average for all lawyers.

Still a bit "ouch".

Not that different from the US, actually, considering the DA and PD types dragging the average down.

[Pat]

http://w4.objektdata.se/pregen/216/OBJ21339_1007510216/listaBilder.htm?Gid=OBJ21339_1007510216


Current bid for this apartment in a very nice part of Stockholm is 4495000 SEK which is a little more than half of 1 million $. (and of course our housing is as over-valued as elsewhere, total "value" is 50% more than our GDP or something like that  )

edit: it is 94 m2 (1012 ft2)

edit 2: it is 627 313.21 U.S. dollars

[Cecil]

OK probably a lot less than in North America, but still enough to live a nice, comfortable lifestyle. I would see no reason to complain with such a wage.

You also have to keep in mind there are less very wealthy people driving prices up at the exclusive end of the scale, when it comes to housing etc. Such a wage would allow you to live in a very nice part of Stockholm (and even with no income apart from what I get from my studies I live on Östermalm, which is the nicest part of central Stockholm - this is thanks to rent control on the apartment complex where I live; there are many problems with our system of rent control but at least it alleviates some of the effects of gentrification. There are rent-controlled apartments even on the nicest street in Stockholm, Strandvägen - many people do not know this).

Yes thanks to that insipid rent control thing poor people living in Rinkeby pays the same rent or nearly so as rich people living in the most posh places in the inner city. And all that just so a few select people can howl how "equal" the system is. Pah...what was it Assar Lindbäck said...."In many cases rent control appears to be the most efficient technique presently known to destroy a city—except for bombing. Assar being known as a paragon for the rightist cause in Sweden eh?

[Pat]

I agree there are many problems with rent control. It's very strange people in Rinkeby should pay as much. Stockholm is hardly a bombed city, though 

[Pat]

I might add Assar said that in a different time, when we had a very different system of rent control, not very similar to the one we have now.

[Pat]

Oh, and it's not that the people in Rinkeby pay a lot - it's that I pay very little. And rent-controlled apartment buildings are becoming fewer and fewer as they are bought out by the people living there and made into owned housing.

[Cecil]

Yeah now we instead have queues that are how long? Unless you can get your dad to pony up a couple of hundred grand to shove under the table for a decent spot to live or unless you are pals with the landlord. I know since I´ve been part of the abuse. Sucks for them that doesnt have my connections though....or should I say my fathers.

[Cecil]

Oh, and it's not that the people in Rinkeby pay a lot - it's that I pay very little. And rent-controlled apartment buildings are becoming fewer and fewer as they are bought out by the people living there and made into owned housing.

And why arent there being built any new ones...(well apart from the fucking annoying NIMBYS that should be tossed of subway platform when the Red Line comes in)....rent control makes it unprofitable to build any new.

[crazy canuck]

I might add that the Swedish system is immensely preferrable, for the following reasons:

1) It is more meritocratic, because admission is based only on merits, and in no way on how much money your parents have (which I personally find quite disgusting).

2) In the American system, the educated are made slaves to the free market, because they accumulate large student loans they can only pay back by making money in the free market. There is no free market of ideas for educated americans; at the very least, it is subject to very strong incentives and punishments.

3) I assume it's more cost-efficient from a societal stand-point. I would be interested in a comparison of years of education/capita and cost of education/capita between Sweden and America.

4) At the very least the quality of education isn't worse. The best education in a country of 9 million will never be as good as the best education in a country of 300 million, but I think we do alright for our size, and I would be very interested in hearing an argument of why our system leads to lower quality of education - I've never heard such an argument, and I don't think it could be made.

1) Do you really believe American universities (and particularly law schools) admit on the basis of how much a persons parents earn in income or are you just used to posting on the Paradox OT where this kind of silliness is accepted?

2) Were you on drugs when you posted this?  What the hell does being a slave to the free market mean?  Again, acceptable on the Paradox OT but you are going to have to do better then spout some meaningless jargon to make a point here.

3) Given the average income you say is available I would say you are going to be a slave to the State and I would be much more concerned about you then I am about our American friends

4) Actually, given the reasoning in your post, I have my doubts about the quality of the education you recieved.  Sounds to me like the State has you very well trained into thinking you actually have a good deal.

[Pat]

Yep, there are many problems and there is a lot of abuse. There are many problems with the system. I might add I'm renting my apartment in second-hand, while the first-hand contract owner is in the US working on a doctorate in neurobiology (which I understand should take 4 more years or something like that). While I don't think I'm abusing the system, it's true I wouldn't have been able to get it without connections.

[Pat]

I might add that the Swedish system is immensely preferrable, for the following reasons:

1) It is more meritocratic, because admission is based only on merits, and in no way on how much money your parents have (which I personally find quite disgusting).

2) In the American system, the educated are made slaves to the free market, because they accumulate large student loans they can only pay back by making money in the free market. There is no free market of ideas for educated americans; at the very least, it is subject to very strong incentives and punishments.

3) I assume it's more cost-efficient from a societal stand-point. I would be interested in a comparison of years of education/capita and cost of education/capita between Sweden and America.

4) At the very least the quality of education isn't worse. The best education in a country of 9 million will never be as good as the best education in a country of 300 million, but I think we do alright for our size, and I would be very interested in hearing an argument of why our system leads to lower quality of education - I've never heard such an argument, and I don't think it could be made.

1) Do you really believe American universities (and particularly law schools) admit on the basis of how much a persons parents earn in income or are you just used to posting on the Paradox OT where this kind of silliness is accepted?

2) Were you on drugs when you posted this?  What the hell does being a slave to the free market mean?  Again, acceptable on the Paradox OT but you are going to have to do better then spout some meaningless jargon to make a point here.

3) Given the average income you say is available I would say you are going to be a slave to the State and I would be much more concerned about you then I am about our American friends

4) Actually, given the reasoning in your post, I have my doubts about the quality of the education you recieved.  Sounds to me like the State has you very well trained into thinking you actually have a good deal.

1) I was not aware it was free to study law at top American universities. Or receive any higher education. I understand a powerful incentive to join the US army is to receive a paid education. Someone with rich parents would not need this.

2) Yes I was, I had a few beers. I still stand by my point though. I wouldn't characterize myself as drunk.

3 & 4) You don't have to worry about me. I'm happy with my system, and if Americans are happy with their system: we're all happy. What's the problem? I'm just presenting my honestly held opinion, and you've done nothing to change it.

[Sheilbh]

3 & 4) You don't have to worry about me. I'm happy with my system, and if Americans are happy with their system: we're all happy. What's the problem? I'm just presenting my honestly held opinion, and you've done nothing to change it.

It's just bad form to present your honestly held opinion when it basically consists of denigrating another country/system without even bothering to be funny

[Cecil]

Yep, there are many problems and there is a lot of abuse. There are many problems with the system. I might add I'm renting my apartment in second-hand, while the first-hand contract owner is in the US working on a doctorate in neurobiology (which I understand should take 4 more years or something like that). While I don't think I'm abusing the system, it's true I wouldn't have been able to get it without connections.

Your a Stockholm lad aint you?

Think about those who come to study here and are from the other parts of the country....or even worse from out of the country. Didnt we have some sort of tent village a year back or so for students from abroad? Disgrace is what it is....

But never mind me. I´m just a tad bit bitter about being sick as a dog the day before new years. Looks like I wont make that party.....

[Pat]

This is Languish    Americans here denigrate my system and europeans in general all the time. I wouldn't write something like that anywhere else.