The real costs of TV shows: America v Britain

American TV shows always illustrate the ultra-chic lifestyle without reflecting the cost.

In contrast, British TV soaps show the gritty reality of traditional English pubs and council estates.

Whilst Rachel from Friends can afford to live in a spacious, central New York apartment on the wage of a waitress, Eastenders’ Roxy Mitchell lives above a pub in East London.

Just how much does it cost to live the American dream and enjoy that penthouse apartment compared to residing in the East end of London?

Cost of rent

The characters of Friends live in a large Manhattan apartment. The cost of renting a 2 bedroom apartment in that part of New York could set you back around 2000-4000 £1,274 to £2,548 per month.

On findaproperty.com, a 7 bedroom semi detached house to rent in East London can cost as little as £500 a month or up to £12,000 for a 4 bedroom terraced house as seen on the streets of Walford.

Lifestyle

Any fans of the US series Friends will know that the characters spend a lot of time in the Coffee House, Central Perk. During each episode of the show there is likely to be at least one scene when they are enjoying a cup of coffee.
 
If you were to have a Starbucks or Costa everyday that could mount up to a significant £2,000 a year!

According to research from ViallWare, a heavy coffee drinker who consumes more than 21 cups per week could spend as much as £2,000 a year on cappuccinos, lattes and espressos.

The average coffee drinker will spend £451.28 a year on the hot beverage and that’s more than the average electricity bill of £424 per year.

It’s not just the American TV shows which splash the cash either, the Queen Victoria pub in Eastenders is always busy. Many of the characters pour into their local on a regular basis. The average cost of a pint of beer is £2.90, according to pintprice.com.

If you were to take on board the adventurous social calendar that the characters of Eastenders enjoy, you could spend almost £1000 a year just by having one pint everyday, surely adding more to your personal debt. 

Household bills

The guys from The Big Bang Theory must have some extensive electricity bills with the amount of video games they play. In reality, the postgraduate researchers would have a tough time covering their household expenses on their Californian bachelor pad.

According to mysalary.co.uk, a postgraduate researcher would earn an average of £13,000 a year.

Moneyextra.com recommends you take independent financial advice before acting on any article

2012-02-01 12:03:11 © Moneyextra.com