Yeah it's crazy to think about! When you have to double guess a purchase because you think hmm is this t-shirt worth half my work day?
I don't know to be honest. I think Australia just tried to keep up with the growing cost of living and we have a smaller population, less states, etc. It's easier to get issues passed up to parliament and less resistance from commercial giants.
Interesting.
Does Austraila provide education and health care?
In states we get paid less and we have to provide for everything too.
Our university is paid by the government and we only need to pay it off when we are earning a certain amount of money. You pay for private health care but we have a base medicare that is provided as part of your tax. Health care has nothing to do with your job though, it's completely separate.
I'm loving living in America at the moment but I'll be happy to go home in a year or so. I personally find it a harder life here.