The American Dream Under Scrutiny: Wages, Fentanyl, and the Cost of Living

What life would you have in the U.S.? The reality that debunks the myth

The question of what kind of life you would have led if born in the United States has sparked a debate that pits the fantasy of Mustangs and ranches in Texas against the reality of a country where fentanyl runs rampant and medical insurance consumes wages. Between idealization and criticism, the numbers paint a picture far more complex than the cliché.

The Fantasy of the Mustang and the Ranch

Some imagine that, having been born across the Atlantic, they are currently driving a Mustang Dark Horse, owning a ranch in Texas, and having an armory bunker and shooting range. Others picture themselves on an Alabama plantation, reaping the rewards of labor.

It is the kinder version of the American Dream: the one from movies, where individual freedom is taken to the extreme.

But that image clashes with the reality of millions of Americans. It isn't all highways and guns. There are cities where the fentanyl crisis has turned entire streets into scenes of devastation, such as Kensington Avenue in Philadelphia or certain neighborhoods in San Francisco. The fantasy fades when discussing absolutely dire lives.

The Numbers Debunking the Myth

The calculations regarding the cost of living in the U.S. are devastating. With a wage of $20 per hour, needing to work more than a baker trying to reach $5,000 a month, and facing medical insurance costing around $900 monthly, the margin is razor-thin. To this are added taxes that make Spanish IBI (a property tax) seem anecdotal, and a legal system where any oversight can invite lawsuits.

The price of basics doesn't help either: $3 for a pack of pasta that would cost half as much in Spain, $5 for a beer at a local bar. And if the goal is to reach €100,000 annually, the math doesn't add up: at $20 per hour, it would require over 5,000 hours of work per year—a physical impossibility. Only highly specialized jobs approach that figure, but then the cost of living skyrockets in major cities.

The Other Side: Fentanyl and Violence

The fentanyl crisis has transformed the urban landscape. Kensington Avenue has become a symbol of degradation: people in zombie-like states, needles on the ground, a decay that authorities struggle to contain. It is not an isolated phenomenon; it extends through cities like San Francisco, where the situation has been described as an emergency.

Violence also looms over the debate. Homicide statistics in big cities and easy access to firearms fuel a perception of insecurity that contrasts sharply with the idyllic image of the countryside. Between the Alabama redneck and the fentanyl zombie, there is an abyss that the data cannot be ignored.

The analysis remains inconclusive: life in the U.S. depends on where you look and how much you earn. But the numbers regarding cost of living, healthcare, and safety do not lie. The American Dream, for many, remains just that: a dream.