It's true that property taxes are lower here - a good deal lower than in big US cities and their suburbs (take a look at NJ property taxes for example).
Good restaurants are also cheaper but they aren't as good as in New York. I used to be a regular customer of Sotto Voce (someone mentioned this restaurant) but had a couple of bad experiences and gave up. The food was never as good as the restaurants I like in New York but it was/is cheaper.
MEAT? Does the writer mean beef or all meat? I find lamb, chicken and pork far inferior to what I can get in the US - either in good supermarkets or, better yet, farmers or gourmet markets where I get natural or organic meat. Beef is good here if it is bife de lomo but you can no longer be sure that it is grass fed as the agricultural industry is now using fed lots. I find the other cuts of beef tough. Roast beef is a LOT better in the US, for example.
All industrial goods and electronics are a lot cheaper in the US. Try buying a used or new car.
Taxis and buses are cheaper here though not as cheap as some people have said. Keep in mind that in the US there are public transportation passes you can buy that give you unlimited rides. My Senior Citizen parents pay NOTHING for public transportation as it is provided free by the government. Their medical care is also free - they are covered by MEDICARE and the 20% that the government does not pay is picked up by an inexpensive insurance policy. If they want, they can get FREE medical care at Veterans Hospitals (both parents being veterans). If they lived here they'd have to pay for private insurance to get decent care - and that care increases 50-60% at age 65-66.
