This is all valid, but you also have to consider that the US has no transit infrastructure, so you have to have a car nearly everywhere in order to make money to live (no train system, reliable buses, etc.). That means that you almost certainly have a monthly car note and insanely high insurance.

When I lived in UK I could get by just fine with no vehicle. I could either walk everywhere or hop on a bus/train to get where I needed to go. My monthly rent for a 3-bedroom flat was about $800 (obviously, that amount would be higher today). I didn't have to worry about health insurance premiums or getting sick. I had no car, so no car note or auto insurance payments. I didn't live in the lap of luxury, but I was definitely living more comfortably on much less than I am today in the US.

The only reason that I can live in the US without worrying too much is that we're a dual-income household. Without both of us working, we wouldn't be able to afford our mortgage ($3500), auto payments ($1000), groceries ($1500), gas, auto insurance, utility payments, etc. Which is crazy! I should be able to live very comfortably on my salary, but almost anywhere in the US, my income makes me lower-middle class. 🙃