Here having an indipendnet home with a garden is considered luxury.

Different things are more expensive in different places, I guess. We have lots of land, so a house with a yard is cheap.

Apartment buildings and sometimes houses (especially old houses) have balconies, but you always pay extra to have them and it's a way to show off being wealthy.

My parents home has a superlong balcony you can get a walk all around the house.

Oh that's very fancy! Must have cost so much!

To be honest, I'm scared as fuck my mother is going to develop cancer.

That dread of what the future might bring with our parents ☹️ I'd say that's the main reason it's so taboo here. People think it's dirty and you're risking cancer by doing it. They also think you're giving them cancer by smoking near them, so people aren't shy about harassing smokers. There are smokers here, it's just looked down on as shameful and low-class. That also makes smoking look rebellious and cool, so the cycle continues.