Some young American workers are moving to Europe in hopes of a healthier and happier life.
Honestly, I moved to Germany two years ago, and I would only go back if my family needed my help in the US. Life feels a lot easier, and more comfortable. Yeah, the winter sucks, but even then I’m outside more than when I lived in the US.
IDK, does the salary deficit makes up for it?
Depends entirely on your values and perspective
If you’re coming from the upper echelons of US income then it might not.
Otherwise you’ll potentially find the increase in quality of life to be significant.
Americans work too much, commute to much and don’t take enough holidays. Europeans work significantly less hours day to day, have significantly shorter commutes on average and have legally required and protected minimum annual leave that vastly outstrips US workers.
E.g. Take myself and a US friend in a very similar job into account. Yes he earns roughly double what I do.
- However I average 10-15 hours less work a week than he does.
- My commute is half what his is and I have actual public transport options that aren’t trash if my car broke down.
- I get 38 days of paid leave a year. 8 national holidays and the time between Christmas and Jan 1st by default… That leaves me with 27 days to use with some degree of freedom. He’s lucky if he takes ten days total per year.
- I get private healthcare but also know that if that was removed from my benefits I’d have access to state healthcare without the risk of bankruptcy.
Those listed things are just employment based. Culture is also a factor. I’ve never once worried about being shot in my entire life. Our food quality standards are higher whilst also costing significantly less. We don’t have the institutionalised national self delusion of tipping culture. Our religious and crazy right wing aren’t politically powerful enough to be dragging us kicking and screaming inti the 18th century like the US is. We aren’t completely and utterly dependent on cars, so being car free is a viable way to live.
My final note is this. I’m not some US hating zealot. I literally booked flights for a two week holiday in the US yesterday. I adore the NBA and find American people to be absolutely lovely on average. But I couldn’t live the way most Americans do.
What always seemed strange to me: Every single US-American I’ve ever personally met (in Europe or the US) has always been nothing but polite, helpful and friendly. But 300 million of them (mayby together with historcal ballast) create this political system that seems to be rather counterproductive for raising the average standard of living (emphasis on average, if you are in the top 10%, USA seems to be a nice place to be).
I do concede, that the average standard of living is still impressive, but the continual improvement of the 50s and 60s seems to have stopped
Coders in the US can make six figures easy. In Spain it’s like 20-40k, 60kish un Luxembourg if you’re a specialist and got a masters degree, etc. I’ve looked at the tech jobs in Europe in general and I’m unimpressed.
Wages in general are much better in the US. But then expenses also tend to be higher, not only health, even the tipping gets crazy expensive. But in the end it’s very personal, what makes you happy? Is it money? Being close to family? Being in your own country? For most people the move would be too troublesome to be worth it, I guess.
The way I do it is I put a price tag to any benefits I get. I’m currently in Europe but working remotely for Americans. But let’s say I were in the US. Let’s say I’m making six figures. Rent in Madrid or Paris is 1-2.6k for a flat. Rent in the US is maybe 3-4k for a flat. But in Madrid coding jobs are 1.5k-2.5k a month. In the US you get 7-12k a month with the same job. In Madrid you’re left with 500-1500 to live with and in California you’re left with 3-7k a month to live with. Let’s say your expenses are double, or even triple, in California than in Madrid. Let’s say you live in luxury, you spend 1k on food, 500 on clothes and 500 on transport and other expenses in California. You’re still left with 1-5k a month for savings. In Madrid you’re left with 0-900.
Even making a top salary and living frugally in Madrid won’t net you as much in savings as working in a us capital. And then when you want to retire your savings are worth the same anywhere in the world. You can go and retire in a Madrid town if you want. Your degree of comfort before may be the same, but you can save so much that I don’t see how it’s worth it to work for European companies if you’re able to work for American companies, whether living in Europe or in the US.
Yeah it’s very attractive but not the easiest to obtain citizenship.
That depends a lot of the country. In some EU countries is rather easy and cheap.
As a former EU citizen (UK, thanks Brexit) which countries do you think it is easy? I don’t think it is, I believe there is Malta where you can literally buy a passport and Portugal that has some lax visa laws. But gaining citizenship isn’t necessarily an easy thing to do.
You are correct with Portugal, I found this on some website:
Portugal is, overall, the easiest country to get citizenship of the EU.
That’s due to the following factors:
Short residency period of just five years before applying for citizenship
One of the world’s most powerful passports
Range of flexible visa options to suit remote workers, retirees and investors
Dual citizenship OK – keep your original passport
Easy language requirements – A2 elementary level
Access generous tax benefits while counting up the years to citizenship
Reasonable minimum stay requirements
What’s more, Portugal has one of Western Europe’s lowest costs of living
If only they would leave their political affiliations and a few bad bits of their culture in the US too, that’d be great. They’re otherwise very welcome here, as is anybody else who wants to embrace the European lifestyle and integrate, Iranian, Afghan, Australian, Kenyan, Brazilian, Turkish, whatever.
And only the poor and/or uneducated will stay behind. The USA is going down fast.
The educated are paid way more in the US. Americans buy houses and stuff. Unimaginable for most Europeans who don’t get to inherit one. Also Europe is on the decline. Due to terrible demographics mostly.
Buying a house in a soulless suburb and living on the driver’s seat of a car staring at nothing but other cars and concrete? No, thanks. I believe in the inherent superiority of urbanity.
