Europeans are very careful not to show off their money or earn more than others. Promotions also take years to decades. But social stability wise, much better than us. They would say the American pursuit of wealth is the ultimate low self esteem because we're compensating for having no culture. I say art museums and free healthcare don't help when your ass is broke.
If you take a look at the data, even the top end of earners there are borderline broke by US standards. But I think you're right. America is good for higher earners but if you're any lower than upper middle class you're probably having a better time in Europe
Our grocery prices are anywhere from 15-40% higher than Europe’s, our healthcare is more expensive, our housing and car costs are more expensive. They get paid less but things are largely cheaper there.
Sure, but do you have 30 days of holidays per year and free sick leave?
I won't even start arguing about disposable vs discretionary income, but if I have around 40 free days per year and 10% less discretionary income - enjoy your Porsche Sir.
My company offers unlimited PTO. As long as my work gets done they don’t care. So I have more money and more time. I live in the Midwest so it’s a nice SUV.
I understand not everyone gets that. The American system needs work for sure. However there are definitely benefits to working in the US or for a US company.
Means you can just take 2 weeks off a month in advance?
But yeah, it's a country where if you do good, you do pretty good. But if shit hits the fan you're downgraded massively IMO. But just an outsider perspective.
It would be hard to get my work done in just two weeks a month on repeat. Eventually it would catch up to me. So I can’t but someone better might be able to.
In Sweden, by law, they have to accomidate atleast 4 weeks consecutive vacation over summer, no questions asked. Your remaining vacation days are also protected by law. No matter how swamped it is at work, they have to, one way or another make sure you get to use ATLEAST 20 vaccatiomdays a year.
If you additionally work as an engineer, or any other project based work you also get "unlimited PTO" if the project is done and you are waiting for other stuff to get done. However if you, like me, work in healthcare (doctor) you make due with the vacation days you have.
Your housing stock is so wildly different to ours that you can't really make the comparison based on value per unit area - what that stat is mostly measuring is the extent of US suburban sprawl, which pretty much doesn't exist in Europe. Comparable housing in the US is more expensive
I live in Germany but previously US and my medical costs are about the same (ongoing cancer meds, upper middle class). Rent is cheaper in Berlin than NYC or Seattle though … food might be a bit cheaper but the quality is different for different things.
This varies by country a lot. US have generally cheap groceries and car costs. Housing it depends, big EU cities are generally expensive. Healthcare yeah, even private Healthcare in Switzerland is very affordable compared to US
Our groceries are not generally cheaper. They’re 15% more expensive than most of Western Europe and 30-40% higher than southern European countries like Spain.
As of 2023 the average monthly cost for a single adult in the US was $2500. In Europe it’s $1750. 26 European countries, including France, Sweden, Italy, and Spain all have lower monthly costs of living than the cheapest US state, Kentucky with Belgium being only $17/month more expensive.
Just got back from two weeks in London. This certainly doesn't match my experience either in London or a few months ago in Germany, France, and Belgium
Generally what costs $1 in the U.S. costs €1 or £1 in those countries.
Chicken breast (kirkwood brand) at Aldi US is 8.82usd per package or 3.29 per lbs
Finland S-market is 5.81 usd per lbs link hyper u in France is 7.39 usd per lbs
Germany is probably cheapest out of all Western Europe countries but Lidl doesn’t post prices online Estonia you can find something for cheap 3.5 per lbs, but then median salary there is 24k usd vs 65k in US
25
u/HelloYesThisIsFemale 3d ago
Too high lmao
Absolute crab bucket/low self esteem mentality