It's not common at all in Switzerland, either, at least from what I can tell after living here for years. Salaries for lower-level positions tend to be higher t

It's not common at all in Switzerland, either, at least from what I can tell after living here for years. Salaries for lower-level positions tend to be higher than in the US, but I highly doubt these would be enough to retire quite so early. Total compensation for highly-skilled positions is often lower than in the US. However, the cost of living can be relatively low if one is willing to live frugally, but quickly balloons as services are outsourced (e.g. eating out).