Euro wages are typically after tax, but you are citing a before tax figure. In California for example where a 15$ wage is reasonable for a "shitty job", that's

Euro wages are typically after tax, but you are citing a before tax figure. In California for example where a 15$ wage is reasonable for a "shitty job", that's around 34,000$ take home. You can expect to pay 15,000$ in yearly rent, which leaves you with 19,000$. To get to the Amazon warehouse you work at, you'll have to pay around 5000$ a year on a car, because public transport won't get you there, leaving you with 14,000$. Then you have utilities, food costs, healthcare costs, etc..., and you'll be lucky if you manage to spare 2000-3000$ a year of disposable income. And of course, this is Amazon, so at least you get some form of insurance. Many are less fortunate. It is preferable to live as middle class in a third-world country (GDP per capita ~4000$/year) than as someone with a shitty job in the USA, having lived the former.