Depending on your network in SF, you may be able to source contract work from there while working in Germany. If you can put up with not having local coworkers

Depending on your network in SF, you may be able to source contract work from there while working in Germany. If you can put up with not having local coworkers, you can get SF rates and pay small-town Bavaria costs and have her family to help with the kids. Even if you commute into Munich, software developers in Germany don't get paid any where near what they do in the U.S. One word of advice if you go down this path is to get very high quality tax advice. Contracting from overseas as an American involves the interaction between two tax systems, and it can be complicated. For example, if you don't structure the work in the right way you can end up paying U.S. self employment tax (about 15%) on your earnings.