4 ms·

If you make $250k/yr+ in the US all of those problems melt away due to the availability of disposable income. In the EU you top out at €100-150k. I say this f

If you make $250k/yr+ in the US all of those problems melt away due to the availability of disposable income. In the EU you top out at €100-150k. I say this from experience as a European who's lived on both continents.

termy 3y ago
Not everyone makes that kind of money :(.
- redrove 3y ago
  Absolutely true and a valid point, I’m just trying to add some nuance to the conversation. I’ve noticed the North American heavy online bubbles fetishizing Europe in that regard, and the reality is far more grim.
  - antisthenes 3y ago
    You added some nuance and completely lost most of other nuance. It's completely evident that the salary differences in the EU/US are not from the convenience of the govt calculating taxes for you, and that's the point you tried to make in your origin post. On the other hand, you'd make great advertisements for TurboTax.
yurishimo 3y ago
But this also depends almost entirely on where you live. €100k in the almost any city in Netherlands, France, or Germany is a great income that can support a family with one earner. $250k might only put you in "solidly" middle class if you have to live in SF or NYC. The difference is that the $250k salaries are 99% of the time only widely available in these extreme HCOL cities. Healthcare for a family of 4 in some parts of the US is absolutely fucking bananas compared to most of Europe. I've seen monthly premiums of $2k+ after the employers part, not to mention the deductible!
- euroderf 3y ago
  Efficiencies from health care competition are illusory when you properly scope it to include paperwork hassles, time hassles, and pressure on provides to skimp.
  - CogitoCogito 3y ago
    There basically is no healthcare competition in the US at all regardless of any qualifiers. You often don’t even know how much a procedure will cost you. That fact alone means there is no price competition. Even if in the past there were hospital competition (assuming you’re in the position where you have the time to shop around), hospitals are merging regionally to take care of that. The US healthcare system is incredibly expensive and ineffective. Americans often like to come up explanations for this status quo but the fact is the system is trash when compared internationally.
- geraldwhen 3y ago
  This is patently false. 250k+ is readily available in cheaper cities. You just have to work at BigCoSoulStompers.

termy 3y ago

Not everyone makes that kind of money :(.

redrove 3y ago
Absolutely true and a valid point, I’m just trying to add some nuance to the conversation. I’ve noticed the North American heavy online bubbles fetishizing Europe in that regard, and the reality is far more grim.
- antisthenes 3y ago
  You added some nuance and completely lost most of other nuance. It's completely evident that the salary differences in the EU/US are not from the convenience of the govt calculating taxes for you, and that's the point you tried to make in your origin post. On the other hand, you'd make great advertisements for TurboTax.

yurishimo 3y ago

But this also depends almost entirely on where you live. €100k in the almost any city in Netherlands, France, or Germany is a great income that can support a family with one earner. $250k might only put you in "solidly" middle class if you have to live in SF or NYC. The difference is that the $250k salaries are 99% of the time only widely available in these extreme HCOL cities. Healthcare for a family of 4 in some parts of the US is absolutely fucking bananas compared to most of Europe. I've seen monthly premiums of $2k+ after the employers part, not to mention the deductible!

euroderf 3y ago
Efficiencies from health care competition are illusory when you properly scope it to include paperwork hassles, time hassles, and pressure on provides to skimp.
- CogitoCogito 3y ago
  There basically is no healthcare competition in the US at all regardless of any qualifiers. You often don’t even know how much a procedure will cost you. That fact alone means there is no price competition. Even if in the past there were hospital competition (assuming you’re in the position where you have the time to shop around), hospitals are merging regionally to take care of that. The US healthcare system is incredibly expensive and ineffective. Americans often like to come up explanations for this status quo but the fact is the system is trash when compared internationally.
geraldwhen 3y ago
This is patently false. 250k+ is readily available in cheaper cities. You just have to work at BigCoSoulStompers.