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I lived in Oulu for a time, and yes it does indeed live up to its winter cycling reputation. Actually most of my wife's family lives around that region, so we'l
by hiAndrewQuinn 3y ago
I lived in Oulu for a time, and yes it does indeed live up to its winter cycling reputation. Actually most of my wife's family lives around that region, so we'll probably return up there in a few years.
Finland is terrific! Learning the language is tough, and recommended, but ultimately optional for white collar migrants. The lower salaries here are unfortunate - I make a third of what I could make as a software lead in the US (~50k vs ~150k). Doubly so as there really is a lot of top notch engineering talent here, probably because it's so hard to hire people that FTEs end up having to learn a lot about everything lol. I haven't yet carved a path to make US level money while living in Finland - but you'd better believe it's on my list of things to beeline towards once I hit my thirties.
- askonomm 3y agoSalary comparisons without accounting for cost of living is entirely useless and means nothing.
- hrududuu 3y agoMeh, you can come up with twenty different methodologies and they all point to coming out way way behind in Finland. SF -> Finland immigrant, took approximately 70% pay cut, and enjoying the 80% marginal tax rate. The health of democracy is way better than the US at least.
- askonomm 3y agoConsumer prices are 35% lower in Finland, rent prices are 70% lower in Finland, when comparing to SF.
- hrududuu 3y agoConsumer prices are not lower in Finland, although VAT is responsible for a lot of the difference, to be fair. Yeah, sales tax in Finland is 24%. I've been in both places in the last year, cried when I bought my used Toyota here. Rent indeed is 70% lower, but you lose by having 70% lower rent and 70% lower salary. Besides, median salaries in Finland are 15% of what they are in SF (staff swe at 500k vs 90k). And the tax burden is way lower, even in CA. Finland has a lot going for it, but there's just no point in debating the money part.
- askonomm 3y agoDo you have a source? My stats are from: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=United+States&country2=Finland&city1=San+Francisco%2C+CA&city2=Helsinki https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou..., but I'm happy to learn of more correct info on this topic.
- hrududuu 3y agoMy anecdote against a couple hundred, I stand corrected. I think the overall point stands though :)
- chasd00 3y ago> Consumer prices are 35% lower in Finland, rent prices are 70% lower in Finland, when comparing to SF. When comparing to SF, 90% of the planet is that much more affordable. Sheesh there’s more to the world than the plight of San Francisco.
- CalRobert 3y agoI make around 150 by working remote for a US client, but it probably won't last given the market.