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As a recent transplant from San Francisco to Nantes, France, I'd like to point out that my salary is about half of what it was in the US, taking into considerat
by ferrantim 12y ago
As a recent transplant from San Francisco to Nantes, France, I'd like to point out that my salary is about half of what it was in the US, taking into consideration exchange rate, so the article is right on. However, my purchasing power has gone up about 2x. My apartment in San Francisco was $4000/month for a 2 bedroom. In Nantes, I pay €800 euros for a 2 bedroom that is about 25% bigger. Some things are more expensive in France, but one the whole, it is much much cheaper, and I'd argue that quality of life is way better.
For what it is worth, I am American with a french partner. Probably not as easy for others to get a Visa to work in France.
- aianus 12y agoI find this hard to believe. As a Canadian my experience is that everything is cheaper in San Francisco save for rent which doesn't begin to cover the tax and salary disparity ($2.2k for a studio vs $1.3k, big whoop). Given that France seems even more expensive than Canada for electronics, cars, fuel, taxes, etc, where are you realizing these savings?
- liotier 12y agoA huge one for example is daycare - I pay €220 a month for full time daycare for one of my five daughters near Paris. Everything kid-related is heavily subsidized, so people can actually afford kids and the country does not die of old age.
- bsaul 12y agoParis is expensive, but the rest of the country is pretty cheap. Nantes isn't even in the "second biggest" city league. So you can expect something like 25% to 50% discount on the cost of pretty much everything (especially rent, but not just that).
- nolite 12y agoFood is way cheaper in Paris than SF... both groceries, and restaurants.
- aianus 12y agoFood in SF is often free at work. Even without that perk I can't see more than $100-$200 a month in savings from food.
- yitchelle 12y agoOn a human level, salary comparison is only part of the story. It needs to take into account how much ends in your wallet and how much you can buy with that money.
- presty 12y agoIt isn't really fair to compare SF with Nantes