[carlmr]

You also pay less for rent, less for food, less for your internet bill, less for your phone bill than in America.

In the end if you live in SF vs Germany you might earn twice as much, but you spend 3 times as much. In Seattle it's maybe a better factor, but that's one of the few places with worse weather than Germany.

And then you have to account for 4 weeks less vacation, no paid overtime (or overtime as time off). I usually do two 3 week vacations a year and 2 weeks over Christmas. It's not only pay that counts.