[bsvalley]

Location is a huge variable. The cost of living is what you’d be looking for. In the US alone a same software engineer would make $200k in SF versus $100k in a lot of other cities within the same state (California). Of course, anyone living in another state would have a complete different salary and set of rules.

Now, connect the ocean in between the US and Europe and it makes it even harder to relate to your $100k/y as a reference. In europe alone you have different countries, rules, etc. I would say that the general rule is that your buying power within society remains fairly equivalent no matter what location you’re in.

[leetbulb]

This, definitely. The highest job offers I've had in the southern-mid-west have been 80k-90k/yr, while out west, toward SF they've been closer to 150k/yr (sometimes more). If I were to go out west, pay would double, but rent would at least triple.