[_prototype_]

I'm in the US. The company I work for also hires remote contractors from Europe. We do basically the same thing (software development).

One guy I'm close with, and we've talked about our salaries.

I make 200k My friend in Europe makes 30k.

The difference is astounding.

[mamon]

30k sounds like entry/mid-level salary in Central Europe. With over 10 years of experience I currently make over $90k

Also, if you take median salary in software industry, which is probably closer to $65k, in my country it buys you much better lifestyle than 200k in the Bay Area does. Me, for example, I was able to buy 2 bedroom, 900 sq ft apartment in the capital city with cash, no mortgage required. Other expenses don't really register on my radar. I'm piling up cash for early retirement.

EDIT: fixed some of my numbers.

EDIT2: After my country joined EU I never emigrated to Western Europe, because it didn't make financial sense to me. If I ever find myself emigrating to California, that would be because of the weather, not money.

[czzr]

Eastern Europe, presumably?

[_prototype_]

Central Europe actually

[Thimothy]

For the unaware, Central Europe is a narrow band that comprises Czechs, Slovaks and Polish. Who can get very offended if you even dare to suggest that they belong to Eastern Europe.

[trasz]

The term "Central Europe" makes sense when talking about stuff common to Central Europe, in particular Germany. Otherwise, the term you want here is Eastern Europe.

And yes, there is this particular kind of people who feel offended by this. Largely the same people who get offended by gay marriage. Why should we care?

[_visgean]

No the term has a various definitions, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europe the person

people might get offended because you are wrong.

[trasz]

It doesn't. The map in the infobox sums it up pretty well. Poland is both Eastern Europe and Central Europe, but there's no point in using the latter term when describing something that doesn't apply to all of Central Europe.