And, on top of that, office transfers are a thing. Half of my immediate team (including me) have applied to relocate to otherwise random international offices that would better suit our lifestyles, and all got approved.
P.S. Fully remote would have also been an option. It's just not what we've chosen, for various reasons.
Berlin, Dublin, Zürich. Pay & benefits are adjusted to be in line with anyone else employed by the company at the target office.
Being able to pick a city where one actually wants to live is definitely an upside. Being a remote singleton with no nearby teammates might prove a downside, though in our case I doubt it will be all that significant.
I am located roughly 3,000 miles from my team and will never return to being within driving distance of any Google office. International is harder because of time zones, but it is an option.
P.S. Fully remote would have also been an option. It's just not what we've chosen, for various reasons.