[dasil003]

I moved from SF to London in 2010 and back in 2014. I was working for a startup at the time, so not FAANG, but also salaries weren't anywhere near what they are today.

My experience is you can't really compare salaries directly, you really need to think about your personal lifestyle. First, if you care primarily about money then there's no substitute for being in Silicon Valley. After that it gets more complicated, basic cost of living like food and going out to the pub is cheaper in London, but high end goods are more expensive and the 20% VAT really hurts. People are generally calibrated on less material goods than the typical American is used to. That includes smaller flats and spending a greater percentage of your income on them. On the other hand though, you don't have to worry about health care, and you don't need to own a car because public transport coverage is solid, and the majority of places have at least decent walkability with some local shops. Overall I would say if you're interested you need to look at potential salary and rents and figure out if it works financially, but don't expect to make equivalent as the US and stay on the same financial trajectory—it's apples and oranges.

[sjg007]

3bdrm house in London is basically $1m. This is on par with the Valley. I am surprised salaries are not higher.

I am not sure what you mean by less material goods... I don't think that's true or really means much of anything. Not having space means less stuff in general anyway cause you have to put it somewhere.

[djklanac]

Agree. I’m a US citizen who lived in London. The cost of essentials are actually very affordable in the UK. Your lifestyle excludes the need to acquire material goods. If earning money is your primary focus, I would choose the US. These are my prime earning years and am happy to be here. Otherwise, I found the UK to be an amazing place to live. I look forward to hanging it all up and returning to a quiet village in the Cotswalds.