[theshrike79]

> There are plenty of cities in Germany with very cheap rent, where apartment buildings get torn down because they're vacant.

There are plenty of cities in Finland like this too.

But the problem is that the jobs aren't there. I could buy a huge house with a big yard from one of those cities, but then my commute would be over 300km every day. Not really worth it.

Or I would have to quit my job and start working in the local paper factory or sawmill.

[dgellow]

Germany is not that centralized, you have way more options than just Munich if you’re willing to move, unless you’re specifically looking to work for Google. Köln, Düsseldorf, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and more all have dynamic job markets if you’re into software. Even for English speakers.

[toyg]

I'm not attacking your experience, but in 2023, with the explosion of remote jobs in software and generally post-covid, this sort of argument looks a bit weak on HN.

[theshrike79]

If it was only me and the SO, we'd be living in a huge house somewhere in the boondocks with a city-subsidised fiberoptic link.

But... we have kids and the schools in the small towns aren't that good and most are constantly at risk of being shut down.