[jorvi]

That’s 150-200k on the earning side. In most European countries this has a bunch of social security pay-in, pension pay-in, employer-side employee tax etc. already paid for via the employer. The “real” wage is often close to double, so 300k-400k vs 500k-700k, which doesn’t sound nearly as grim once you factor in the much better quality of life.

[fooker]

Yes, you can make the math work for you by factoring in subjective criteria like quality of life.

> on the earning side

I'm not sure if you are aware but some of the things you mention are also provided by good employers in the US, but they are not obligated to.

[esoterica]

A pension is not worth 150k-200k a year in compensation. Also taxes are higher in most of Europe, even taking payroll taxes into account (I assume that's what you mean by social security pay in).

[isodev]

Very much this. Folks tend to compare absolute numbers at the top of their payslip while forgetting all the rest. You don’t get good roads and healthcare out of nothing.