Yes. In Paris, for a senior engineer (10 years), 55k to 60k is considered pretty good in most companies. Outside Paris, you will get laughed at if you ask for more than 50k. Clearly, you will earn considerably more in the US or Switzerland. And the difference is not made up with the "free stuff" you get (like free schools, cheap university or healthcare).
first time I hear about Switzerland paying well (I mean, I haven't heard the opposite either). Is it also this bad in London and Berlin?
in london you can easily get to more than 100k£ if you’re solid in CS