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> $47,000 vs $56,000 for 2017

Ever tried to buy a (non fast-food) meal in Germany and in the US? Your purchasing power is way higher in Europe.

I disagree, the US famously has a low cost of living compared to developed nations in Europe. That includes everything from energy prices to housing prices to food prices. When adjusted for the higher US wages, that imbalance is even more dramatic.

Take energy costs as one example. US natural gas prices are half that of Western Europe. Electricity costs are half or less that of Western Europe. In Germany, electricity is about $0.35 kilowatt hour. In the US, it's $0.12.

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/rankings_by_country.js...

Does that factor in the cost of healthcare?

The US also has famously high costs for education and healthcare.

The US is a great place to be if you are in prime working age with in-demand skills, no health problems, and no kids.

In Hungary, I felt rich...but then they were not using the euro.

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