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Comment by koevet | Hacker News Reader

Thanks for your thoughts.

I visited the US in the past (hell, me best trip ever was an epic coast to coast with a Marine friend) and I'm aware of the differences.

Cultural differences are ok, this is why we consider moving - and why I moved a lot around in the past.

My main concern is about getting to an age where I can't really afford severe financial missteps.

Our "purchase power" here in Berlin is very very high and as much I consider Berlin a messed-up city the overall quality of life is stellar.

I can afford to stay put for a while (in fact, that is the plan in case we move, so I can support my kids with school etc.), but I want to make sure that, when my stay at home dad period ends, I can get to an income level that is close to our situation in Berlin.

Doesn't have to be the same, but I don't want to end up loosing money over the move.

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A few last thoughts: NJ can be pretty expensive. My family there spent more per month on property taxes than I spent in a year on mortgage, property tax, and insurance combined on a larger home in SC. I’m not sure if you have a choice in what city you are choosing, but if you do, it pays to shop around, so to speak.

If you’re willing to forego freelancing there are some great remote-first companies that will pay you well. Elastic is an absolutely amazing place to work, and they have a decent German cohort, too.

I looked at your comment history, because I was thinking , “wow that guy must have it pretty good in Berlin.” And yes, as you say, you have a very very high purchase power in Berlin. I think you will find that it will be quite expensive in NJ to replicate your quality of life as you are not nearly as far up the income percentiles for the NYC metropolitan area. We spend part of the year in Warsaw and feel like kings, then we go back to Florida and feel distinctly more plebeian. I would say everyone can adapt, but for example if you wanted to replicate the amenities in Berlin you will find yourself in an extraordinarily expensive and near-unicorn walkable neighborhood. If you prefer a car based life then your cost of living in rural NJ will be much lower (and you will also probably be able to afford a nicer car without all those auto and fuel taxes).

I don’t know much about the relative school quality for your kids, but do know that in the US schools are funded locally so people spend a lot to be in the zone of a desirable school or otherwise go private. Since the difference between good and bad schools can be enormous, you will end up paying for this one way or another.

You mentioned supporting your kids with school. University is quite expensive in the US compared to Germany, even if your children decide to go to an “in-state” college. You might want to look into that, especially if they will be out regular school age within the next ten years.

Why do you find Berlin a messed up city?

Because it's a dirty, messed up hell hole, in comparison to the rest of Germany.

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