Does 28k-30k in the US get you the same (or better) quality of life than 24k-26k gets you in Europe?

I doubt that; I expect a European on 24k is living better than an American on 30k. But that also depends on where: I'm sure 24k will get you farther in, say, Sofia, Bulgaria, than in Paris or Berlin. Same is true of different places in the US.