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Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

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Re: Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

#41

Post by manmal »

leaveyou wrote: post #21

It's very hard to see a reason for you to move to Berlin. You will gain a net ("in hand") salary much lower than your actual salary because in Europe there's not only the taxes that are deducted from your salary, but also contributions for health assurance, for retirement and for social security (and sometimes many other "small" things). All these things can add up to ~50% of your salary. And see this: " People earni…

Well money isn’t everything. If I were to move to another country/city, I‘d choose Berlin. To me, it’s magic. I just love how at some places trees grow over old buildings, people are very liberal with graffiti (even on purpose), the great bars and places-to-be, open minded people...

Re: Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

#43

Post by chrisper »

timthelion wrote: post #32

As an American who moved to Prague, I'd say that those taxes pay for themselves in terms of quality of life and social insurance. Having so many beautiful parks and so much culture right in the city so few minutes away by tram is worth way more than owning a big house. I think of it like this: I can either live in America and have a big living room, or I can live in Europe and have an entire city as my living room. Y…

You also need to save "less" (compared to the US) because certain services are covered through tax.

Re: Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

#45

Post by bambax »

contingencies wrote: post #35

If you are not interested in drinking then opportunities for socializing in Berlin may be a bit limited. They are also very big on pork and ham. Germany is a very stable but also a very conservative country. While Berlin is the least conservative part, you will find that the upper echelons of society in terms of net worth tend to be exceptionally conservative. If you do not learn German, opportunities for economic an…

Never been to Dubaï but I have visited Berlin many times. Didn't like it much. The weather is horrible 9 months of the year. People are mostly very nice, but many don't speak English, so learning German would be a necessity in order to fit in -- even for grocery shopping.

That said, it's a gateway to Europe; if you can somehow get a working permit valid in all of Europe, or a path to citizenship, that would be a fantastic opportunity.

Re: Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

#46

Post by s_clemens »

I would move to Berlin. Granted, you'll earn less, but you'll get a much better quality of life for what you're making. Berlin is a very vibrant and lively city with friendly people. Rent is relatively cheap, compared to Munich, Amsterdam, Dublin or London. Costs of living are again quite low. I'd move at least for a change of scenery and cultural experience. After all, you're not a tree, you don't have roots, if you don't like it in Berlin, move on.

Re: Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

#47

Post by leaveyou »

manmal wrote: post #41
leaveyou wrote: post #21

It's very hard to see a reason for you to move to Berlin. You will gain a net ("in hand") salary much lower than your actual salary because in Europe there's not only the taxes that are deducted from your salary, but also contributions for health assurance, for retirement and for social security (and sometimes many other "small" things). All these things can add up to ~50% of your salary. And see this: " People earni…

Well money isn’t everything. If I were to move to another country/city, I‘d choose Berlin. To me, it’s magic. I just love how at some places trees grow over old buildings, people are very liberal with graffiti (even on purpose), the great bars and places-to-be, open minded people...

I think you didn't read carefully the question.

Re: Ask HN: Should I move to Berlin?

#48

Post by kamyarg »

I moved to Berlin a couple of months ago, here are some points you might want to think about:

- Berlin is a beautiful city; a lot of parks and stuff to do. I personally spend more time outside.

- You would move to Berlin to live a happier life, not for making a shit-ton of money.

- your salary is in the low/mid side of Seniors, they usually make 55-70K brutto, but not a bad one to start with IMHO.

- Expect to search for flat for at least 3-4 weeks, Berlin's housing space is complicated currently.

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