One thing to consider in your move is the price of games. This is one of the reasons why I've never been too keen on leaving the U.S. One of my favorite hobbies is collecting games. And the prices for video games in the U.S. are lower than just about anywhere else.
The one drawback is that in recent years some critically acclaimed titles from other regions don't get localized for the U.S. (I blame the increasingly narrow tastes of the U.S. mainstream audience) But its still something to consider. All other regions you could move to will probably have higher prices on video games. I'm not sure what the situation is in Canada.
Games in Canada, they're priced the same as the US. Sales tax may be higher depending on the province you reside in. As low as 5% in Alberta, and for me in Quebec, 14.975%.
Being a native, ha, I love the states. But if I had a choice to live anywhere else leisurely I would choose London. I was there for a week and I can honestly say it was a miniscule amount of needed time to soak it all in. The mentality of people was vastly different than that of the United States. People as a whole and I'm talking about people you would see on the streets were very kind understanding nonjudgmental of foreigners. And not to mention the chicks there are absolutely gorgeous in most cases. Then again everyone there looked really good. probably because everyone walks for the most part. during the week I was there I probably walked 5 to 7 miles every day.
It was a truly amazing experience one that I plan on repeating in The very near future.
Being a native, ha, I love the states. But if I had a choice to live anywhere else leisurely I would choose London. I was there for a week and I can honestly say it was a miniscule amount of needed time to soak it all in. The mentality of people was vastly different than that of the United States. People as a whole and I'm talking about people you would see on the streets were very kind understanding nonjudgmental of foreigners. And not to mention the chicks there are absolutely gorgeous in most cases. Then again everyone there looked really good. probably because everyone walks for the most part. during the week I was there I probably walked 5 to 7 miles every day.
It was a truly amazing experience one that I plan on repeating in The very near future.
That's in the center. It's easily 1000$ for just a single room there...
Things are a tiny bit different further out of the city (where it becomes affordable).
I'm from the UK and I'm scared of applying to companies in and around London! :P Rent is soooo expensive down there, my friends flat in Guildford is half the size of mine and £200 more a month :P
It's also prudent to point out that quite a few of the cheaper areas in London are not places you'd really want to be emigrating to, and suffer from destitution, gangs and violent crime.
My place in Guildford was £1000 per month, but should have realistically been around £1300. A room in a house shared with other people is usually in the region of £500.
People as a whole and I'm talking about people you would see on the streets were very kind understanding nonjudgmental of foreigners.
More than half of all people living in London are descended from recent immigrants and one in ten people in the UK (around one in four in London) are first generation immigrants (not born in the UK).
well things in tokyo Isn't so great either when it comes to rental prices
renting a one roomer for 1200$ a month, and that's after the yen has gone down a lot T_T
From experience, LA is no different. But, usually companies compensate for cost of living.
You're not going to make the sort of wages you do in the US. And if you do expect to, they probably won't bother bringing you over unless you're some kind of superstar or big shot exec/director (with a lot of experience). Average London games salary is 58k$, compared to 81k$ for US.
You're not going to make the sort of wages you do in the US. And if you do expect to, they probably won't bother bringing you over unless you're some kind of superstar or big shot exec/director (with a lot of experience). Average London games salary is 58k$, compared to 81k$ for US.
60k US is what I would say is the average for the US with like 2 or 3 years experiences. 81k would be after your working for maybe 10 years I would think, just based on the talks I have had with people. 40 to 50 is generally your average entrance salary.
And I understand that living in London would be crazy expensive as its a major city. But god damn was it such an awesome city to be in while I was there I feel it would be worth it. In reality I have always lived in extreamly expensive citys, San Diego, LA, Seattle so I am no stranger to extreamly expensive rent costs.
Its honestly worth it to be in the hub of a metropolitan city. I mean sure you could live like a king far outside any city, but I love being in the heart of a bustling city with all its culture and people. The price becomes worth it for the living experience as having a lot of money living outside of a city doesn't do it for me. But thats just me
35k € per year (raw, apply taxes and it's less) is the average for a senior in Spain with 10+ years of experience, and you can't expect much more unless if you work in other profession. Our work is still not recognized and in any contract we work as "coder".
I don't understand why you want to leave the US when almost all the europeans want to work in USA, because they think the work is really there (it may not be now).
Europe is not a good option, Nor France, nor Spain, Nor UK, nor Germany.
Being a native, ha, I love the states. But if I had a choice to live anywhere else leisurely I would choose London. I was there for a week and I can honestly say it was a miniscule amount of needed time to soak it all in. The mentality of people was vastly different than that of the United States. People as a whole and I'm talking about people you would see on the streets were very kind understanding nonjudgmental of foreigners. And not to mention the chicks there are absolutely gorgeous in most cases. Then again everyone there looked really good. probably because everyone walks for the most part. during the week I was there I probably walked 5 to 7 miles every day.
It was a truly amazing experience one that I plan on repeating in The very near future.
Enjoying as a tourist =/= good place to live :poly124:
I've applied for jobs in london, but on the off chance i actually got one i think i'd be living on the streets! I also wouldn't say it's particularly friendly, but maybe i'm just too used to all the drunken commoners up north.
Quick question to you Scandinavians out there. What's the difference in the language between Norway/Sweden/Denmark? Can those folks all understand each other?
I used to feel the same living in the UK, in my experience things have really improved recently and look set to continue for at least another 3/4 years. As much as it bores me politics does matter. My families paying a lot less tax now anyway.
I'm paying 2000 for a 1br with some friends paying up to 2600 for a similar sized 1br near San Francisco. Though the pay is good enough to live comfortably here.
I'd hate to deal with the small salaries you guys mention in expensive countries. I'm thinking of freelancing (with a US pay) and a not-so-long term living arrangement in another country, though I have no idea as to how that would work. *shrug*
I think people will always just naturally not want to live or work where they've grown up. Especially for the adventurous ones.
It varies from person to person. "The grass is greener" and all that. Sometimes people just crave a change, and altering their environment is one of the easiest and most obvious solutions.
I'm a little different. I'm quite content where I'm living currently, and am not in any hurry to leave. This is probably due to my personal circumstances. I spent the majority of my younger years jumping around from state to state. I had lived in six different states in different regions of the U.S. before I reached high school. And then I went off to another state for college. After an entire youth spent moving, I was more than ready to settle down in one spot.
If I were to move to another country, it would be to explore a different culture and learn a new language. While I crave new learning experiences, my sense of adventure is topped off.
Quick question to you Scandinavians out there. What's the difference in the language between Norway/Sweden/Denmark? Can those folks all understand each other?
The languages are not all that similar. The common language tends to be English if no party is bilingual in both parties native language.
I've been curious about Americans living abroad - I know you still have to file a US tax return, do you get enough breaks so you don't owe anything or do you end up paying US taxes on top of everything?
I've been curious about Americans living abroad - I know you still have to file a US tax return, do you get enough breaks so you don't owe anything or do you end up paying US taxes on top of everything?
:poly142::poly142::poly142:
Holy crap i did not know this - Do I have this right ? If youre an American, going to live outside the USA - earning and paying tax elsewhere, you have to pay tax back to the US as well ??
Holy crap i did not know this - Do I have this right ? If youre an American, going to live outside the USA - earning and paying tax elsewhere, you have to pay tax back to the US as well ??
correct, unless you renounce your citizenship like that Facebook Co-founder did. I have a feeling it's only if you make boatloads of money but I'm not sure.
other vote for Canada, Montreal is a pretty kick ass place to live, but it does get cold, but no where close to as bad as other parts of Canada get for the cold. here in Halifax atm and it is somehow -20, and damp out, which defies logic.
60k US is what I would say is the average for the US with like 2 or 3 years experiences. 81k would be after your working for maybe 10 years I would think, just based on the talks I have had with people. 40 to 50 is generally your average entrance salary.
And I understand that living in London would be crazy expensive as its a major city. But god damn was it such an awesome city to be in while I was there I feel it would be worth it. In reality I have always lived in extreamly expensive citys, San Diego, LA, Seattle so I am no stranger to extreamly expensive rent costs.
Its honestly worth it to be in the hub of a metropolitan city. I mean sure you could live like a king far outside any city, but I love being in the heart of a bustling city with all its culture and people. The price becomes worth it for the living experience as having a lot of money living outside of a city doesn't do it for me. But thats just me
Wages are still lower here, starter salaries are between 38 and 42k usd (for Crazyeyes: i'm doing everything in $ for you). Mid-level 2-3y exp is about 50-60k at most, leads/seniors 70-80k. You'll always earn 10-20% more in the US.
And I see your point, almost everybody I talk to about living in London has that same romantic idea of London from visiting it a few days. Then you just don't have to deal with all these things like a lot of lower social class people in the suburbs (the UK has some of the lowest social mobility of Europe, very hard to rise above what your parents have achieved), super-expensive public transport (750$ a month for commuting between London and the suburbs), overcrowded streets, old, badly maintained housing that still costs fortunes to rent, etc.. Also as an American you're probably used to it, but for me commercials, doing business, subscribing to things all seems to be much more about money-grabbing here; I feel sick watching ads on TV here, it's all so blatantly in your face. Very different from Belgium.
But yes if you want to be in the middle of things it might all be worth it, even the expenses. There's an American at work who loves it in London and I don't think he'll ever leave. I think after London I'd really just prefer to live further out, pay less, have it a bit quieter, be able to drive to work.
Anyway, all of that has made me decide to move to Sweden, I'm moving in 5 weeks.
Europe is not a good option, Nor France, nor Spain, Nor UK, nor Germany.
You're always so negative man... You should follow some US politics and news. I started doing that and it completely put me off of the idea of ever going there. Europe really isn't bad, but some places are worse than others.
correct, unless you renounce your citizenship like that Facebook Co-founder did. I have a feeling it's only if you make boatloads of money but I'm not sure.
as far as i know you have to file tax only if you make the minimum income requirement which is around 8-10k per year and varies from single to family status.
also, filing tax does not always mean paying any income tax.
Yeah the thing about most people who have never been here to the states is that everyone still thinks this is the land of dreams and opportunity. I'm not saying that there arent jobs here, or that it's the worst place in the world, it's just not as good as it used to be. They still hold us in a the same light we were held in the 40's to the 80's. We're just not that country anymore.
Yes we have alot of art jobs, but more and more are we starting to outsource art. I know for a fact that alot of visual effects companies are opening studios in canada and just making the LA base all of the business, while the vancouver base all of the art. At work we've outsourced alot more of the art more and more every game. The generall political stuff, ridiculously unfair/confusing healthcare...i don't even know how that works and i'm from here, student loans are higher than ever, and student loans are now the leading cause of life long dept, (putting on the liberal hippie hate for a sec) We just passed a law that gives the government permission to detain anyone on pure suspicion of terrorism without trial, taxes in California are going up, and our foreign policy is insane.
I don't mean to make this a political post haha. It's just facts are facts. I'm not bashing my country or hating on it, again these are just factual statements. For me the reward of living in the states does not outweigh the negative aspects and I'm actively looking to move to Toronto/Montreal/England.
My favorite clip expressing this is from the show newsroom
"If you qualify, you may exclude up to $92,900 in foreign income from U.S. income tax liability in 2011. If you are married, your spouse is allowed an additional $92,900 exclusion."
So I think it's if you and your spouse make more than 92k a year abroad? What will the US do if you don't pay? You're in another country for fuck's sake.
lol, it's the IRS man. The most brutal organization since the Italian mob. They'll get their money from you if you ever decide to come back. I wouldn't fuck with them.
Unless you have a family, don't worry too much about how much you earn as long as you have a senior position. While I worked in the industry I lived Vienna, London, Oslo and now in Shanghai and at a certain income level you can live okay in almost every place.
Especially comparing US and EU salaries without factoring in things like overtime, healthcare, social system, school/college costs, pension plans, paid vacation time that you actually take, general living costs, etc. is just not possible unless you actually worked and lived in both places for a considerable amount of time.
Another thing to take into account is currency conversion rates - they change! If I convert my salary in e.g. US I'm sometimes super happy and sometimes super sad. But you shouldn't really do this. Focus on how much your salary is worth in the place you actually intend to live in and how much you can buy there. Due to this people in e.g. Austria can still live pretty good while they earn much less than e.g. Norwegians or Americans. In Norway I earned a lot of money but yet I wasn't really "richer" in every day life than people in e.g. Germany because they slap 25% sales tax on stuff in Norway.
In the end it's not important how much gross you earn at the end of the year, it's important how much is left in your pockets after all the taxes and expenses and what the cost of living is and what your needs are. This is the most difficult thing imho because it is hard to calculate living costs from abroad, or get good tax calculators for some countries or find out how much groceries are, how much electronics are, how much a transportation card costs, etc. But just comparing, for example, in the US I earn 85k and in country X 61k isn't going to give you any idea how (un)comfortable you can live anywhere. It's much more complicated to come up with good numbers.
"If you qualify, you may exclude up to $92,900 in foreign income from U.S. income tax liability in 2011. If you are married, your spouse is allowed an additional $92,900 exclusion."
So I think it's if you and your spouse make more than 92k a year abroad? What will the US do if you don't pay? You're in another country for fuck's sake.
They gonna ship your ass to guantanamo, thats whats gonna happen ;P
In the end it's not important how much gross you earn at the end of the year, it's important how much is left in your pockets after all the taxes and expenses and what the cost of living is and what your needs are. This is the most difficult thing imho because it is hard to calculate living costs from abroad, or get good tax calculators for some countries or find out how much groceries are, how much electronics are, how much a transportation card costs, etc. But just comparing, for example, in the US I earn 85k and in country X 61k isn't going to give you any idea how (un)comfortable you can live anywhere. It's much more complicated to come up with good numbers.
Yes, very good points. Though for me, I've come to realize that I care more about how pleasant a country is to live in than I do about how much money I have left at the end of the month.
Yes, very good points. Though for me, I've come to realize that I care more about how pleasant a country is to live in than I do about how much money I have left at the end of the month.
totally agree with that. Location plays a big part for me when choosing jobs. There has to be a balance between location/salary/type-of-work. (assuming I'm in a position lucky enough to choose). If the environment doesn't fit you then you'll probably not last long in a place, or you better bring an oil-rig worker mentality
Interesting Xoliul.
Working in London has also made me want to live out in the countryside and I've also considered Sweden. Really interested to see how it works out for you.
My rough calculations say living in London you need to add around £6k a year ($9,500) for it to balance out to the rest of the country. So I would take a job in London if it was that or more above what I would expect elsewhere.
My current role pays pretty well and seems to take into account that it's based in the heart of London. But circumstances change and now that I have a baby and we're a single income household that wants to save to buy a home, I need more money or to move outside London.
There's lots of studios in the Midlands, and although it's not so pretty or exciting there, rent and property is a lot cheaper.
If you're young and single - do London
Having a room in a shared house is much cheaper.
Canada would be my ideal choice. I'm a Canadian citizen and will always consider a return when my kid is a bit older. Just need to convert the wife.
Sorry I don't want to derail this but I have to point out that you're linking to a source that believes 9/11 and the Oklahoma city bombings were inside jobs by the U.S. government, whos source for this article is a facebook post by a guy who heard from another guy that there was a question on a survey which dates back 20+ years...
You're always so negative man... You should follow some US politics and news. I started doing that and it completely put me off of the idea of ever going there. Europe really isn't bad, but some places are worse than others.
I'm not negative man, i'm just being realistic. Just compare the amount of game/3d studios of each country and the salaries, and don't forget the life level.
I have friends working in UK, and do you know what they say? that the move didn't compesate. They may earn more money (with the difference slightly pound-euro), but at the end, with the life level, they are wasting more money than working in Spain.
Right now, i'm saving around an 80% of what i earn. If i were moved to LA, i would not be saving any money.
Before moving we also must see the life style and food quality/prices.
This kind of things are very difficult to consider, and more having a family, or children. that said, if you want stability, work in another industry and end of all problems.
Before moving we also must see the life style and food quality/prices.
This kind of things are very difficult to consider, and more having a family, or children. that said, if you want stability, work in another industry and end of all problems.
Hah, very good points. Cost of living is a huge factor for deciding where to live. Just another reason why I'm staying in AZ for the time being. I've got a decent balance between cost of living and available resources here in the desert. I could get better cost of living out in Texas, but I wouldn't have access to as many appealing amenities. I would have better amenities out in LA or Seattle, but the cost of living would go through the roof. AZ is a nice compromise for me.
If I were to head off to Europe, food would definitely play a big part of where I settled. I love good food, and I hear stories about the cuisine from mainland Europe. A culinary tour of the EU would be a lot of fun. Probably want to brush up on French before I went. They are supposed to have some of the best food, but they treat tourists a lot better if they speak the language.
Replies
The one drawback is that in recent years some critically acclaimed titles from other regions don't get localized for the U.S. (I blame the increasingly narrow tastes of the U.S. mainstream audience) But its still something to consider. All other regions you could move to will probably have higher prices on video games. I'm not sure what the situation is in Canada.
Games in Canada, they're priced the same as the US. Sales tax may be higher depending on the province you reside in. As low as 5% in Alberta, and for me in Quebec, 14.975%.
It was a truly amazing experience one that I plan on repeating in The very near future.
That's in the center. It's easily 1000$ for just a single room there...
Things are a tiny bit different further out of the city (where it becomes affordable).
My place in Guildford was £1000 per month, but should have realistically been around £1300. A room in a house shared with other people is usually in the region of £500.
Companies barely compensate for this.
More than half of all people living in London are descended from recent immigrants and one in ten people in the UK (around one in four in London) are first generation immigrants (not born in the UK).
Don't go to central / northern Europe. Your eyes will probably fall out. British women have a reputation for being ugly in Europe.
renting a one roomer for 1200$ a month, and that's after the yen has gone down a lot T_T
You're not going to make the sort of wages you do in the US. And if you do expect to, they probably won't bother bringing you over unless you're some kind of superstar or big shot exec/director (with a lot of experience). Average London games salary is 58k$, compared to 81k$ for US.
60k US is what I would say is the average for the US with like 2 or 3 years experiences. 81k would be after your working for maybe 10 years I would think, just based on the talks I have had with people. 40 to 50 is generally your average entrance salary.
And I understand that living in London would be crazy expensive as its a major city. But god damn was it such an awesome city to be in while I was there I feel it would be worth it. In reality I have always lived in extreamly expensive citys, San Diego, LA, Seattle so I am no stranger to extreamly expensive rent costs.
Its honestly worth it to be in the hub of a metropolitan city. I mean sure you could live like a king far outside any city, but I love being in the heart of a bustling city with all its culture and people. The price becomes worth it for the living experience as having a lot of money living outside of a city doesn't do it for me. But thats just me
I don't understand why you want to leave the US when almost all the europeans want to work in USA, because they think the work is really there (it may not be now).
Europe is not a good option, Nor France, nor Spain, Nor UK, nor Germany.
Enjoying as a tourist =/= good place to live :poly124:
I've applied for jobs in london, but on the off chance i actually got one i think i'd be living on the streets! I also wouldn't say it's particularly friendly, but maybe i'm just too used to all the drunken commoners up north.
In fact I wonder which is more expensive to live in?
I'd hate to deal with the small salaries you guys mention in expensive countries. I'm thinking of freelancing (with a US pay) and a not-so-long term living arrangement in another country, though I have no idea as to how that would work. *shrug*
It varies from person to person. "The grass is greener" and all that. Sometimes people just crave a change, and altering their environment is one of the easiest and most obvious solutions.
I'm a little different. I'm quite content where I'm living currently, and am not in any hurry to leave. This is probably due to my personal circumstances. I spent the majority of my younger years jumping around from state to state. I had lived in six different states in different regions of the U.S. before I reached high school. And then I went off to another state for college. After an entire youth spent moving, I was more than ready to settle down in one spot.
If I were to move to another country, it would be to explore a different culture and learn a new language. While I crave new learning experiences, my sense of adventure is topped off.
London, according to Mercer. The rest of the top 25 aren't exactly surprising either.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_cities_for_expatriate_employees
The languages are not all that similar. The common language tends to be English if no party is bilingual in both parties native language.
:poly142::poly142::poly142:
Holy crap i did not know this - Do I have this right ? If youre an American, going to live outside the USA - earning and paying tax elsewhere, you have to pay tax back to the US as well ??
correct, unless you renounce your citizenship like that Facebook Co-founder did. I have a feeling it's only if you make boatloads of money but I'm not sure.
Wages are still lower here, starter salaries are between 38 and 42k usd (for Crazyeyes: i'm doing everything in $ for you). Mid-level 2-3y exp is about 50-60k at most, leads/seniors 70-80k. You'll always earn 10-20% more in the US.
And I see your point, almost everybody I talk to about living in London has that same romantic idea of London from visiting it a few days. Then you just don't have to deal with all these things like a lot of lower social class people in the suburbs (the UK has some of the lowest social mobility of Europe, very hard to rise above what your parents have achieved), super-expensive public transport (750$ a month for commuting between London and the suburbs), overcrowded streets, old, badly maintained housing that still costs fortunes to rent, etc.. Also as an American you're probably used to it, but for me commercials, doing business, subscribing to things all seems to be much more about money-grabbing here; I feel sick watching ads on TV here, it's all so blatantly in your face. Very different from Belgium.
But yes if you want to be in the middle of things it might all be worth it, even the expenses. There's an American at work who loves it in London and I don't think he'll ever leave. I think after London I'd really just prefer to live further out, pay less, have it a bit quieter, be able to drive to work.
Anyway, all of that has made me decide to move to Sweden, I'm moving in 5 weeks.
You're always so negative man... You should follow some US politics and news. I started doing that and it completely put me off of the idea of ever going there. Europe really isn't bad, but some places are worse than others.
as far as i know you have to file tax only if you make the minimum income requirement which is around 8-10k per year and varies from single to family status.
also, filing tax does not always mean paying any income tax.
Yes we have alot of art jobs, but more and more are we starting to outsource art. I know for a fact that alot of visual effects companies are opening studios in canada and just making the LA base all of the business, while the vancouver base all of the art. At work we've outsourced alot more of the art more and more every game. The generall political stuff, ridiculously unfair/confusing healthcare...i don't even know how that works and i'm from here, student loans are higher than ever, and student loans are now the leading cause of life long dept, (putting on the liberal hippie hate for a sec) We just passed a law that gives the government permission to detain anyone on pure suspicion of terrorism without trial, taxes in California are going up, and our foreign policy is insane.
I don't mean to make this a political post haha. It's just facts are facts. I'm not bashing my country or hating on it, again these are just factual statements. For me the reward of living in the states does not outweigh the negative aspects and I'm actively looking to move to Toronto/Montreal/England.
My favorite clip expressing this is from the show newsroom
"If you qualify, you may exclude up to $92,900 in foreign income from U.S. income tax liability in 2011. If you are married, your spouse is allowed an additional $92,900 exclusion."
So I think it's if you and your spouse make more than 92k a year abroad? What will the US do if you don't pay? You're in another country for fuck's sake.
Especially comparing US and EU salaries without factoring in things like overtime, healthcare, social system, school/college costs, pension plans, paid vacation time that you actually take, general living costs, etc. is just not possible unless you actually worked and lived in both places for a considerable amount of time.
Another thing to take into account is currency conversion rates - they change! If I convert my salary in e.g. US I'm sometimes super happy and sometimes super sad. But you shouldn't really do this. Focus on how much your salary is worth in the place you actually intend to live in and how much you can buy there. Due to this people in e.g. Austria can still live pretty good while they earn much less than e.g. Norwegians or Americans. In Norway I earned a lot of money but yet I wasn't really "richer" in every day life than people in e.g. Germany because they slap 25% sales tax on stuff in Norway.
In the end it's not important how much gross you earn at the end of the year, it's important how much is left in your pockets after all the taxes and expenses and what the cost of living is and what your needs are. This is the most difficult thing imho because it is hard to calculate living costs from abroad, or get good tax calculators for some countries or find out how much groceries are, how much electronics are, how much a transportation card costs, etc. But just comparing, for example, in the US I earn 85k and in country X 61k isn't going to give you any idea how (un)comfortable you can live anywhere. It's much more complicated to come up with good numbers.
They gonna ship your ass to guantanamo, thats whats gonna happen ;P
They'd kick your ass all the way to Barad-Dur. :poly124:
Yes, very good points. Though for me, I've come to realize that I care more about how pleasant a country is to live in than I do about how much money I have left at the end of the month.
totally agree with that. Location plays a big part for me when choosing jobs. There has to be a balance between location/salary/type-of-work. (assuming I'm in a position lucky enough to choose). If the environment doesn't fit you then you'll probably not last long in a place, or you better bring an oil-rig worker mentality
http://www.infowars.com/nobel-peace-prize-nominee-obama-asks-military-leaders-if-they-will-fire-on-us-citizens/
Working in London has also made me want to live out in the countryside and I've also considered Sweden. Really interested to see how it works out for you.
My rough calculations say living in London you need to add around £6k a year ($9,500) for it to balance out to the rest of the country. So I would take a job in London if it was that or more above what I would expect elsewhere.
My current role pays pretty well and seems to take into account that it's based in the heart of London. But circumstances change and now that I have a baby and we're a single income household that wants to save to buy a home, I need more money or to move outside London.
There's lots of studios in the Midlands, and although it's not so pretty or exciting there, rent and property is a lot cheaper.
If you're young and single - do London
Having a room in a shared house is much cheaper.
Canada would be my ideal choice. I'm a Canadian citizen and will always consider a return when my kid is a bit older. Just need to convert the wife.
I'm not negative man, i'm just being realistic. Just compare the amount of game/3d studios of each country and the salaries, and don't forget the life level.
I have friends working in UK, and do you know what they say? that the move didn't compesate. They may earn more money (with the difference slightly pound-euro), but at the end, with the life level, they are wasting more money than working in Spain.
Right now, i'm saving around an 80% of what i earn. If i were moved to LA, i would not be saving any money.
Before moving we also must see the life style and food quality/prices.
This kind of things are very difficult to consider, and more having a family, or children. that said, if you want stability, work in another industry and end of all problems.
Hah, very good points. Cost of living is a huge factor for deciding where to live. Just another reason why I'm staying in AZ for the time being. I've got a decent balance between cost of living and available resources here in the desert. I could get better cost of living out in Texas, but I wouldn't have access to as many appealing amenities. I would have better amenities out in LA or Seattle, but the cost of living would go through the roof. AZ is a nice compromise for me.
If I were to head off to Europe, food would definitely play a big part of where I settled. I love good food, and I hear stories about the cuisine from mainland Europe. A culinary tour of the EU would be a lot of fun. Probably want to brush up on French before I went. They are supposed to have some of the best food, but they treat tourists a lot better if they speak the language.