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Hey, I lived in the great state of Texas, Austin to be specific. Again, otherwise than fuel and cars, everything is much cheaper in Europe than in the US especially for somebody from the SF Bay Area. Unless you would want to compare medium to large European cities to rural Texas, that is.
I just posted links showing the cost of living between European countries and the US - the cost of living in most areas of most western European countries (not the former eastern bloc countries) is generally higher than in most areas of the US. I'm not comparing large European cities to rural Texas. Specifically, if you want to know, I was comparing Aschaffenburg, Germany to Tyler, Texas in one case - cities that are extremely similar in size, job market, proximity to larger cities, etc. And I've actually lived in both cities as well, so not only can I give facts from other sources, I personally lived those differences in the cost of living.
Here is another link that shows cost of living indexes by country. There is not a single western European country with a lower cost of living than the US - though there are several former communist/eastern European countries with a lower cost of living.
Honestly, I don't know where you're getting this claim that "other than fuel and cars, everything is much cheaper in Europe than in the US." At least I'm providing some objective sources for my claim. Can you provide anything other than your own personal opinion to back what you're saying?
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Here is another link that shows cost of living indexes by country. There is not a single western European country with a lower cost of living than the US - though there are several former communist/eastern European countries with a lower cost of living.
I've found this to be true too, although I've only lived in four western European countries and ten states in the U.S. (and traveled to most states and most European countries).
Last edited by Snort; 11-25-2013 at 07:24 PM..
Reason: I can't count when I'm buzzed.
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
That index says the US is cheaper than Slovenia or Nigeria .
To give a comparison, I used to live in large US towns and some densely populated regions in Europe.
Health care, much cheaper in Europe. Not even worth discussing.
Groceries, about 50% - 70% cheaper depending on where you live. Switzerland has pretty much US prices though but is a complete outlier in just about anything in Europe.
Cell phone plans, about 50 %- 80% cheaper in Europe. I pay around 10 euros a month here, I used to pay 50$ in the US.
Internet, cable around 50% cheaper here, I pay 40 euros a month for 50Mbit and HD tv, I used to pay 100$ for 4 Mbit internet and cable in the US.
Rents, cheaper here and no long leases. Over here rents are around 900 euros max, in Austin some places were 1500$ - 2000$ a month. Although it varies from place to place just like in the US.
Transportation, much cheaper here. You don't need 2 - 4 cars a family here, 1 car will do. Public transportation, the ability to cycle or walk makes it even cheaper here. Also, car insurance is much cheaper here.
Education, (nearly) free here. In the US it may cost 20.000$ - 40.000$ a year for college or university.
Electronics, pretty much equal or slightly cheaper in the US. Not as much as I had expected.
Clothing is pretty much equal although specific US brands like Levi's are much cheaper in the US.
From somebody from the SF bay area it is a no-brainer, expenses will probably drop by 50 - 70%, unless you need to live in downtown Paris or London. Obviously, anywhere you can make it as expensive if you want.
Cheaper groceries in Europe? Cheaper petrol (gas) too? Cheaper rents? Cheaper housing?
Cheaper bar bill? Cheaper hotels? Restaurants?
You cannot be serious.
Plus your salary is likely to be higher in the states, probably way higher.
OP plans to live off retirements funds - a family of six. What is the current conversion rate US $ to Euro? That takes X percent off the income for starters.
Renting a house with 3-5 bedrooms is not easy to say the least and let's not get into price ranges. Medical insurance will be the next hurdle. Alcohol is cheap:>) So is food if you are willing to shop at discounters.
If income is somewhat tight to move to a reasonable vicinity of a larger town in the US I see no way to stretch it for Europe.
What does OP see as the main benefit from such a move? Not to mention that they are now moving to small town Oregon per another post here:>)
In Germany you will certainly pay more in taxes and gas than in the US. Rents tend to be lower, as there are strict tenant protection laws in place. It's going to be very difficult to find an apartment or house with more than 3 bedrooms. Also homes will be smaller than in the US, as will your yard, garage, refrigerators, washers etc. In general, you'll sacrifice personal space and income for more public services and higher quality of life.
Although most Germans will understand and speak English quite well, in the professional workplace correct German language skills tend to be expected. If your children are still of school age, they should prepare for a much more rigid and demanding educational environment.
In Germany you will certainly pay more in taxes and gas than in the US. Rents tend to be lower, as there are strict tenant protection laws in place. It's going to be very difficult to find an apartment or house with more than 3 bedrooms. Also homes will be smaller than in the US, as will your yard, garage, refrigerators, washers etc. In general, you'll sacrifice personal space and income for more public services and higher quality of life.
It is true that everything is smaller in Europe although quality of things is usually better(housing, cars, roads and infrastructure, cell phone networks and high speed internet, groceries and food). So, it is indeed a quality vs quantity trade-off.
Europe would be a poor choice in that sense as many people live in (rental) apartments or terraced houses in the larger cities vs the suburban lifestyle many people have in the US. It is the same the other way around, personally I hated the urban sprawl and the large distances in the US.
Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful and lengthy responses. As one poster noted, we are also considering Oregon (and Maine) as possible destinations (well-discovered!). That said, I cannot tell you how much of a help everyone's information has been, and your time has certainly not been wasted in responding to my many questions.
To follow up a bit, we are looking equally hard at either an intra-US move or move overseas. Our reasons for either move overlap: the Bay Area is too expensive for what you get out if it (personal opinion), and we're looking for a new home where quality of life is paramount (good schools, good accesss to cultural events, access to the outdoors, a less-harried pace of life). With any of the places on our list, there are trade-offs - we can get a huge house in Oregon or other US states, but proximity to cultural diversity may be affected. Conversely, if we live near, say, Vienna, we get culture in spades, and the outdoors, but most likely a smaller house. As I noted, though, we have family in Europe we'd like to be nearer to, and we want to give our children as much international exposure as we can.
So, all that said, I must reiterate my thanks for everyone's advice. I will certainly follow up with both the Ausländeramt and a local accountant, and I do take both competing views on costs of living. Compared to the Bay Area, a house within an hour if Vienna or Salzburg (Austria being on our international short list) is less expensive, but furnishing that house will probably be more expensive. Heating a house in Maine would probably be more expensive, but petrol of course much less.
For now, we've narrowed our Europe-options down to German-speaking countries so that at least one of us parents can fluently try to get us settled in. This brings me to a question about the public school systems in Austria, Germany, and german-speaking Switzerland. I believe (correct me if I'm wrong), that all these countries have some version of Schulpflicht - you go to the local school, and that's basically the only game in town, besides some pricey private schools. However, my understanding in Germany is that the quality of schools, while theoretically equal everywhere, is strongly affected by neighborhood/school population. Is this the case? By the same token, are there any areas that you know of that are known to have great schools? I know I'm casting a large net here, so perhaps let's stick to Austria for now: my initial research shows this may be our best bet tax-wise, and we have some relatives there.
Thank you!!
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). That said, I cannot tell you how much of a help everyone's information has been, and your time has certainly not been wasted in responding to my many questions. 
