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I know I'm not exactly the target audience for this question, but I will say that one thing I like about living in the US is that there is such a variety of extremely distinct possible locations for living, and the quality of life does not change much. After living abroad for many years, my family and I came to the US and first lived in Louisiana. We have since moved to New York City. Depending on some factors, we may move again, perhaps to the Southwest, PacNW, or the Midwest. There are not many countries that can offer such a variety of high-quality choices within its borders.
Of course the personal income in the US is higher on average. I didn't claim otherwise. All I said is that the difference is not significant enough to claim that the standard of living in these European countries is "much worse" than in the US. Like I said, Americans may be able to buy more "stuff" but not everyone values their quality of life this way. Most Europeans, especially in W/C Europe, earn enough to live a comfortable lifestyle without having to worry about the basic necessities of life (education, health care, housing, food).
I doubt that a higher income is the only reason more Europeans move to the US than vice versa. Americans may be more hesitant to move to continental Europe because they don't speak the language, because they're not as familiar with European countries, because it's extremely difficult to get a permanent residence permit as a non-EU citizen, because they're not as open to foreign cultures, etc. The US obviously draws a lot of interest from people around the world, whether good or bad, so it's not surprising that some decide to want to experience living there for themselves. Australia attracts the same kind of fascination and I know a lot of Europeans move there as well, even though the standard of living is comparable to those European countries. Still, the number of Europeans who move abroad is only a tiny fraction of the total population. The vast majority would never consider migrating to another country.
Btw, you don't pay twice as much for groceries in Europe. It's just not true. I've met quite a few American expats and exchange students and one thing they always comment on (when we discuss their experiences here) is how much cheaper fresh fruits and vegetables are here compared to the US. A lot of Americans have this outdated stereotype that Europeans buy their meat from the butcher, bread at the bakery, fruit at the farmer's market, etc. but that's not true for most people. Most Europeans buy their groceries at a major supermarket; usually they combine a discount supermarket (Aldi, LIDL) for the basic stuff and a so-called "A-brand" supermarket for the more luxurious or exclusive products. I never spend more than €30,00 a week on groceries for myself and I prepare nice meals (I love to cook). You can get by on a lot less than that if you have to (I did as a student). The only things that are significantly cheaper in the US are fast food and canned food but I'll let you have that
Americans don't have to worry about education through 18 years of age. Only tertiary education they have to worry about paying for themselves. There are all kinds of grants for young adults coming from low-income families. They vary depending on what state you are in, though.
Housing may be a concern for many Americans (largely those who are underwater in their mortgages or struggle to keep their houses), but certainly not the majority. We generally live in much more spacious and amenity-filled houses. If you cannot afford to live on your own, there are vouchers for private and public housing available through a program called Section 8. Here's a public housing project about 10 miles from where I live:
As for food, there are Americans who struggle with hunger. However, few Minnesotans do, and there are always food shelves and food stamps (on an electronic card today). Most of my family and I have received food stamps, and while they don't pay for much, they do help, and if you are really poor, can pay for all your groceries.
Health care is a legitimate issue, although where do all the world's rich go for the most advanced technology and the specialists with the most expertise when they have a health problem? The U.S. The ones who really suffer are those who make too much for government assistance but too little to afford the high cost of health care that is up to U.S. standards...and bureaucracy. Also, those unaware of government programs to aid them (usually the poor) and perhaps those from states that are less generous with public health care spending than Minnesota. There are some who are addicted to drugs and alcohol and sell the value of their food stamps. They're called "shoppers".
Also, the government generally won't pay for your abortion here.
^ Just to be clear, I never meant to say Americans do have to worry about the basic necessities of life or that Europe is better in this respect than the US. I wasn't making a comparison.
Health care is a legitimate issue, although where do all the world's rich go for the most advanced technology and the specialists with the most expertise when they have a health problem?
Health care is a legitimate issue, although where do all the world's rich go for the most advanced technology and the specialists with the most expertise when they have a health problem? The U.S.
It depends on the nature of the problem. With few exceptions, the US can't deal with health problems of a chronic nature. It's great at emergency care, and apparently some people come here for the cancer care. Studies show that there's a high mortality rate in the US among survivors of heart attacks/heart surgery, though, compared to some countries in Europe. It's a mixed bag in the US. I know Americans who travel to Belgium for thyroid therapy, because the US is really out to lunch when it comes to that. I'll bet some of the world's rich go to Germany and Switzerland, maybe even France, for certain specialists and top-notch treatments.
Some Brits go to the US if they have an obscure disease with very few specialists, but they also go to France, Austria and Switzerland if specialists are based there. If it's general cancer care, they don't go anywhere else.
Also, some wealthy Middle Easterners come here to receive treatment - not to mention Malala Yousafzai was flown here when she was shot.
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