In the Netherlands as an employee, you pay 37% incometax for salary up to 75k, AND on top of that mandatory Pension fee and other small taxes, adding up to roughly 40% of your income...and salary over 75k you pay 49% tax😅... bonus and/or holiday-money extra's are also taxed about 50% NetherlandsThreads

also, you won’t be making 75k. 6 figure positions in the US will pay about 55-60k in many european countries.

Netherlands monthly net income is lower. This number is only after income tax. There is a lot more to pay after that

In Switzerland that wage would give you about 5000-5300€ after tax. I wonder why Switzerland is the most developed country in Europe… maybe being less bureaucratic and taking less money from your citizens is actually better, who could have thought…

The problem with net income is you see taxes as just a negative rather than a purchase. Living without medical insurance is not an option so what is the difference between tax paid healthcare and comparable private plans. If you pay for Helsinki's excellent public transit and thus give up at least one unneeded car saving $16-25k a year, do you actually end up with more disposable income?

Let’s be realistic - both have their pros and cons. Americans, on average, have higher salaries, lower taxes, better access to investment opportunities, lower prices of goods and overall - better opportunities to make up the financial ladder. While Europeans earn less, pay more in taxes and goods, they do have better work/life balance (I know Americans that haven’t taken a vacation in YEARS!), better social services and easier access to education and healthcare. You win some, you lose some.