zlacker

I lived in Oulu for a time, and yes it does indeed live up to its winter cycling reputation. Actually most of my wife's family lives around that region, so we'll probably return up there in a few years.

Finland is terrific! Learning the language is tough, and recommended, but ultimately optional for white collar migrants. The lower salaries here are unfortunate - I make a third of what I could make as a software lead in the US (~50k vs ~150k). Doubly so as there really is a lot of top notch engineering talent here, probably because it's so hard to hire people that FTEs end up having to learn a lot about everything lol. I haven't yet carved a path to make US level money while living in Finland - but you'd better believe it's on my list of things to beeline towards once I hit my thirties.

>>hiAndr+(OP)
Salary comparisons without accounting for cost of living is entirely useless and means nothing.

>>askono+f3
Meh, you can come up with twenty different methodologies and they all point to coming out way way behind in Finland. SF -> Finland immigrant, took approximately 70% pay cut, and enjoying the 80% marginal tax rate.

The health of democracy is way better than the US at least.

>>hrudud+R5
Consumer prices are 35% lower in Finland, rent prices are 70% lower in Finland, when comparing to SF.

>>askono+k8
Consumer prices are not lower in Finland, although VAT is responsible for a lot of the difference, to be fair. Yeah, sales tax in Finland is 24%. I've been in both places in the last year, cried when I bought my used Toyota here. Rent indeed is 70% lower, but you lose by having 70% lower rent and 70% lower salary. Besides, median salaries in Finland are 15% of what they are in SF (staff swe at 500k vs 90k). And the tax burden is way lower, even in CA. Finland has a lot going for it, but there's just no point in debating the money part.

>>hiAndr+(OP)
I make around 150 by working remote for a US client, but it probably won't last given the market.

>>askono+k8
> Consumer prices are 35% lower in Finland, rent prices are 70% lower in Finland, when comparing to SF.

When comparing to SF, 90% of the planet is that much more affordable. Sheesh there’s more to the world than the plight of San Francisco.

>>hrudud+4f
Do you have a source? My stats are from: https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?cou..., but I'm happy to learn of more correct info on this topic.

>>chasd0+Dh
Who I was responding to said they are from SF, hence why I compared data to SF.

>>askono+xi
My anecdote against a couple hundred, I stand corrected. I think the overall point stands though :)

>>askono+Gi
My bad