OllieOllieOxenfry t1_j7ip34a wrote on February 7, 2023 at 1:56 AM

Arlington is one of the best places to live in the country IMO (plenty of other good ones, but Arlington is just top tier). The biggest concern is how urban it is and how expensive it is if that's not something you are prepared for. Expect to pay 2000-2400 for a one-bedroom apartment. I can just tell you aren't prepared for how dense and urban it may be.

Not for nothing, but I'd absolutely pick Europe over Arlington.

ouij t1_j7itzoq wrote on February 7, 2023 at 2:33 AM

>Not for nothing, but I'd absolutely pick Europe over Arlington.

This isn't too far wrong, but it would depend on where in Europe.

(Although you're far more likely to get decent/functional public transport in Europe)

leibesleid OP t1_j7le3t7 wrote on February 7, 2023 at 5:20 PM

I am definitely not prepared for urban living ;-;!

Why would you pick Europe over Arlington?

I was prepared to chose Europe before I got the concrete offer, but I didn't count on how much lower European salaries are. If I took the Europe offer, I would be able to afford a small apartment with no roommates near my office and healthy food but not much else :P. In Arlington, my standard of living would be much higher.

OllieOllieOxenfry t1_j7m8j6d wrote on February 7, 2023 at 8:36 PM

Even though the salaries are lower so is the cost of living, but the quality of life is higher (depends on where in Europe but almost always true).

My best friend lives in London and I literally earn 90% more than she does but our quality of life is the same. I know how much she spends for things and we think in terms of purchasing power we make about the same.

For example, when I lived in Madrid in 2015 my salary was 1,350 a month and locals thought it was really good even though it sounded like peanuts in American terms. My rent was 350, my groceries were like 100, cell phone was only 20. I had plenty of left over money a month and traveled internationally at least once a month. I never had healthcare costs because I had Spanish insurance. There is way more sane work/life balance, they have vacation/sick leave and just in general more workers rights. The food systems there are wayyy better and I always unintentionally lose weight while abroad. Our food is full of junk.

The place where it will ding you is if you plan to retire to the US then you won't be contributing as much to a 401k so you'd need to figure out what you need to save for retirement to stay on track.

I would have lived there forever if I could but it's super hard to get a permanent visa over there! Living abroad will really open your mind, let you meet types of people you've never met, and help you really grow as a person. It's truly an adventure and makes life so much richer to live abroad for a bit. I would do it in a heart beat if I were you! I plan to move abroad again the second I get another chance.