Then again . would you like to live in Germany ? Our wages are shit to begin with . Much lower than US wages . But that ' s before taxes . So from the lower wages , taxes are deducted about 30 % for average salaries . Also healthcare ~ 17 %. Most people get a payout of about half what they actually have in their work contracts . Sure , your healthcare and a shitty , small retirement benefit is paid for , but still . And in the big German cities , the situation is similar to the US rent bubbles , inflated prices , etc . The result is that to buy a house or apartment in Germany , you actually have to be somewhat rich . Most people rent . And if you decide to buy a house , you do it exactly once in a lifetime because the side costs can easily be 20 % on top which you will never make back .