Would you move to Hamburg, Germany?

[fmvpinho]

That makes sense. I'd still look into other places though, given you are able to get a job offer from abroad. But, as some said above, consider the cost of moving family over in terms of social integration and a getting a job for your husband.

If this helps: I moved abroad multiple times and I don't regret. But if I had family to take with me, that'd probably be a different story and I'd probably rather stay in my home country (given I was really settled there) and look for a remote job with a better pay than what you get in a Mediterranean country. The lower cost of living plus having friends and family closer, together with a remote job pay that most locals can't dream of, is to me a nobrainer. You'd be able to invest extra money. Unless the adventure aspect is top of the list (living abroad can be a great experience by itself).

Best of luck

Thanks! You are probably right! There is some middle ground I could try and still be better off!

 

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[fmvpinho]

Germany is like a mediocre company. You get mediocre pay, but at the same time no one expects you to excel.

If you want to have a safe ball professionally and strive for security, you are definitely in good hands in Germany. However, as soon as you aim for higher positions, you have to deal with outdated structures.

German society is structured in orders. If you want to break out of the previously determined order, you will not be happy in Germany. To understand, it takes an estimated 6 generations in Germany for someone to move up to the next higher income bracket.

Moreover, in Germany it is only worthwhile to start a career with a higher education degree. If you are dependent on Germany to get your education to achieve a higher social advancement, then good night.

As an example: In Germany, prospective medical students can wait about 10 years for a place at university. If I have a medical degree abroad outside of Europe, I have to renew it in Germany by catching up on my studies. But at the same time, I take away the limited study places for applicants who have been trained in the German education system.

To put it in a nutshell: If you come from low-income areas, Germany is a good bet. But you will find that your children who grow up there will have an extremely hard time. There is no good social permeability there.

That sounds a lot like Portugal too but with nicer weather and people!

 

[lizzzlizzliz]

Before you read my answer, I need to establish some credentials.

- M, 28 years old, from Belgium.
- Visited all countries in Europe
- Lived in eight countries worldwide in ten years, among which 6 in Europe.
- Speak four EU languages

So when it comes to moving to an EU country, I like to think I know what I am talking about.

Now, here's my answer to your question.

(Before proceeding, I want to apologize to potential Germans reading the following answer).

--------------------------------------------------------------

No. You should not move to Germany.

For several reasons:

1. In the age of remote work, money is independent of your location. If you don't think you earn enough in Portugal, get an online job.

If your job cannot be online, get one you can do online.

Here you can learn new skills for (almost free) within 6 months and get a high-paying online job: Google Professional Certificate Training Programs | Coursera

And if you don't want to do that, build a business in Portugal.

2. Germany is not only a horrible country to visit. It's also a horrible country to live in.

• The weather is abominable
• The people aren't nice
• There's a serious real estate crisis in most cities
• It's ugly
• Taxes are high
• It has become dangerous over the last 10 years.
• It's dangerously nihilistic
• In Europe, I'd move pretty much anywhere EXCEPT Germany.

3. Germany is suffering from a serious energy crisis. They won't be able to offset the consequences of relying on Russian gas before at least 2027. The government has spent €500 billion since February 2022 in energy alone.

4. As a result of the energy crisis, Germany is deindustrializing. Germany will not grow economically in the next 4 years, but shrink.

5. Wokeness in Germany is pretty bad. It's the worst non-English-speaking country in this regard, with France.

6. German is an ugly and difficult language to learn, and you won't even go far with this - barely to Austria.

7. Germany has become a dangerous dictatorship. The government will throw you in prison if you download one movie illegally. The digital and IRL surveillance is extremely high.

These are the points against moving to Germany. Now the points for remaining in Portugal.

1. Good weather has twice the impact on mood as anti-depressants have.

2. The number one indicator of happiness in life is people. And people are a hell of a lot nicer in Portugal than they are in Germany.

3. No place like home. After living across the globe for ten years, I eventually came back to Belgium.

4. The well-being of your family: clearly, it's better for your child and husband if you stay in Portugal.

Conclusion: if you'd ask me "should I move from Germany to Portugal", my answer would have been a big YES.

I don't think anyone is bad enough in life to have to experience living in Germany.

But the other way around? Absolutely not.

I am not against moving per se. But in this situation, the only upside you get, really, is money. You lose at everything else.

Money can be hacked with an online job or with a business, which is the purpose of this forum.

Just my €0.02.

Good luck!

Do you consider staying in Belgium? You've seen so many countries, and the way you described Germany pretty much resembles Belgium.

 

[monnffffiiiiiii]

Do you consider staying in Belgium? You've seen so many countries, and the way you described Germany pretty much resembles Belgium.

Maybe I'll stay, I don't really know.

But Belgium is quite different than Germany.

• The weather is not as bad as in Germany
• People are nice
• There's no serious real estate crisis in most cities
• It's beautiful
• Taxes are high - ok, I admit
• It has not become more dangerous over the last 10 years.
• It's not dangerously nihilistic.
• There is no serious energy crisis - we're trying to keep our nuclear power plants open.
• There is no deindustrialization
• French is a beautiful language. Dutch isn't hard to learn.
• The government does not force people to inject themselves with v@#*(#&$*
• They also won't throw you in prison if you download movies illegally.

 

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[Lsm87]

2. Germany is not only a horrible country to visit. It's also a horrible country to live in.

• The weather is abominable
• The people aren't nice
• There's a serious real estate crisis in most cities
• It's ugly
• Taxes are high
• It has become dangerous over the last 10 years.
• It's dangerously nihilistic
• In Europe, I'd move pretty much anywhere EXCEPT Germany.

Ouch, as a German that hurts to read. But I can't deny most of it.

• Weather? Sucks for 8 of 12 months. Remember Germany is on the same latitude as Canada.
• People? Grumpy and egocentric, mostly in public.
• Real estate prices doubled since 2010. It became very expensive.
• Ugly? Depends where you are, obviously. But we don't have nice beaches.
• Taxes are high, if you earn above average. But our healt care and social security is top notch.
• In general, it is not dangerous here at all. People from e.g. Brazil or Mexico love it here, because it is so much safer than at home.
• Nihilistic? No, people live here for their jobs, their houses and their family. And cars. Mostly they live for themselves.

Sure, don't come here. We see so many other nice people from other countries, which enjoy being here.

 

[Einfamilienhaus]

The other thing about Germany is that it is outwardly very liberal and tries to attract foreign forces with a welcoming culture. But the country is not really ready to accept people who move outside the social norm. Starting with the German language. Those who are not able to communicate clearly in German will generally have poorer chances of advancement. Because of the lack of linguistic knowledge is often equated with a lack of competence.

In addition, the German work environment can be strict and offers room for development even times to solve problems in a different way. In Germany, the guiding principle is "Dienst nach Vorschrift" or service by the book.

 

[liero1]

hope you don't take advise from people on an internet forum, but here we go haha

Hamburg is an amazing city, I lived there many years and it certainly is one of my favourites in Germany. There is even a Portugese quarter with amazing restaurants etc.

The feel and vibe depends a LOT of the area where you are in the city. There are many left/free-thinking/anti-capit. areas (st pauli / schanzenviertel) that are good fun for drinking/food and even families/parks etc. Then there is also money/new biz/startup areas, with posh accomodation, like Hafencity.

Theres a lot of green parks around, even very central. Lots of culture/theatre/music/sports (big bundesliga team and a smaller st pauli team both with amazing atmosphere).

People are quite laid back. Biking is the way to get around if you live central. Rent can be expensive.

 

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[Subsonic]

Before you read my answer, I need to establish some credentials.

- M, 28 years old, from Belgium.
- Visited all countries in Europe
- Lived in eight countries worldwide in ten years, among which 6 in Europe.
- Speak four EU languages

So when it comes to moving to an EU country, I like to think I know what I am talking about.

Now, here's my answer to your question.

(Before proceeding, I want to apologize to potential Germans reading the following answer).

--------------------------------------------------------------

No. You should not move to Germany.

For several reasons:

1. In the age of remote work, money is independent of your location. If you don't think you earn enough in Portugal, get an online job.

If your job cannot be online, get one you can do online.

Here you can learn new skills for (almost free) within 6 months and get a high-paying online job: Google Professional Certificate Training Programs | Coursera

And if you don't want to do that, build a business in Portugal.

2. Germany is not only a horrible country to visit. It's also a horrible country to live in.

• The weather is abominable
• The people aren't nice
• There's a serious real estate crisis in most cities
• It's ugly
• Taxes are high
• It has become dangerous over the last 10 years.
• It's dangerously nihilistic
• In Europe, I'd move pretty much anywhere EXCEPT Germany.

3. Germany is suffering from a serious energy crisis. They won't be able to offset the consequences of relying on Russian gas before at least 2027. The government has spent €500 billion since February 2022 in energy alone.

4. As a result of the energy crisis, Germany is deindustrializing. Germany will not grow economically in the next 4 years, but shrink.

5. Wokeness in Germany is pretty bad. It's the worst non-English-speaking country in this regard, with France.

6. German is an ugly and difficult language to learn, and you won't even go far with this - barely to Austria.

7. Germany has become a dangerous dictatorship. The government will throw you in prison if you download one movie illegally. The digital and IRL surveillance is extremely high.

These are the points against moving to Germany. Now the points for remaining in Portugal.

1. Good weather has twice the impact on mood as anti-depressants have.

2. The number one indicator of happiness in life is people. And people are a hell of a lot nicer in Portugal than they are in Germany.

3. No place like home. After living across the globe for ten years, I eventually came back to Belgium.

4. The well-being of your family: clearly, it's better for your child and husband if you stay in Portugal.

Conclusion: if you'd ask me "should I move from Germany to Portugal", my answer would have been a big YES.

I don't think anyone is bad enough in life to have to experience living in Germany.

But the other way around? Absolutely not.

I am not against moving per se. But in this situation, the only upside you get, really, is money. You lose at everything else.

Money can be hacked with an online job or with a business, which is the purpose of this forum.

Just my €0.02.

Good luck!

As a German, wtf?

Where the hell is Germany a dictatorship? Also taxes may suck but you don't have to pay for Healthcare, are protected from being fired, get money for having kids and also get school and uni for free.

Perhaps I haven't been where you have been but I would never see Germany as a horrible place to live in.

Even the wokeness thing is not as bad as you say. I am in basically the wokest place in Germany you can be and it's not bad. I can say out loud that I like tate and noone jumps me. Ffs the bigger problem are Nazis which still aren't a real problem.

Going to the people.
You can't just say people from one country are nicer than from others. What one could mention is that there is a overaged population.


Like man your biased as hell against Germany.
But why...

 

[monnffffiiiiiii]

As a German, wtf?

Where the hell is Germany a dictatorship? Also taxes may suck but you don't have to pay for Healthcare, are protected from being fired, get money for having kids and also get school and uni for free.

Perhaps I haven't been where you have been but I would never see Germany as a horrible place to live in.

Even the wokeness thing is not as bad as you say. I am in basically the wokest place in Germany you can be and it's not bad. I can say out loud that I like tate and noone jumps me. Ffs the bigger problem are Nazis which still aren't a real problem.

Going to the people.
You can't just say people from one country are nicer than from others. What one could mention is that there is a overaged population.


Like man your biased as hell against Germany.
But why...

Lmao