"India Or Germany?": Techie With Rs 45 Lakh Salary Asks Reddit After Getting 80,000 Euros Offer

A software engineer from India recently turned to Reddit seeking advice on whether he should relocate to Germany after getting laid off from his company. In his post, titled 'India or Germany? FinTech Startup offer in Berlin', the anonymous user shared that he is a senior software engineer with 8 years of experience and a Rs 45 lakh per annum salary. He said that he was recently laid off but received a job offer in Germany, paying 80,000 euros (approximately Rs 81 lakh) a year. However, the Redditor questioned whether relocating made sense, given the salary and startup nature of the firm. 

"I am a senior software engineer with 8 years of experience, drawing a 45+ LPA salary(in hand, perks are also provided separately). I was laidoff recently and started giving interviews, even to companies hiring outside India. Got a chance to give interviews for a Fintech startup in Berlin, but I am in doubt whether it is a good decision to relocate to Germany. It is proper startup and also they are providing 80,000 EUR per annum. How should I compare and make this decision?" the original poster wrote.

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The post quickly went viral, with users sharing personal insights, trade-offs, and unfiltered realities of working abroad. 

"Living costs are high in Germany, specially when you have family. Other than that you get good perks. And even taxes are around 35-50%," wrote one user. 

"Honestly, 80K euros in Germany doesn't go as far as you'd think,,, especially in cities like Berlin. If you're making Rs 40LPA or more in India, the financial upside of moving might not be that compelling. That said, if your motivation to leave India isn't purely about money maybe it's lifestyle, work culture, or just wanting a change.. then go for it. Just know Berlin only really starts to make solid financial sense at around 100K euros," said another. 

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"Assuming you are single, after taxes, you will make approximately 3,800 per month. Rent will take away 1200-1500. Food, groceries, utilities, transportation, internet etc will easily set you back by another 1200-1500 EUR. At the end you can save 500-1000 EUR per month depending on your lifestyle," commented a third user. 

"If you don't have a compelling offer here in India, I'd say take the 80K deal in Berlin. If you get an offer that is over 30 LPA back home, it would make no sense to move to Germany. If you're looking for a structured, organised and stable lifestyle with all the social benefits then choose Germany, it is worth for the longer run," advised another. 

"Close to 50% taxes and a yearly increment of 1-2%. 80k yearly is not that much, honestly and not worth it. Racism is on the rise and Germany today is comparatively unsafe compared to pre-2016," said another user.