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oliwarner | 8 days ago

Your criteria for "living standards" being pay?

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HPsquared|8 days ago

I mean living standards. The size and quality of housing, quality of food, public spaces, infrastructure, healthcare, social conditions and so on that is available and affordable to the average working professional.

oliwarner|8 days ago

It depends if you fight for city jobs, doesn't it.

We live semi-rural, 700sqm house, office and workshop on an acre. Fibre makes working from home easy. Kids' school is 500m up the road. Village is friendly. Healthcare is acceptable, paid through taxation. We don't worry about surprise bills. And 10 minutes away from a 1h train to London.

I could absolutely earn more working in London but I'd be living in a shoebox or missing my kids' childhood while I sit on a train. Nah. We made a good choice.

Are there better cities outside the UK for tech work? Maybe? Do they offer me a better lifestyle than rural Britain? Doubtful.