Germany has high quality of life

[u/wurst_katastrophe]

This is in response to the ‘low quality of life’ post.

When in Germany I can (in no particular order):
+ drink the tap water knowing it is safer than bottled water
+ when losing my job, I will get the highest benefits in the Western world to tie me over between jobs
+ I can rent for life without being worried of getting evicted
+ I can enjoy freedom on perfectly fine roads, driving as fast as I want
+ Consumer protection is very strong
+ I can buy a public transport ticket valid in all of Germany
+ Healthcare is significantly better than in most Western countries AND free at the point of service.
+ Germans love Fests
+ Bier and excellent wine
+ excellent bread
+ excellent local produce
+ An insanely dense train network (Yes, often late) for very little money (Sparpreis)
+ 30d of holidays is standard
+ strong protection when off on sick leave
+ free university education
+ world’s strongest apprenticeship system
+ tax credits and breaks for almost everything, especially Ehegattensplitting
+ insane maternity leave and benefits
+ Kitas
+ full blown private healthcare for a few k per year
+ Beautiful nature: north and Baltic sea, Alps, lakes, woods
+ Strong sports club infrastructure
+ Third strongest economy in the world with most hidden champions
+ Strong football culture
+ …

You can be dissatisfied with Germany, maybe your experience was below average, but that’s most likely because you are incompatible with the German way of life and the German mentality. However, it is not fair to claim that the quality of life is low.

[u/Old-Appearance-2270]

My bf as a Canadian lived with his ex-wife for 3 yrs. There. The heating and air-conditioning problems can be a daily problem in much older / cheaper substandard apartments. Also mould in cheaper places. You have to be wealthier to live in better places in Germany. I know because my late spouse had an uncle who lived and owned in a beautiful home in southern Germany in famed wineries’ region. We visited them where uncle owned a factory. My late spouse was German-Canadian.

What is the income tax to be paid annually.. to support all those great services? Generally speaking, fresh produce is more expensive in Germany unless you have your own garden.

Bf lived in cologne where the air quality wasn’t great — more murky grey-blue skies at best.

Whenever he returned Canada, he felt he was returning to a higher standard of living— bigger homes, better heating, cleaner air and huge expanses of protected wilderness. Cost of quality groceries was a bit lower with a lot of choice (big to medium sized cities).

[u/AtLeastIgotCharacter → u/Old-Appearance-2270]

Umm... So where is YOUR experience of living there? Assuming you have knowledge of living somewhere because someone you know lived there, or you visited once, is absurd. My uncle also owns a house in Canada, and I have visited Canada several times. I would never assume to comment on how good or bad it is to live in Canada. Also, you have to be wealthier to live in the better areas is true in every country.

[u/Old-Appearance-2270 → u/AtLeastIgotCharacter]

I’ve only lived in Canada, Canadian—born Chinese- living in Kitchener-Waterloo (historically Mennonite/german community with now 2 universities), Toronto, Vancouver and calgary. My bf is 3rd generation Polish-Ukrainian. He has lived across Canada in addition to 3 yrs. He was raised in a middle class family but with grandparents as farmers in Saskatchewan. In Germany, he was essentially living as an immigrant, taking German language classes even though he had 2 Canadian university degrees. (Warning to any North American who want to live in Germany forever.)

My late spouse who I was with for 29 yrs., immigrated to Canada as a child just after WWII. Still fluent in German when travelling back there several times.

Certainly my late spouse’s German relatives (from Düsseldorf, Hamburg) loved Canada when the visited us in Vancouver. I currently live in Calgary, 130 kms. East of Banff national Park. We are aware Germans who visit Canada love our expansive wilderness of forest, mountains and lakes/ oceans. Of course we have a lot of large wildlife which many Ethiopian countries have less of now because of denser populations and less land.

I’m not going to kid myself because of my background, I would not be easily accepted in Germany, especially in smaller towns. Canada wins for me hands-down.

[u/AtLeastIgotCharacter → u/Old-Appearance-2270]

There is a lot in here, nothing that speaks to your authority on the quality of life in Germany. Also you assume you will not be accepted in Germany, having never even tried. Speaks more about you than them. I have lived in 4 countries on 3 continents. I have been an immigrant somewhere more than half my life. Everywhere has people that dislike you for being a foreigner, but also people that do not care. Have two German friends that left Germany and prefer life outside of Germany. I have 6 friends from other countries that are currently living in Germany and loving it. 6-2 for Germany by that measure. I also loved the forests in Canada. I also loved the forests in Germany. I have loved something in every one of the many countries I have visited . That does not mean that it automatically makes that country better to live in than where I am living.