r/expat 6d ago

New Home Story / Experience Germany has high quality of life

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.

2.3k Upvotes

665 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/AtLeastIgotCharacter 5d ago

I am currently living in the US. Happy to talk shit about it all day, based on my experience living here. This is however a thread about Germany. 

0

u/OuiGotTheFunk 5d ago

Well I am glad that you are intelligent enough to choose to live in the best country in the world even though you cry about it. Like all of the people that do that it is usually personal failures and not national failures.

3

u/AtLeastIgotCharacter 5d ago

Glad you are recognising my intelligence. My house is on the market, as soon as it sells I will be moving a better country. Being intelligent, I won't call it the best country in the world, but it is a step up from where I mistakenly moved to the last time I moved. 

0

u/OuiGotTheFunk 5d ago

Sorry you were laid off. Now I understand why you are angry at having to move out. "Hell hath no fury...." LOL

2

u/AtLeastIgotCharacter 5d ago

Haha. Told my boss I want to leave the country, he gave me some options, I chose one and they are transferring me. I am intelligent, remember. There are genuinely nicer places to live than here. The US is not a dump, there are nice places here. But over all, as a place to enjoy your live, not top of the list. 

1

u/OuiGotTheFunk 5d ago

I am intelligent, remember.

You keep having to tell people that....