Could anyone give a realistic picture of how much you can generally save at the best schools in Europe per year for a teaching couple with over 10 years exp + masters? We have no children or mortgages or debt and live a comfortable lifestyle.
Specifically Western/Northern Europe:
Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Prague or Switzerland?
Salaries and Savings in Europe
Most of those countries, teachers find themselves living paycheck to paycheck. Some go out of pocket to fund their European adventure.
The Czech Republic is the only one you mention that might have a better deal, being lower in most people's perceptions of 'Europe'. However, it is a great place and I'd recommend it more than some of the other countries. Depends what you want, of course.
There are some schools in Western Europe that provide decent packages with possibility of savings. But they are rare, and competition for positions is fierce.
The Czech Republic is the only one you mention that might have a better deal, being lower in most people's perceptions of 'Europe'. However, it is a great place and I'd recommend it more than some of the other countries. Depends what you want, of course.
There are some schools in Western Europe that provide decent packages with possibility of savings. But they are rare, and competition for positions is fierce.
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@Sid
Did you miss Switzerland in that list?
@Snowbeavers
About the only region on your list you have a decent chance of saving any money is in Switzerland. The rest between not getting a housing package and high taxes will lead you to living pay check to pay check.
Be especially leery of the schools in Northern Europe, many of them are municipal/trust schools and the salary is pretty low and modest compared to private international schools.
Depending on what you mean by a comfortable lifestyle with two salaries and no kids, if you could live on the economy, bank half of one salary. Taxes will eat up close to one salary, and living expenses will eat of the remainder and half of the other salary.
Did you miss Switzerland in that list?
@Snowbeavers
About the only region on your list you have a decent chance of saving any money is in Switzerland. The rest between not getting a housing package and high taxes will lead you to living pay check to pay check.
Be especially leery of the schools in Northern Europe, many of them are municipal/trust schools and the salary is pretty low and modest compared to private international schools.
Depending on what you mean by a comfortable lifestyle with two salaries and no kids, if you could live on the economy, bank half of one salary. Taxes will eat up close to one salary, and living expenses will eat of the remainder and half of the other salary.
I live in Germany. I am taxed at 42% of my income. I have what I feel is a very low salary (I net just over 2000 Euros a month) and I still manage to save and travel and enjoy my life. If you and your wife are a teaching couple that would be two salaries and while you wouldn't be saving as much as you would in other regions it is very, very doable.