Society Is there anything that makes life better in the US than in Europe?

[Maciamo]

I like comparing countries. I have lived in many countries (Belgium, UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Australia) and visited about 50 countries worldwide, including the US and Canada. When I travel I don't just go sightseeing, but also like to check supermarkets, public transportation, how clean and safe the streets are, and analyse more generally how good a place it would be live. One reason why I have lived in many countries is that I like to experience new environments and try to find the perfect place to live. I have also read many books about culture shock, travel tales, or how people live in some specific countries. For instance I once considered moving to Denmark and read The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country before going to Denmark to check the country for myself. It turned out that it wasn't so different from Belgium (especially Flanders), so I decided not to move there as it would be more hassle than what it would bring me at that point in my life.

I have done my bit of research about the US over the years. Unfortunately the more I learn about the US, the worse my image of it becomes. I have explained why the USA looks like a developing country in many ways and why American city planning, roads, and homes are horrible by European standards.

I have watched several YouTube videos about Americans who have lived several years in Europe or East Asia and how their image of the US changed after that. It's always the same story. Americans work too much, don't take their holidays, pay a huge amount of money for their education and healthcare, live in a crime-ridden and racist society... American workers have less rights than in Africa. There are over 600 mass shootings per year nationwide. The country is more politically divided than ever, even tearing family and friends apart. American houses are flimsy, cheaply built, poorly isolated and generally need to be torn down after 30 years. American food is unhealthy and full of chemicals. Public transportation is terrible. American cities are so centred around cars that people don't walk or cycle anymore, which combined with prevalence of the fast food leads to over half of the population being obese. Not a pretty picture.

So my question is: Is there really anything that is better about life in the United States than in Europe? I am genuinely interested to know.

There are several things that are probably better in the US than in Europe, but can be enjoyed in Europe or anywhere else. Things like Hollywood movies and series on Netflix, or using Google and ChatGPT on an HP PC running on Microsoft Windows (or Apple, although I've never been a fan of that company, which overcharges for everything). You don't need to live in the US to have access to this. I do not deny that there are plenty of great companies in the US. But that doesn't make life itself in America better. In fact Hollywood and the Silicon Valley are very international and have plenty of staff from Europe, Asia, Australia and to a lower extent even Africa. For example, approximately 30-40% of tech workers in Silicon Valley are international professionals.

 

[Maciamo]

This American woman has been living in Germany for 5 years and says she has no intention of going back to the US any time soon as life is overall better in Germany. She has a whole YouTube channel comparing the US and Germany or Europe in general. She sounds like a sensible, fair and objective person in the way she explains things.

In this other video, she asked people on Reddit what the USA does better than Europe and comments on the answers she got based on her own experience in Germany.

The problem is that her experience of Europe is mostly limited to Germany and among the 14 things mentioned in the video the situation can be very different in other European countries. Let me comment on them point by point.

Here are the 14 things which American responders said were better in the U.S. than Europe:

1. Not paying to use the toilet
=> That came as a surprise for me as I have travelled to over 20 European countries and don't remember having to pay for the toilet even once! It's always free in restaurants and cafés. It's true that I don't normally use public toilets in the street or in train stations. Maybe that's why. It's also probably more of a woman issue. Men don't have to pee every hour or so. When I travel somewhere, I just go to the toilet in the morning, maybe at lunch, then again in the evening when I am back at my hotel or apartment. So it's never been an issue. Anyway it sounds rather petty to say that life is better in America because people don't want to pay a few cents for a clean toilet when it's really necessary. I would prefer to pay for a clean toilet than having to use a dirty one for free.

2. Salaries
=> Ashton explains that she made several other videos about this and except for a few specific jobs (doctors and IT workers), salaries are not necessarily higher in the US. I wrote an article explaining how Americans pay far more than Europeans for education, healthcare and energy, so that once you deduct the various expenses, your available salary ends up being pretty similar in the US and in Northern or Western Europe.

3. Air conditioning
=> It is certainly true that AC is much more prevalent in the US. But that's in big part because most of the US gets hotter than Europe in summer (its latitude ranges from Central Italy for Maine to the Sahara desert for Texas) and because American homes are poorly insulated (or not insulated at all). Even when it gets 35°C here, it's still about 25°C inside my house without AC thanks to the insulation. In hotter parts of Europe like southern France, Italy, Spain or Portugal, most houses have wooden shutters on windows specifically to keep the heat out in summer (it's not just decorative).

4. Ease to obtain a mortgage to buy a house
=> Hard to compare as everybody's situation is unique and the rules vary widely by country and even between banks. Personally I never had any problem in that regard. US banks were granting mortgages to anyone without doing their due diligence in the early 2000s, which led to the financial crisis of 2007-2008 (with the collapse of Fanny May and Freddy Mac), so I am not sure that makes the American system better. Anyway home ownership is at 66% in the USA, which is similar to France and lower than in most other European countries except Denmark, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For example home ownership is 95% in Romania, 89% in Russia, 87% in Poland, 80% in Norway, 76% in Spain, 74% in Italy and 72% in Belgium. The EU average is 70%. So that's not true.

5. Lack of cigarette smoking
=> That really depends on the country. Northern Europe and Portugal are similar to the US.



However most European countries have smoking bans in public places, so I don't see why that's an issue. Personally I am all for personal freedoms, but as long as they don't encroach on other people's life and health. That's why I think that smoking (be it tobacco or cannabis) should be prohibited in all public places, including streets and parks, although people should be free to do what they want in the privacy of their home (as long as the lease agreement doesn't prohibit smoking indoor if they are renting).



6. Ice in drinks
=> That's indeed a sort of obsession in the U.S., probably because the country has more hot days in most of Europe. Personally I hate ice cubes in my drinks. Too cold drinks give me a stomach ache.

7. National and state parks
=> It is true that nature is quite amazing in many parts of the United States (not the Corn Belt though). But there are also very scenic natural regions in Europe like the Norwegian fjords, the Alps, the Pyrenees, Toscan hills, Croatian waterfalls, Greek islands, Algarve beaches... I can't judge the quality of service in US national parks though.

8. Ice water in restaurants
=> I don't see how that is different from number 6? What is it with Americans and their ice anyway? Even hotels and motels have ice dispensers on each floor in America. Very odd.

9. Multicultural scene (many ethnic restaurants)
=> As Ashton and her husband said, it depends where you live. There is generally as much diversity of cuisine in big European cities as in big American cities, and far less in small cities or towns. But the higher population density in Europe means that you are rarely far away from a big city if you fancy some ethnic food. So again, that's a draw.

10. Technology innovation
=> Yes and no. It's true that American companies dominate computer and Internet technologies. But that doesn't make life in the US any better as these technologies are just as readily available in Europe. Besides, when it comes to other types of technologies, like cars, high-speed trains, renewable energy, or energy-efficient homes, Europe is way ahead of North America and these are things that you can't easily import.

11. Work ethic
=> Yes, Americans work longer hours and have less holidays. That's good for companies and stockholders. But is it better for Americans themselves (or foreigners working in the US)? I doubt it.

12. Free water in concert venues and restaurants
=> That's again an ignorant point as tap water is free in restaurants in most European countries. It's even mandated by law in some countries like France. No idea bout concert venues though. But who drinks water at a concert?

13. Dryers
=>Another ridiculous point. The person who suggested that said that in the UK many people preferred to dry their laundry outside than in the dryer. Yeah, that's true in many countries because it's more ecological. Nevertheless the quality of the dryers is the same in Europe and the US. The appliances are often the same. So whether you often use your dryer or prefer to dry your laundry outside is a personal choice.

14. American people are the friendliest in the world
=> That sounds like a wild generalisation for a country of 330 million inhabitants. It's true that Americans speak more easily to strangers than other people, but, as Ashton points out, that also give such people an image of superficiality. Anyway too general to be relevant.


So none of the 14 points are actually make the US better than Europe - except if you can't live without ice cubes. It's a bit sad that none of the respondents could find anything that was really better in America. Mentioning free toilets, free water and ice cubes sounds kind of desperate - people who really can't think of anything.

 

[Maciamo]

I searched YouTube for videos with reasons why life is better in the US than in Europe, but apart from the rather unconvincing one above I couldn't find anything. There are dozens of video explaining why life is better in Europe than in the US though, often made by American people who have lived many years in Europe. I wonder if that's because I am located in Europe and that YouTube doesn't show videos praising the US? Unlikely, but who knows? Please let me know if you find anything else.

In the meantime I'd really like to hear from our American members what they think (at least those who have been to Europe).

 

[Maciamo]

It's amazing how many videos there are on YouTube about Americans who have left their country and say they never want to go back. I've just discovered this guy's channel, Nathaniel Drew, who already has 1.7 million followers. His videos are mostly about life in Europe, learning foreign languages or general lifestyle tips, but also about the differences between Europe and the US.

What I found most interesting is that after travelling to many European countries he decided to settle down in Luxembourg. I grew up one hour away from Luxembourg and have ancestors from there. I have cousins and old school friends who work in Luxembourg. Historically it was part of Belgium and in many ways it still feels like the third part of Belgium besides Flanders and Wallonia. Whenever I am in Luxembourg I don't feel like I'm in another country.

The video is interesting but also like to read the popular comments now some people usually have some quite interesting things to say. For example:

"Don't understand why people from the US make such a big deal to emigrate, you don't have to stay in the place where you were born, there's a big world you're missing out, the US is not the only country in the world, you can be happier and found better opportunities in other countries beside the US."

=> I totally agree. It tends to feel more natural for Europeans to move to other countries because they have been used to travel and maybe even study in other European countries while growing up. Americans only have two immediate neighbours, Canada and Mexico, and they like to make jokes about both of them and feel superior about their country. There is such a strong patriotic and self-centered culture in the US (like the US is the centre of the world) that so many Americans are not taking the opportunity to at least try living somewhere else. And even when they want to many of them are afraid because they may never really have left their country. Over half of Americans do not even have a passport.

What's interesting is that there are dozens of videos about lies Americans are told about Europe, but not a single one the other way around. American media and politicians are constantly brainwashing the population and most Americans are blissfully unaware of it. The two most common lies are that America is the freest country in the world and that life in America is better than anywhere else.

I found this interesting question on Quora:

Why are Americans so willing to believe their media when it comes to foreign countries, but completely distrust their media on domestic issues?

The short answer is that Americans can use their own experience to verify news on domestic issues, but many of them have never lived outside the US or even simply been abroad and they don't speak any other language than English so they cannot verify the information they receive about other countries.

Nevertheless 9 million Americans currently live abroad, which when you think about it is quite a lot. That's 3% of the country's population. But according to a 2024 survey by Monmouth University 1/3 of Americans would like to move to another country — a percentage that is tripled since the 1990s.


Here is another comment I found in another video.

"I am a retired vet and I reside overseas. Here are my reason,Healthcare, safety, politics, money. Our politicians still have a cold war mentality. Our politicians only look for war and if they can't find it they initiate it.good example we complain about Mexico. Our government didn't help Mexico so now china help built Mexico infrastructure a win-win . China companies built in Mexico and bring goods into America. This what happen when we don't support our southern neighbors. Now the politicians are crying that China is taken care south America country."

=> I quite agree that the US government and politicians still has a cold war mentality. It's not surprising considering how old most American politicians are. It's also true that the US government has little interest in helping other countries. It's very good at helping it's big US corporation colonise the world, by force if necessary, and impose sanctions on countries that disagree with their methods. That's why the US government has such a bad image around the world.

Another commenter summed it up well:

"I’m Irish retired in Thailand and I absolutely despise American geopolitics aka coups, sanctions, military invasions, nefarious CIA plots, etc. etc. The rest of the world has lost all respect for USA in recent decades."

 

[Maciamo]

Only a tiny fraction of Americans living in Europe or elsewhere outside the USA make videos on YouTube to explain their experience. Others manage to summarise it well in a few sentences, as these commenters from this video about salaries in the US vs Europe.

"I moved to Sweden a year-and-a-half ago, and even though I’m now making less than 1/3rd what I was making in the US and do pay more in taxes, I would never go back there to live! Our quality of life is so much higher here. And the weirdest part? Even though my wife and I both earn a lot less now, we find that we have more money left over at the end of each month! It’s hard to get my head around, but then you realize that in the US there are so many extra costs, beyond the cost of housing, you have to pay for healthcare, education and then everything else just costs more. Like our cellphone plan with unlimited data is just $30 for the two of us. Our cable bill is just $45. We did have a higher electricity bill this past winter, but then the Swedish government subsidized is by sending everyone in the country money to cover those higher bills. But the best part is the work / life balance. The shorter work weeks, the extra holidays and then 5-6 weeks of paid vacation! And it’s REAL vacation, because everyone else is off as well. So unlike in the US where people would be calling and texting me on my vacation, here is 100% relaxation. You get to travel places and actually hang out and enjoy them! This past spring we went back to the US to visit family, and really noticed how much more stressed out people were! It was giving me PTSD just to watch people getting phone calls and the stressed out look as they had to excuse themselves saying “I have to take this call”—that would just never happen here! And I agree, you may pay more for some things here, such as clothing, but it’s much higher quality, and it’s not unusual to see people wearing the same outfits over and over again here. Everyone looks classy and well put together. In fact, the whole country is better put together! Like, the roads and infrastructure are all in amazing condition. There are no telephone poles with those ugly wires they have all over the place in the US. They actually bury all of those wires! It looks so much better and cleaner. They love using cobble stones and planting flowers everywhere. For an American it feels like you’re in a scene from a movie, yet for Europeans it’s just normal everyday life. I could go on. All of the government agencies work here. People are friendly, educated and professional. There’s a great saying I once heard: “Americans don’t know what good service is because they’ve never had it”. Perhaps I’ll leave it at that. Unless you’ve lived here, you have no idea what it’s like. Sure, you can earn more money and as an investor can more easily exploit people and make a profit. But if you want to live a normal middle class life and have time to enjoy your life, feeling safe and secure in knowing you’re not going to get have to work 60 hours weeks or risk getting fired from your job, or that you’re going to get hit with some crazy medical bill or that your kid risks getting shot at school or being run over by some stressed out road-rager in an enormous pick-up truck…. Then moving to Europe is definitely the answer!"

"I am from the USA and came to Germany for a PhD and decided to stay here. If i moved back to the USA I would be paid more and my consumption would be higher just to do daily tasks. Instead of walking or riding a bike to just about every store I would have to use something like uber or buy a car. That would increase GDP while making my life worse. My apartment would cost a lot more and that would increase GDP while before a worse apartment than most of those I can get here. I could also be fired at any point and that would also make my life a lot more about money than it is now. Even just hanging out with my friends in a bakery for a few hours and just talking is much cheaper in Germany than it is in the USA. It is also something I have seen a lot more people do in Germany than I ever experienced in the USA. In pretty much every way that matters I am better off here than in the USA and that is as someone in the top 5% of incomes."