My nephew Lukas is one of the best neurosurgeons in Germany
His salary? A mind-blowing €58,000 a year before tax
Last month a hospital in the US offered him $680,000
"Are you going to take it?" I asked him
"It looks good on paper. But in reality, I would actually earn less in the US"
He is right. In Munich, he makes €58,000 and gets:
35 days of vacation
Fully-paid paternity leave
Excellent public transportation
Government that cares about privacy
Diverse, multi-cultural society
If you count this in, it's much more than $680,000
European wages are the highest in the world if you adjust for life quality