That's because -only counting taxes, nothing else- it costs your employer anywhere from 7400 to about 11000 (monthly) to give you such a salary.

100k US$ bruto is equivalent to a bruto pay (100k * 0.7 euros/dollar / 1.20 (increased costs) = 60k euro (equivalent cost for employer).

In the US, that 100k employee can spend 66000 dollars. In the EU an employee can spend, on that exact same salary the equivalent of 32000 dollars (VAT deducted so as to reflect that most US doesn't have any significant VAT or sales tax).

Yes medical stuff is mostly free, and retirement benefits are included. But you're paying > 50% tax (some of it's hidden : your employer pays directly and it doesn't count to bruto wages, but obviously it still counts on the balance sheet)

And this is ignoring VAT, which is another 20% on any amount of money you actually spend.

Oh, and, at least where I'm from, nobody's happy with their retirement benefits. It's about 80% from your average wage during your career. The killer is, of course, in inflation. Suppose you ended your career at 4000 net, after 45 years of working, at an average inflation rate of 4%. How much retirement do you get for those 60% taxes you paid ?

1532 euros/month

The best deal is simple : work in the US, retain EU citizenship and have a US private sector pension (or, say, a Swiss or Australian one, but it must be outside of the EU) + minimum pension in the EU (minimum pension is about 750 euros/month). If you own a house, of course, that 750 euros is quite comfortable. If you don't, it's basically impossible to survive on it.