An American expat who made $80,000 in New York City has revealed how moving to Europe has given her a “significantly better quality of life”.
TikTok user Soldana took to the video platform to share how her lifestyle has drastically improved since moving to Paris.
The singer-songwriter listed a whole host of benefits that came with the move, including a lower cost of living, more paid vacation time and more opportunities to make friends.
And social media users were quick to praise Soldana for the jump.
TikTok user Soldana took to the video-sharing platform to show how her lifestyle has drastically improved since moving to Paris
The singer-songwriter listed a whole host of benefits that came with the move, including a lower cost of living, more paid vacation time and more opportunities to make friends
In the clip, which has been viewed more than 614,000 times, Soldana speaks to the camera and reveals: “Moving to Europe has given me a significantly better quality of life.”
She continued, “About three years ago I was a college grad making a base salary of about $80,000 in New York City.
“I lived in downtown Manhattan in a four-bedroom apartment that I shared with three other strangers.
“I had the opportunity to move to Paris, although I was very hesitant at first because if you know anything about the European job market and compare it to New York salaries, the salaries are a huge cut.
“But I said shit and took the job even though it was a lower salary and it was probably the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Soldana reveals why: “The cost of living is much lower in Europe, so despite the lower salary I was able to move from sharing a four-bedroom apartment to my own one-bedroom apartment in central Paris.
“Besides, the extra paid vacation is just insane. I went from three weeks of paid time off in New York City to seven weeks of minimum paid time off in Paris.
“And with all other European countries so close by, it’s so easy to take endless weekend trips around Europe with peace of mind.
The American expat, who earned $80,000 in New York City, said moving to Europe gave her a “significantly better quality of life”.
She candidly revealed that moving to Europe was “probably the best decision I’ve ever made”.
But the creative didn’t stop there, adding, “Even if you’re a foodie and love to eat out, eating out wasn’t an option for me when I was a recent grad in New York. It was just too expensive, I would limit it to the weekends.
“But eating out in Paris is something you can do several times a week at affordable prices. On average, a good meal with friends costs €30 (about $32) including a cocktail.
“And remember, tipping doesn’t exist here, so the 20 percent tip required in the US makes a big difference to the total price you pay at the end of your meal.”
She summed up her watch list: “Finally, I think it was much easier for me, as an American, to make friends in Paris than it was for me to move from California to New York.
“It might sound counterintuitive, but being a foreigner and moving to Europe made it a lot easier to start a conversation and made it easier for me to meet new friends.
With some final advice, she concluded, “So if you’re hesitating, I strongly encourage you to take the step.”
And dozens of social media users flooded the comments with praise for Soldana’s move, before revealing that they, too, had been inspired
“Even if you’re a foreigner, the expat community is so strong and once you’ve infiltrated it, it’s so easy to make friends because you have that point in common.”
With some final advice, she concluded, “So if you’re hesitating, I strongly encourage you to take the step.”
And dozens of social media users flooded the comments with praise for Soldana’s move, before revealing that they, too, had been inspired.
One wrote: “You are so lucky! These opportunities don’t often present themselves so well for you to take the plunge.’
Another added: “Quality of life is so important! Nice for you!’
And a third just said, ‘That’s my mark.’