IT salaries compared - SA vs Amsterdam

Why don't they do a proper comparison?

Find two equivalent jobs, on here, one in the Netherlands. Then do a costs comparison for a family of 4 with things like like rent for a nearby home, medical aid, education and so on.

I would bet that if you just look at the cost of healthcare, the Netherlands would flatten SA in terms of affordability.
 
The Big Mac is incredibly unpredictable. Food in SA is still relatively cheap even though it is expensive. Venture into luxuries then see how much spending power we have...

Also, this may be an IT comparison, but their sales industry is attractive. Marketers, market researchers, market psychologists, etc. are earning it much better in the Netherlands than here.
 
konfab said:
Why don't they do a proper comparison?

Find two equivalent jobs, on here, one in the Netherlands. Then do a costs comparison for a family of 4 with things like like rent for a nearby home, medical aid, education and so on.

I would bet that if you just look at the cost of healthcare, the Netherlands would flatten SA in terms of affordability.
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Not to mention the cost of living vs the quality thereof.
 
These comparisons never really make sense. You have to account for all sorts of intangibles as well as cost of living, and you end up comparing apples to polar bears, i.e. it makes no sense.
 
We have friends in Amsterdam in the IT sector. They earn well, but as usual, housing is expensive. Food is affordable but not as "tasty" as SA food. They are planning to stay in Amsterdam at least a couple more years. I know for a fact that they were earning close to R800k here in SA in the IT space. Nobody moves for a big pay cut.
 
Hi James, skilled immigrants to the Netherlands are entitled to the 30% tax ruling. This means your first 30% of earnings are tax free!

This applies for only 5 years but is still a lot of money. There is a huge demand for IT skills here.
 
I moved to the Netherlands last year, work in Amsterdam and stay in a cheaper city. I am a software developer, and was on my way to architect while in South Africa.

This article is mostly true, but there are many other factors that they glance over. Cost of living here might be slightly higher at the base, but I can feed myself and my wife for a mere €70 a week (using HelloFresh). The food isn't all bad, but the steak most certainly does not measure up to SA beef. The cheese, baked goods and the quality of fruit and vegetables make up for it though.

Other stuff though, South Africa is either more expensive or completely lacking. I don't own a car, and public transportation here is amazing, it's a company benefit, so it costs me next to nothing. Medical Aid here is compulsory, but it takes a much smaller chunk out of my salary here than it did in SA. The tax thing changes significantly if you qualify for the 30% ruling (Google it rather), at least for the first 5 years of you staying here.

I will say it again and again. The only regret I have is not moving here sooner.
 
konfab said:
Yeah, being able to leave your bicycle outside a building without it getting stolen isn't really something you can put a price on.
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LoL good luck with that in Amsterdam. It's by far the most common crime here! People's bikes disappear all the time, either someone stealing it or a drunken party animal tossing it into a canal for fun.
 
NeoAcheron said:
LoL good luck with that in Amsterdam. It's by far the most common crime here! People's bikes disappear all the time, either someone stealing it or a drunken party animal tossing it into a canal for fun.
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Yes, they definitely do steal bicycles over here but in general, crime is much lower and not comparable to South Africa. Most people leave their locked bicycles in front of their homes at night. A friend left his very expensive bicycle at the station for months but it was eventually stolen.

To put things in perspective, there were a lot of unhappy people in my neighborhood a while back when someone's expensive flower pots were stolen from their porch. Some lady commented to me that she now understand what we were going through in SA...
 
whatwhat said:
This **** again.
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I agree. These articles or comparisons omit important stuff. I just moved to the Netherlands. It does not mention 30% ruling which give you 30% of your basic as taxfree. It doesn't say you don't pay school fees which was 25% of my net. Many more important things are not considered. Especially you don't need private security or drive kids everywhere
 
NeoAcheron said:
I moved to the Netherlands last year, work in Amsterdam and stay in a cheaper city. I am a software developer, and was on my way to architect while in South Africa.

This article is mostly true, but there are many other factors that they glance over. Cost of living here might be slightly higher at the base, but I can feed myself and my wife for a mere €70 a week (using HelloFresh). The food isn't all bad, but the steak most certainly does not measure up to SA beef. The cheese, baked goods and the quality of fruit and vegetables make up for it though.

Other stuff though, South Africa is either more expensive or completely lacking. I don't own a car, and public transportation here is amazing, it's a company benefit, so it costs me next to nothing. Medical Aid here is compulsory, but it takes a much smaller chunk out of my salary here than it did in SA. The tax thing changes significantly if you qualify for the 30% ruling (Google it rather), at least for the first 5 years of you staying here.

I will say it again and again. The only regret I have is not moving here sooner.
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You have company OV Chipcard?
 
Gaz{M} said:
We have friends in Amsterdam in the IT sector. They earn well, but as usual, housing is expensive. Food is affordable but not as "tasty" as SA food. They are planning to stay in Amsterdam at least a couple more years. I know for a fact that they were earning close to R800k here in SA in the IT space. Nobody moves for a big pay cut.
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I was earning similarly in SA when I was contacted by recruiters in the Netherlands offering a paltry sum of 3000-4000 euro monthly. I guess they thought that saffers were so desperate to leave that they'd welcome being shafted. I told them with the cost of living there I'd take no less than double that which they didn't like. I guess they didn't realise people have other options :D
 
Gaz{M} said:
We have friends in Amsterdam in the IT sector. They earn well, but as usual, housing is expensive. Food is affordable but not as "tasty" as SA food. They are planning to stay in Amsterdam at least a couple more years. I know for a fact that they were earning close to R800k here in SA in the IT space. Nobody moves for a big pay cut.
Click to expand...

I make my own boeri, biltong and wine. And I get Ouma rusks via Amazon. Rooibos is on shelves at the local Sainsbury’s. ;)
 
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