Why You Might Want to Live in Europe (vs. the USA)
Growing up in the USA, and slowly traveling North America and Europe full-time, I want to share why one might want to live in Europe (vs. the USA).
I should note that my loved ones have lived full-time in either Europe or the USA, so I tend to watch the differences and how they impact us on a personal level.
I should also acknowledge that if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that perfection is impossible. There are pros and cons no matter where we travel or live.
But facts can help us see realities, experiences can confirm what sustains us, and we can change our minds whenever we deem that wise.
This article is based on stats found in 2020, when I wrote this, before Russia invaded Ukraine and before the Middle East crisis became even more devastating for all. I’ll update this again after those crises calm down.
Gaining Perspective: Europe vs. the USA
To facilitate perspective, let’s look at the following statistics on Europe vs. the USA (as of 2020). If you’re like me, the first time you see these numbers, they might be hard to believe…
The Continent of Europe:
has about 746 million people
is an area of about 3.9 million sq mi
The European Union (EU):
has about 446 million people
is an area of about 1.5 million sq mi
The United States (USA):
has about 328 million people
is an area of about 3.8 million sq mi
If you’re a rural or suburban American (like I once was), these numbers might make you stop reading right here. Because it’s initially hard to contemplate living near more people than one already does. But have a little patience with me, as there’s an important point to this.
Global Peace
The Global Peace Index (GPI) is a tool of the Institute for Economics & Peace. They share their mission is to assist in creating a world that is “more peaceful and fulfilling for the majority of the people on the planet … to show that peace is a positive, tangible and achievable measure of human well‑being.” Their tool scores how each country is doing, with 1 equaling the most peaceful. Here are the 2020 stats…
Europe’s overall peace score is 1.65
United States’ overall peace score is 2.307
This is powerful and something most Americans might not believe: this tool shows Europe (with its higher population and higher population density) is generating more global peace than the United States. It shows Europe is generating more “cooperation, inclusiveness, and social equity required” to solve challenges. This is powerful.
Personal Safety
If you’re an American, you might also think about the flashes you’ve seen on television showing European terrorist threats, vans driving into crowds, or rape rates. That might make you assume it’s more dangerous to live abroad in Europe.
But if one seeks out the official crime statistics and compares violent crime in Europe to violent crime in the United States, one can use critical thinking skills to make an informed decision. So let’s look at the most recent statistics I could find at the time of writing this, 2020…
Violent Crime in the EU
1.1 million Violent Crimes in EU
3,993 homicide
215,000 sexual crimes*
299,000+ robbery
583,000 assault
6,700 total gun deaths, including homicide, suicide, and accidental
Violent Crime in the United States
1.2 million Violent Crimes in USA
16,214 murder
101,151 rape*
282,061 robbery
807,410 aggravated assault
39,740 total gun deaths, including homicide, suicide, and accidental
We also know violent crime data is reported differently in each country, making it a challenge to directly compare this data. So do these numbers really provide a clear or accurate picture? Let’s look a little closer at a few categories:
*Rape
In Europe, in places like Sweden, it appears victims are encouraged to report each incident of rape, each of which can receive an individual charge.
So if an abusive partner rapes their partner multiple times, that could mean multiple rape charges for one rapist who raped one victim.
Thus, rape numbers reported in Sweden might not necessarily mean there is more rape risk in Sweden.
Instead, it might mean Sweden is more accountable when it comes to acknowledging and charging rapists than the United States has (ever) been.
In the United States, we know the rapes that do occur are rarely reported, rarely believed, and that those rapists are rarely punished.
In the United States, we also know that the most likely rapist is someone we already know (a classmate, date, partner, spouse, etc.).
Vulnerable children, females, and males know this all too well.
There also appear to be a high number of men of color in the United States who are wrongfully charged with such crimes.
On the rare occasion that a rapist is charged in the United States, it typically appears to be one rape charge per rapist, not per act of rape.
Thus, in the United States, the real rape numbers appear to be far higher than the data shows.
In fact, if we know that at least 3 out of 4 rapes in the United States are not reported, my calculations bring the United States rape rate closer to 400,000 (not 100,000).
But I am not a math whiz.
In the US, rape victims are also often blamed, verbally and psychologically battered, and ostracized by family and community for reporting rape.
This means, in the United States, rape victims are literally abused, yet again, by the very people who are supposed to protect them.
This trauma is almost unsurvivable.
Firearms
If you grew up in rural America (like I did), you were likely taught (or heard people say) that it was important to own firearms to protect yourself.
You were likely taught (or heard) that there would never be enough time for officers to save you from an assailant, so you better be able to save yourself.
Let’s just stop to think about what that says about the USA.
You might have become a good shot and possibly had fun telling people you were a good shot. US citizens can sport an ego around firearms.
The United States also has the National Rifle Association (NRA), whose members I’ve watched pump up egos and bravado, including those of abusers and those with compromised abilities.
(Neither of which are equipped to be responsible, let alone handle guns responsibly and the US still does not adequately prevent these risks.)
I’ve had firearms waved at me, pointed at me, and shot at me under the guise that it’s a Second Amendment right (or just fun). Firearms have killed several people in my life.
I’ve heard stories from youth who were attending public school with other youth who were carrying firearms. Some say the United States starts early when it teaches children to kill.
But what about all the guns in the United States that might be saving lives by preventing crime? That answer also appears to be in the stats above…
The EU—where 118 million more people live and live more densely than the US—has less violent crime and fewer gun deaths than the United States of America.
War, Peace, Personal Security, + Natural Disaster
Global Finance, a magazine whose audience includes “senior financial officers responsible for making investment and strategic business decisions at multinational companies and financial institutions,” compares three criteria when deciding the world’s safest countries.
When Global Finance compared war and peace, personal security, and natural disaster risks, the US was not one of the top ten safest countries in which to live.
Nor was the USA one of the top twenty, thirty, or forty safest countries. The United States was not even one of the top fifty safest countries.
The 2019 data showed that the United States ranked down at #65—after a long list of European countries that ranked as safer places to live.
Affordable Cost of Living
I simplified my life so I am free to travel slowly whenever I wish. When in Europe, I don’t have auto expenses and I avoid tourist pricing by staying longer, so my lodging and living expenses in Europe are more affordable than where I’m from in the United States.
Of course, every area is unique, and some areas (Switzerland) are more expensive. Still, it’s been possible to choose affordable options throughout Europe so it all balances out to be more affordable to travel slowly or live in Europe than to live in the USA.
For instance, instead of owning homes in the US or Europe, I rent affordable furnished lodging for the length of time I wish to stay somewhere (usually a month or three). This allows maximum travel flexibility and monthly lodging discounts.
If I instead rented unfurnished apartments long-term (or even purchased a home in Europe), it would still be more affordable to slow travel or live in Europe than to live in the United States of America.
To be specific, as of 2020, it only cost us about $3,000/month ($36,000/year) total, for the two of us to travel slowly or live comfortably (and splurge) in Europe. Whereas, when we’re in the United States, I spend at least that much just supporting myself (one person).
We have comfortable private lodging in Europe. We buy organic, gluten-free, plant-based vegan food. We enjoy eating in restaurants. We buy things when we need things (yet we try to avoid accumulating things). We could live on less.
Bottom line: I definitely find it more affordable to travel slowly or live abroad in Europe than to live in the United States.
Climate-Friendly Food
When we travel through Europe, we see a European Union that is more willing to establish and live by higher overall standards in areas of life that deeply matter to us.
Global Finance shares a bit about “How the European Union Rules the World:”
“The EU’s relative regulatory power is partially explained by the weakness of other regulators. The US would have the regulatory capacity but has been unwilling to exercise it. The political mood in the US has favored deregulation over the last two decades, which has only served to increase the EU’s relative influence over the global marketplace.”
Organic Food
One example of higher standards on the regulatory front is France’s goal “to meet the strong demand of … societal expectations in the environment and animal welfare,” ensuring that 15% of agricultural land could produce organically by 2022 and that 20% of organic products were in institutional catering (cafeterias, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, etc.).
As well, according to the EU Commission, “by 2030, 25% of EU farmland will be farmed organically, with the help of the EU farm to fork strategy.”
I love this intelligent regulating of higher standards—a government choosing to follow science, help to eliminate toxic chemicals, to work towards doing what’s good for our health and good for the climate.
Whereas, in the United States, the latest data shows that less than 1% of the farmed land in America is organic.
In the United States, we also typically see politicians supporting chemical agriculture, not organic. Organic non-profit organizations have tried to make progress on this front, but the US government is not typically seen supporting this.
And when we buy organic food in Europe, it’s seemed more affordable than what we pay for organic food in the United States.
Plant-Based/Vegan Restaurants
I never imagined that there might be more plant-based/vegan restaurants in Europe than in the United States. I just assumed the USA was ahead of everyone else on this. I was wrong.
Vegan Eateries in Europe:
Vegan Eateries in the USA:
Of course, these restaurant listings are not part of a scientific database, so we know there are likely more restaurants out there that are not yet listed, as well as listings that are currently outdated, especially given the pandemic.
But I am so grateful to have found more plant-based vegan restaurants in Europe than I find in the United States. In Europe, they also seem to serve plant-based vegan food with purer ingredients—with more organic and less processed ingredients.
Climate-Friendly Transportation
In Europe, we can walk, bike, bus, and train just about everywhere we go. If we absolutely need an auto, we can easily hire an Uber or rent an auto.
We have only rented an auto once in Europe. We typically only hire Uber to take us to and from airports. We try to minimize our flights, too.
When in Europe, we have contemplated buying an electric vehicle or a camper van at various times. Yet, each time we weigh all that’s involved (the cost, licensing, insurance, gas, tolls, having to do all the driving, avoiding accidents, finding parking, ongoing maintenance, the air pollution we would be contributing, storage for when we’re not using it, concerns about theft with all our worldly belongings inside), it has not seemed like a necessity.
In the United States (except when I’ve lived in a large city or a tourism destination), nearly everywhere I’ve lived has required that I use an auto. The land is vast. Public transportation is just not as available or linked. There are huge gaps that render one stranded. All that driving can cause a lot of air pollution, plus production, destruction, fuel, and infrastructure.
So it’s a relief to see European nations doing more to provide climate-friendly transportation for their citizens and visitors. We get to relax, look out the window at landscapes, take photos, and support those who depend on transportation jobs.
Universal Healthcare
While in Europe, we’ve seen free Universal Healthcare offered in a country where US citizens are essentially exempt from paying taxes for their first ten years of residency.
For $50/month, one could also have private doctors and private hospital rooms. One still pays for dental and eye appointments, just like in the USA.
What about the healthcare taxes that Europeans (and immigrant residents) pay for this? JP Griffin Group shares how healthcare in Europe works, noting the cost can essentially be a wash…
“In Europe ... in many cases, the amount ... citizens pay in taxes is similar or equal to the amount Americans pay for taxes plus health insurance premiums. Europeans ... have fewer out-of-pocket expenses. Americans ... have higher copays, coinsurance, and deductibles hanging over their heads.”
And take a look at the list of countries providing Universal Healthcare to their citizens to see exactly where the USA literally falls on this.
Free (or Extremely Affordable) College Education
When it comes to the United States’ attitude on education, I think this quote says it best…
College Tuition in Europe
FREE for many
$13,000/yr max at some
bachelor's typically earned in 3 yrs
master’s typically earned in 1 yr
doctorate’s typically earned in 3 yrs
you can even earn degrees in Europe that are taught in English
College Tuition in the US
$20,050/yr at public university
$43,139/yr at private university
bachelor’s typically earned in 4 yrs
master’s typically earned in 2 yrs
doctorate’s typically earned in 4 yrs
the debt can equal a mortgage and can take a lifetime to pay off
Respect for Elders
In Europe, we see the eldest of elders out and about. Ever so slowly, but surely, we see them with or without canes, gathering groceries, walking to the pharmacy, looking out their apartment window, talking to the owner of the cafe below, being assisted down inclines, working in their garden, and delivering the food they’ve grown.
We witness elders being seen, helped, and respected.
We join in by being extra careful to match their pace in crosswalks, to ensure they don’t feel rushed or left behind (while autos wait for all of us to cross the street). This slows us into a lovely walking meditation, too.
In the United States, with an infrastructure that allows vehicles to power through most every nook and cranny, there are fewer walking communities for anyone, especially elders.
When someone’s body starts slowing down, we typically don’t see them out and about in the United States of America, let alone respected.
In the USA, we also accept that elders are placed in nursing “homes,” too many of which are horrifyingly substandard (behind the scenes) when it comes to providing sanitary or humane care (says she who has spent much time in them).
How the USA handles this is not a reality I would wish for anyone, especially someone in their vulnerable or last years of life.
Often, it’s not until we see a healthier way of being that this really hits home.
Multilingual Literacy
In Europe, countries are located close together, with each country speaking its own unique language (or multiple languages, like in Switzerland).
This makes it so much easier to naturally pick up new language skills without even trying. Even if it’s just the basics; the sights, the sounds, and the people display what to say.
This is how we learn our own native language, as infants, from our caretakers. We start by understanding the basics around us.
Imagine what would happen if we attended one of the free language schools throughout Europe, to learn how to communicate even better.
In addition, one doesn’t need to learn a new language before traveling to or living in Europe. Just jot down the basics (hello, do you have…, one, two, please, thank you) in another language, or pull up a translator app on your phone, and you’re good to go.
In fact, on my first trip to Europe (before English was more broadly spoken as a second language in Europe), I couldn’t flip through the translation books fast enough, and we didn’t have the internet back then.
So I just used body language/hand gestures to communicate, and it worked perfectly.
More recently, desperate to communicate a specific message in French, I pulled up the paragraph I needed to speak (via my phone app), listened to the proper pronunciation then blurted it out, over the phone.
The sweet elder on the other end laughed and fretted, proclaiming my French better than his English. His was the kindest reply ever, but I truly didn’t have any French skills.
I’d just been surrounded by French speakers and a phone app, whose accents I could attempt.
But, in the United States, it can feel nearly impossible to converse in a new language. It can seem overwhelming because there is no infrastructure to naturally support it, even if we spend years learning it in school.
Multicultural Literacy
In Europe, there are more than forty countries (with twenty-seven of them in the European Union). The more time one spends in Europe, immersed in each country, the more opportunity one has to truly explore, learn from, and humanely respect the uniqueness of others.
Imagine how this helps people and nations generate that peace discussed above.
This is a vastly different experience than reading an interpretation of another culture, than a brief visit with someone from another culture, or from visiting another culture for a brief period.
In the United States, a land vast, no matter how many new states one visits, it’s still the USA. No matter how diverse the population is, the overall culture of the United States can feel the same.
In the United States, we’re also raised to believe we’re “the best.” Think about how that makes others appear to us and how that makes us appear to others.
As one of our elder European Uber drivers told us (and I paraphrase):
The United States is the teenager of the world. It doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. It thinks it’s the greatest without truly knowing the rest. It hasn’t existed long enough to mature. It takes up a lot of energy and is exhausting for us to raise.
Sometimes We Can’t See Our Reality Until We Step Away From It
Sometimes we can’t see our own reality until we take a prolonged step away from it.
This can be hard for Americans to do, as the United States is physically vast, so it’s not easy to get away from ourselves.
But if we step away for a prolonged period, we can more clearly compare the only thing we’ve ever known to something we might be ready to know.
When we see Europe generating more global peace, less violent crime, a more affordable cost of living, climate-friendly food and transportation, Universal Healthcare, free college education, communities that assist elders in aging with more respect, plus multicultural and multilingual literacy, it’s easy to see why it’s tempting for one to live in Europe (vs. the USA).
And I didn’t even touch on all the European art, history, beauty, architecture, museums, or Alps outside one’s doorstep.