For years we kept hearing the same question: 'When are you leaving?'. Today, the other one is being heard more and more often: 'Is leaving still worth it?'.

Thousands of people from the Balkans left in search of a better life. Countries like Germany, Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland brought many a better salary, an organized system, and a sense of order. For some, this is the idea of a new home. For others, it is only a temporary stop. They are ready to endure a few years until they save a solid amount and secure a calmer future for themselves.

When we talk about moving to the West, is there even still a promised land?

Promises and reality

In Germany, for example, the average salary is around 2,500 to 3,000 euros net. It sounds attractive, until you pay 1,200 euros for an apartment, 600 for a nanny, a car, insurance, and then get fined because you did not put the recycling in the right bin.

For some professions, such as electricians, installers, or medical workers, accommodation is often secured from the start, which further eases the beginning and enables concrete savings. With good organization, many manage to buy an apartment back home in a few years, build a house, or simply live without the constant worry of 'what if'.

In Ireland or Switzerland, salaries are even higher compared to Germany, but so are the living costs. Apartment rent in Dublin can be 2,000 euros per month, and bread as much as five.

In the Balkans, salaries are on average lower. But it is not the same to spend 900 euros in Zagreb or Belgrade as in Munich. Here, you still know someone who will help you with the children, build a house, or invite you to lunch without handing you a bill.

What is 'better'?

For some, it is a regular salary, peaceful sleep, and the possibility for the children to have everything. For others, a neighbor who knows your name, spending hours over coffee, or simply the feeling that you are 'among your own'.

'Better' is no longer just calculation, it is a feeling.

A new promised land? Maybe there is not just one. Maybe everyone has their own. Maybe it is a matter of personal feeling.

Abroad offers opportunities such as a stable job, regular income, the possibility to create something concrete for yourself. For many, leaving made it possible to hold their heads high, secure a better future for their children, and help their family.

'Home', on the other hand, does not have the security of the West, but it has feelings that cannot be bought.

And then there is the third option, which is becoming more and more common. Working abroad - living at home. People remain registered here, children go to school in Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia... and the parents work in Germany, Austria, Switzerland. Sometimes week by week, sometimes seasonally. And so they balance between two countries, two worlds, and one dream: to combine the best of both.

Working abroad: Advantages and disadvantages of the most sought-after countries

1) Germany

Advantages:

• Secure and regular salaries (average 2,500–3,000 € net)
• A clear system (you know your rights, but also your obligations)
• Child benefit (Kindergeld) – around 250 € per child per month
• Good healthcare and education system
• There is work (especially for nurses, electricians, drivers...)
• Possibility of permanent residence after 5 years

Disadvantages:

• High housing costs, especially in larger cities
• Breaks are often not paid
• Integration can be difficult (language, bureaucracy, the feeling that you are 'always a foreigner')
• Life under pressure (pace, rules, fines, lack of spontaneity)
• Children quickly 'lose' the language and culture

2) Austria

Advantages:

• Proximity to the Balkans
• A culturally somewhat 'softer' transition than in Germany
• Solid salaries and strong demand for labor
• Stable system, strong demand for healthcare, construction, and service workers
• Payment of the 13th and 14th salary
• Child benefit (worthwhile, regular)

Disadvantages:

• Apartments getting more expensive (especially Vienna)
• Breaks are often not paid, especially in the private sector
• Rising living costs
• Fewer opportunities for advancement if you do not know the language perfectly
• A certain degree of closedness

3) Switzerland

Advantages:

• High salaries (3,500 € and more for basic jobs)
• One of the safest and most orderly countries in the world
• Large diaspora (strong community, especially in construction and healthcare)
• High level of healthcare and infrastructure
• Breaks are often paid, and this is clearly defined by law

Disadvantages:

• Prices of products, services, and accommodation
• It is difficult to obtain permanent residence or citizenship
• A very closed society (it is hard to connect with local people)
• Healthcare is paid additionally and is not cheap
• A lot of rules, strictness in everyday life

4) Ireland

Advantages:

• High salaries in the IT sector and startups
• The official language is English (easier communication and schooling)
• Young people like the Irish way of life (more relaxed, more open)
• Many people from the Balkans are already there (community)
• Breaks are often paid (legal minimum 15 minutes after 4 hours of work)

Disadvantages:

• Rent in Dublin is among the most expensive in Europe
• Healthcare system poor (long waits for examinations)
• Depressing climate (rain, wind, gray sky)

5) Slovenia

Advantages:

• Similar language, close to home, easier adaptation
• Relatively decent salaries for the region
• Quality life in smaller towns (peaceful, tidy)
• Education and healthcare more stable than here
• Child benefit exists and can be requested with residence

Disadvantages:

• High housing costs, especially in Ljubljana
• Many still feel a certain 'distance' as foreigners
• Breaks vary (paid somewhere, not elsewhere, depending on the sector)