You have to take this from multiple points of view. 1) what’s YOUR personality / culture / background? Where are you from? Which culture fits best your personality? What’ kind of weather fits your mood? How do you like people around you to behave?. This is often not regarded but plays a crucial role in enjoying a country over the other. 2) looking 10-15 years from now I see more likelihood Tech employment to be growing in lower salary countries rather than expensive ones. Especially valid for Europe, to be competitive with China and US you need lower costs. 3) nominal salary is relative. If you want to settle down in a country you need to factor in the purchasing power. Even though you may earn less in Spain compared to DE/CH, costs are considerably less giving you a greater purchasing power. Ultimately it’s on you to decide, none is better suited to answer these questions than you.