Living in Luxembourg on less than 3000 euro a month

April 9, 2013 11:22 AM

I received a job offer in Luxembourg. Is 45,000 Euros per year (gross) enough of a salary to have a decent lifestyle in Luxembourg city? Would it be isolating for a single person in their late 20s?

More details: the job offer also includes a one-time payment for moving overseas that would fully cover the costs.
The job itself and the people seem great, but after researching the cost of living online (haven't actually been there yet) I'm not sure that the salary of 50,000 euros will be enough. I think it will be a little less than 3000 euros net after taxes etc.

Currently I am feeling very isolated in the place I'm living, and my work environment is extremely toxic (ongoing harassment, no chance for promotion). I hoped for the chance to go to a new place, but the salary is less than I hoped. I have already tried to negotiate, but this is their offer.

I am also worried that I would be jumping from one kind of isolation to another. From what I can see, most of the expats living there are married with children. I am single, but hoping the move would be a chance to make many new friends. I am also looking to "settle down" sometime in the next few years.

My requirements for a decent lifestyle are a cozy home (with no bugs plz), a gym membership, salon cut and coloring every other month, and at least a couple of chances to travel per year. Considering these factors, would a salary of 45,000 euro be enough for someone in my situation?

Submitting anonymously because my posting history would give me away, but I can be contacted at the throwaway account [e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (5 answers total)

Would you have to live in Luxembourg? Half the people who work there commute into the country on a daily basis. You don't say where you are from - will you be able to be legally resident in one of the neighbouring countries? They are all livable on that sort of salary.

Don't confine yourself to getting to know ex-pats.

Bear in mind travel opportunities are a lot easier if you can just hop a train and have dinner by the med/in Rome/Berlin/Paris etc.
posted by biffa at 11:46 AM on April 9, 2013 [3 favorites]

Yeah, it's a country full of people, most of whom speak English -- use your new neighborhood as a base to get to know people! And, even better, use your new country as a base for really easy and inexpensive travel! Sounds great.
posted by acm at 12:06 PM on April 9, 2013

My understanding is that a lot of people not making crazy money work in Luxembourg by living in Walloonia, France, or Germany and commute in - but I know someone who seems to scrape by in the country with roughly your kind of situation. I just messaged your question to him.

That said we have yet to get anyone from the Lux component yet for the semi regular BeNeLux meetups and we're pretty friendly mostly kidless folks.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:12 PM on April 9, 2013

I'd go so fast it would make your head spin!

Perhaps you can find a roommate situation where you can get a ready made social life!

Our corporate attorney is HQ'd there, and she's a sweetie-pie. (Not that it matters, but people do live there.)

Check into commuting.

But this is an awesome thing for you, and I'd jump at it!

(they have Ramen in Europe, but not Kraft Dinner.)
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:33 PM on April 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

Here's a weird site: Anglo-Info, to give you some ideas.

I saw a 1 bedroom apartment (with balcony and new kitchen) for 830 euros, so things exist. I saw rooms for 650.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:40 PM on April 9, 2013