[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

The hardest? I highly doubt that. Out of the English-speaking countries America probably has the best opportunity to find a balance of cost-of-living, career, and lifestyle that fits each person's needs.

Living in Canada and working in my field I dont really have a choice but to live in Toronto (not that I dont love it). Unless there was some one-in-a-million type of job opportunity that popped up in Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, etc. I would probably be setting my career back a fair bit by relocating. I feel like Australia would pretty much be Melbourne or Sydney. The UK is London or bust for most professional services.

The U.S.'s most desirable cities are definitely expensive, but so are the aformentioned premier cities in most other developed countries. The difference is there are fewer Denvers, Salt Lake Cities, Charlotte's, Columbus's, etc. Where you can still make great money in an affordable city.

With some exceptions for master-planned government centers, new cities dont really get built anywhere. Not sure where you would stick a brand new city in the continental U.S. that wouldnt already be developed if it made economic sense.

Your point is probably applicable to just about any country that isn't the U.S., China, or the E.U.