Not recently, but I made the move in 2000, and ended up returning to the USA in 2004.
I'm sure the country has changed in the last decade, but one thing's for sure: saying that the cost of living is cheaper than San Francisco is like saying that Ferrari is cheaper than Pagani.
Also, in addition to the relatively high cost of living (housing in particular is terrible, especially in Auckland), the level of bureaucratic nonsense is very high. My parents owned a restaurant and grocery that targeted American expats, and the red tape they had to go through was much higher than just about anywhere in the USA.
The tech scene was very young when I lived there, with very little community. I'm curious if that's changed.
I'm sure the country has changed in the last decade, but one thing's for sure: saying that the cost of living is cheaper than San Francisco is like saying that Ferrari is cheaper than Pagani.
Also, in addition to the relatively high cost of living (housing in particular is terrible, especially in Auckland), the level of bureaucratic nonsense is very high. My parents owned a restaurant and grocery that targeted American expats, and the red tape they had to go through was much higher than just about anywhere in the USA.
The tech scene was very young when I lived there, with very little community. I'm curious if that's changed.