I probably should have stuck to cities I have worked in (as opposed to those friends have lived/worked in):
Stockholm
Helsinki
London
Yes, I was extrapolating to Berlin. I lived in Frankfurt for awhile with my then girlfriend (now wife) and though she wasn't an engineer (she was a project manager in tech -- an individual contributor, nothing special), the money she brought home allowed her to afford an apartment, travel, and quality of life actually better in some ways (equal in others) than the same position here in the Bay Area would have allowed for.
The reason I mentioned Berlin, it is held up as a startup hotbed with low costs and a dynamic city life. From the couple of times I've visited, it was certainly cheaper than Munich, London, and Stockholm for food/lodging/etc.
Stockholm Helsinki London
Yes, I was extrapolating to Berlin. I lived in Frankfurt for awhile with my then girlfriend (now wife) and though she wasn't an engineer (she was a project manager in tech -- an individual contributor, nothing special), the money she brought home allowed her to afford an apartment, travel, and quality of life actually better in some ways (equal in others) than the same position here in the Bay Area would have allowed for.
The reason I mentioned Berlin, it is held up as a startup hotbed with low costs and a dynamic city life. From the couple of times I've visited, it was certainly cheaper than Munich, London, and Stockholm for food/lodging/etc.