Brazilian potentially relocating for tech job - Paris or Madrid

Posted by Steakmann@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 14 comments

Hey everyone, I'm a Brazilian currently in a very promising interview process for a tech company, and I'm cautiously optimistic I'll be receiving an offer soon! While I know I might be getting a little ahead of myself, I'm already thinking about the potential relocation.

The exciting (and slightly overwhelming) part is that I'll have two options for where to relocate: Paris or Madrid.

This isn't a "where can I move?" post, as I've already done my research and the company is providing relocation options specifically for Paris or Madrid.

I'm hoping to get some insights from people here who have lived in either city, or ideally, both! I'm looking for opinions on various aspects, such as:

Cost of Living: How do they compare, especially for a tech professional? (Rent, groceries, transportation, etc.) What does an ideal salary look like in each country? I’m married but we don’t have any plans to have children.

Lifestyle & Culture: What are the major differences? Pace of life, ease of making friends (especially as a non-native speaker initially), general atmosphere?

Language Barrier: I'm currently fluent in Portuguese, have a good grasp of English, and a very basic Spanish. I'm willing to learn French or Spanish, but how much of a challenge was it for you to integrate without the local language initially?

Weather: Any strong preferences or dislikes regarding the climate in each city?

Bureaucracy/Integration: How was the process of getting settled in terms of visas, banking, etc., in either city?

Any personal anecdotes, pros and cons, or things you wish you knew before moving would be incredibly helpful! I'm really trying to weigh all the factors before potentially making this huge decision.

Thanks in advance for your help!

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FR-DE-ES@reddit

I'm 11th year resident of France (long-term Paris resident, had lived in 5 regions of France). FYI, you will need B2 French to carry on substantive conversation and deal with gov agencies while still struggle with the language on daily basis. Having lived in 8 European countries the last 2.5 decades as English/French/German/Italian speaker, I would say France is the most language-challenging country in Europe because the French has the "you live in France, you need to speak French" attitude. Even worse is -- unlike other countries where natives are glad to see foreigners making an effort to speak their language, the French expect foreign residents to speak grammatically-correct French with good pronunciation. Even though I am C1 in French (my uni degree is in French and I attended the most prestigious language school in France to perfect my grammar), I am still self-conscious at all time about whether my sentence is correct in grammar&tone. I never have this kind of stress in Germany/Austria (I'm B2) and Italy (I'm B1).

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Semido@reddit

I can see how that would be the impression, but in French culture, correcting people is seen as helping them. They are definitely glad to see you making efforts and, from their perspective, are trying to help.

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FR-DE-ES@reddit

You are right, but it was rather off-putting to be corrected by stranger when I was merely asking for direction :-)

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proof_required@reddit

you live in France, you need to speak French

Not sure how long ago you lived in Germany but this is pretty common attitude in Germany too. Even when I visited Germany as a tourist someone told me out loud, "You are in Germany, speak German". Some doctors might cene refused to see patients who dont speak German.

Same with bad level of German. These days almost native level German is required to get a job i.e. C1+.

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FR-DE-ES@reddit

I lived in 4 German states, my family lives in Germany, I still come to work in Germany every month. I am in Germany at least one month a year the last 2.5 decades. My experience is, compared to the French, the German strangers are much more tolerant of my not-entirely-correct German, willing to accommodate by switching to English per my request. In my 2.5 decades of continuous contact with native Germans, no stranger ever gratuitously corrected my faulty German. This is not the case in France, strangers corrected me gratuitously multiple times in my early days. Last month in an appointment with my banker at BNP Paribas in Paris, I struggled to find the right words and asked if we can switch to English, she smiles and said "no, your French is good." I had to resort to google translate.

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donniepja@reddit

This 💯! Also bear in mind that as a Portuguese speaker, learning and speaking Spanish should be much easier than French… Not to speak about the fact that in Spain people are generally warmer compared to France.

hotsexyman@reddit

Love both cities! But for a Portuguese speaker, Spanish will be very easy to transition to. But do be prepared. Madrid is muyyyyy calor in the summer! But other than that, the city itself is great!

Steakmann@reddit (OP)

I currently live in Rio de Janeiro, and I gotta be honest, I think the one thing that’s already bothering me about moving to Madrid is the heat. I’ve never been good with hot weather, even though I come from a really hot place.

DorianGraysPassport@reddit

I’ve lived in both. Paris is more expensive overall, but Madrid isn’t cost effective either. I prefer Madrid for living and quality of life, but both are big cities. I’ve met many Brazilians in both cities, check FB for groups of Brazilians and see what they have to say

This - I'd ask people with actual experience of living in the country, and see if you'd be happy with the same experience.

highstreethellcat@reddit

PSG Hammer Inter 5-0 = 2 dead 500 arrested

Real win = party

Power outage = party

Spain win world cup = party

Portugal is geographically adjacent to Spain, too!