High paying job or better position and comforts

I remember once looking and looking for a job offer, and having trouble getting one. It made me worry I was going to have trouble finding a new job -- so when an offer finally came after a long search, I took it. That job involved relocating -- just to a new city -- but that was stressful. (Starting a new job and moving involve a lot of mental work, and doing them both at the same time was just a bigger challenge than I thought.) I never really settled into the job -- my skills weren't a good fit, and the company was a little dysfunctional in ways I hadn't expected.

What I came here to say is that if you got one job offer -- maybe you can get another? You don't say how long you've been looking, but if you're in the tech field, you're probably "in demand" right now. So it might be worthwhile to see if you can find another offer, and then you'll have two to choose from.

It's a total cliche, but sometimes it really is useful to remind yourself of the old saying: "There's other fish in the sea."

You really need to do a spreadsheet covering the monetary differences to validate the difference in pay. I personally do as such, and I include things like housing / food / transportation (need or own a car? Car insurance etc), hours per year to earn.

My current job was a 15% pay cut from prior. But the side benefits made up the delta- significantly less hours (so pay per hour was close to equal on a per hour basis), cheaper health and life insurance.

If you take the job can you use it as a stepping stone for a better job back home?

When you get a dis-likable job that pays a lot more, it is easy to get addicted to the money. If you take the job, I recommend you try to save 75% of your pay increase. Failure to do so will ensure you cannot afford to go back.

When I moved countries I looked at 3 things

* Quality of life assuming same standard of living * Culture and things to do beyond tourist stuff * If I saw myself in the place for at least 5years

Going to a new country is a huge move, so be 100% sure you will like the city you'll settle and the company you will work for. Once you are there, going back will be financially and emotionally expensive.

Work is work, the pay seems good, just check the true conversion beforehand in sites like this https://neilkakkar.com/salary-calculator-by-city.html

Also make plans to visit your folks regularly if money is no issue.

In regards to the sort of job you'll be performing, maybe you could apply your skills to automate the boring stuff?

Besides that, make sure to be flexible about what you eat and find friends outside work. Invest in building a social circle. I have seen many foreigners that were miserable because they never made real effort to make the new country home and kept missing the old country.

Don't ever upend your life for a salary increase. That is just not worth it. If you are single in particular, consider that it might be much more difficult to find a partner in a different country, where maybe you don't even speak the language, and the culture is completely different.

The 85% increase: does that cover any associated costs? Typically to go up that much you’d be looking to migrate to the US, but that would mean, for example, paying for medical insurance that you might not have to do at the moment (outside of your taxes of course).

What would you do with the extra money?

Will that make up for all you would lose by taking the job?