So, first things first, I am very lucky. I have a great job in the US (tech), my husband and I (early 30s) have more-or-less paid off our mortgage and we live in a great community. But, we also love the idea of living in NZ a lot more than we would want to stay in the US at the moment (yeah, the election played a role in getting us to start the process). We've made a see-and-decide trip to the country, and lifestyle-wise it really seems to provide everything we long for but don't quite have in the States.
We also did some interviews and got a couple of job offers, both of them in the low six figures, which we appreciate is decent money for a childless couple to live on in NZ. But, the paycut is just... brutal. I ran the numbers and I'd be losing about 60-70% of my gross income. Husband is more like 40-50%. I did research salaries before embarking on this journey, but the numbers are only starting to hit me now that they're on paper.
In addition to the NZ lifestyle, I'd be getting an opportunity to work in a more senior role with my NZ employer than I currently have in the US, though it's a less high-profile company in my industry, globally speaking. This employer is not known for work-life balance in NZ, though not sure how that translates comparing to me putting in 12-14 hour days in the US.
So, I realize decisions like this come down to what you want in life, but I certainly am not finding it easy to make up my mind. So I would definitely appreciate any advice from people who have faced this sort of question with respect to moving to NZ before. Thanks in advance!