Geo-arbitrage for Software Engineers
Ultimate guide
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Geo arbitrage might be the best path for software engineers going forward.
But what is it, exactly?
Basically, it means:
Having an income tied to a high-paying region (e.g., US or Western Europe)
While living in a lower-cost, lower-tax country
This can significantly boost purchasing power and overall quality of life.
You might live more comfortably, save more, or support your family better than you would in a high-cost location.
If you secure a high-paying remote job, choosing where to live is your next big step.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of relevant factors to consider:
🏦 Taxes
Some European countries have freelance-friendly tax rates under 20%, others will take up to 50% of your income.
💸 Cost of living
Daily expenses (housing, food, services), healthcare and schools costs, etc.
Cities like Warsaw or Lisbon might offer better value than Berlin or London, for example.
🤹♂️ Lifestyle match
Do you prefer sunny weather year-round or real seasons? Culture? Big-city vibes? Small-town tranquility?
⚠️ Safety and stability
Is there a lot of corruption? Crime? Geopolitical risks?
Combining a strong remote income with a lower-cost, lower-tax, high-lifestyle base can greatly expand your financial freedom and life quality.
Where would you move to if your income was location-independent? And why?
Poland is probably Europe’s top option for remote workers
Some upsides:
1️⃣ Solid infrastructure
Roads, healthcare, schools, and amenities are top-tier, especially in major cities like Warsaw or Kraków.
2️⃣ Favorable taxes
Freelance software engineers can get under 15% in total taxes
3️⃣ Low to moderate living costs
Not the cheapest place in Central/Eastern Europe, but more affordable than Western Europe.
🌇 Warsaw factor
IMO, one of Europe's best and most interesting cities at the moment.
Bonus: even local tech jobs can reach six-figure if you can enter top companies 🔥
If you’re paranoid about Poland proximity to the Russo-Ukrainian war, you can check out this LinkedIn thread with some info on the topic.
Here’s some preview:
It used to be that moving to high-cost high-pay countries was the way to go
But it’s not like that anymore:
An example
Last week I went to a ceramic workshop in Warsaw.
It costed 57 eur per person.
The same workshop in Zurich costs 150 euros.
After tax salaries - as per EuroTechMoney.com - are, on average, €115k for Switzerland and €70k for Poland (just 40% less).
There's MANY examples I could make around this topic (if you're interested, I can share more in the future).
But the point is that, in 2025, working as a tech worker in lower-costs regions does, in most cases, give you a better, more fun and fulfilling life, and a much higher standard of living.
Don't think that "the Swiss pottery date would have been higher quality".
Quality of services, classes, food, and so on, is often worse in Zurich than in Warsaw, from my experience.
Especially if you're not poor and can afford the higher-end side of the market.
This "pottery date" with my gf would have been exactly the same in Zurich, if anything probably less fun because people in CH are generally less friendly and chill - although this might be subjective and depend on your personal preferences.
Now, before we finish, one more thing:
Not all low-cost countries are the same
For a difference between Italy and Poland, for example, check out this LinkedIn post.
In the future, I’ll be exploring a few options in countries that are good candidate for both geo-arbitrage and remote work.
If you don’t want to wait, check out my YouTube channel.
Because sometimes I post stuff there earlier these days.
For instance, here’s a video on the same topic of today’s article, published about 2 weeks ago
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Could you elaborate on that "Warsaw factor"? Why is this city especially interesting atm? Great culture going on there?