Quitting your job around the world

"How much should I save before I quit?" has a different answer in Austin, London, Berlin, Toronto and Sydney. The biggest variables — severance, healthcare, notice and the unemployment safety net — swing the number more than most people realize.

The four levers that change by country

Wherever you are, your exit cost comes down to four things: what you walk away with (severance), what you have to keep paying (healthcare), how long you're bridged (notice periods), and what catches you if it goes wrong (unemployment support). Here's how the Western countries compare.

🇺🇸 United States — high risk, high control

• Severance: none guaranteed (at-will). Whatever you get is negotiated.
• Healthcare: the big one. Employer coverage ends fast; COBRA or an ACA plan can cost hundreds to $1,500+/month. Model it before you quit.
• Unemployment: usually unavailable if you resign voluntarily; modest and time-limited even when you qualify.
• Bottom line: the US needs the biggest, most self-reliant runway — budget healthcare as a core line.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom — a real floor

• Severance: statutory redundancy pay if you're made redundant with 2+ years' service (age-banded, capped). Nothing for resigning.
• Healthcare: the NHS follows you — not an exit cost.
• Unemployment: means-tested Universal Credit provides a basic safety net.
• Bottom line: a smaller buffer than the US for the same lifestyle, because healthcare is off the table.

🇪🇺 Western Europe — strong protection

• Severance: often mandated. Germany's negotiated Abfindung ~½ month/year; France's legal minimum; the Netherlands' transition payment (~⅓ month/year from day one); Spain's 20–33 days/year.
• Healthcare: public systems cover you; mind registration timing if you relocate between countries.
• Unemployment: generally generous and earnings-related — a meaningful bridge in many countries.
• Bottom line: the safety net does a lot of the work. Your runway can be leaner, but notice periods can be long (sometimes 1–3 months), which actually helps your transition.

🇨🇦 Canada — bigger than the minimum

• Severance: employment-standards minimums look small (~1 week/year), but dismissed non-unionised employees are often owed far more under common-law reasonable notice — frequently 3–4 weeks/year. The gap is real money.
• Healthcare: provincial coverage continues; confirm waiting periods if you move provinces.
• Unemployment: EI provides temporary income if you qualify (generally not for voluntary quits without cause).
• Bottom line: if you're being let go, don't accept the first number — get advice.

🇦🇺 Australia — a clear scale

• Severance: National Employment Standards set redundancy pay on a scale (4–16 weeks by tenure).
• Healthcare: Medicare covers you; private cover is optional.
• Unemployment: JobSeeker provides a means-tested safety net.
• Bottom line: predictable redundancy maths and public healthcare make planning relatively clean.

What this means for your number

Two people with identical salaries and savings can need very different escape funds purely because of geography. A rough hierarchy of how big a self-funded buffer you typically need, all else equal:

United States (largest, healthcare-driven) → Canada/Australia → UK → Western Europe (smallest, strong safety net).

That's not a reason to be reckless anywhere — it's a reason to plug your country and city into the model rather than copying a number from a US blog.

Run it for where you are

The exit readiness calculator already adapts healthcare costs to your destination, and the severance calculator switches its rules by country. Use both, then build your transition plan. And wherever you are, find the local experts and safety nets on the resources page.