Well, I can give you some human impressions. I studied Mathematics in Birmingham, Alabama for 10 month. Though the German unemployment rate is bigger than the American, the people are far better off in Germany than in America. There is less poverty, there are fewer homeless and the education is far better.
There are more beggars on the street than here. There is much more crime in the cities. I spoke with lots of people in dept and living from paycheque to paycheque. The cars on the streets were old and damaged. The same is true for many houses I saw. The college is very expensive, but Math 101 is rediculous. An American Bachelor is maybe, just maybe, a little more than a Bavarian Abitur.
Since I’m still at college, I don’t work yet and thus can’t give you personal information on that.