I think your privilege may be showing. Estimates are that there's around 3.6 billion airline passengers a year. That's not unique or international passengers, t

I think your privilege may be showing. Estimates are that there's around 3.6 billion airline passengers a year. That's not unique or international passengers, that's all passengers. When you factor in that most passengers fly several times a year, and most flights are domestic, that means international travelers are a privileged minority. Employees of international companies usually work for the local branch of said company as well, and are paid relative to local salaries not relative to all the companies salaries. >Products like mobile phones are going to have similar prices around the globe. This is a false assumption, and why controlling for purchasing power is important. Even expensive electronics don't have the same base price everywhere and local costs can add a significant amount. The overwhelming majority of consumer purchases cannot take advantage of international travel to countries with lower costs and better exchange rates. Even when they can, duties may apply when trying to bring things back. If it was so easy everyone would do it and the laws would have to be rewritten to prevent it. >If you can buy a house in your country for 2,000 dollars. I can also buy a house in your country at that price. This is also a false assumption, many countries have laws limiting foreign ownership and unused real estate, and getting credit for a home purchase can be even harder. The vast majority of homes are the primary residence of the people who own them, having a cheap second home in elsewhere does nothing for them