>Why? My value to the company hasn’t changed! I am still worth the same amount as I was before! The only thing that changed is where I choose to reside. What di

>Why? My value to the company hasn’t changed! I am still worth the same amount as I was before! The only thing that changed is where I choose to reside. What difference is that to the company? it did change a lot. Most low COL locations are the locations with comparatively bad job market and that means that by moving to such a low COL you're chaining yourself to that nicely paying remote job. You wouldn't risk to argue with your boss, to insist on your opinion, etc. and instead you're more probably going to become a complacent long-term employee, more and more becoming kind of office dead weight with each year. Different mindset makes a different engineer. Getting $600K at FB in SV is just getting your appetite wet, you're thinking about bigger things while getting the same $600K while living deep in Montana - well, it is a retirement, you've made it.