Location. And, it's not about the cost of living, but about the people who are used to low wages. I've seen very experienced and capable engineers living in su

Location. And, it's not about the cost of living, but about the people who are used to low wages. I've seen very experienced and capable engineers living in such places (e.g. Italy) where they are just used to live in relative poverty (compared to US devs). Taxi driver or barber can have a better life than an engineer in such locations.