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If you're earning $100k in Silicon Valley, your expenses will swallow up almost all of that. A sudden $100k windfall, on the other hand, tax free and suitably i
by decimalenough 3mo ago
If you're earning $100k in Silicon Valley, your expenses will swallow up almost all of that. A sudden $100k windfall, on the other hand, tax free and suitably invested,will let you live for years quite comfortably in many poor countries.
- SXX 3mo agoSorry to disappoint you, but no you cannot live "comfortably" in "poor countries" for $100,000 for "years". Well, unless you mean like two years. I lived across South East Asia for more than decade and now live here full time. I have to live on around $20,000 / year most of the time since starting my company. And I do not live anywhere close to what average US / EU citizen will call "comfortable" let alone people from valley. Stories of rich living for cheap in poor countries its just that: stories. It only possible if you preserve your US salary. For $50,000 post tax a year you can live well unless you have kids that need not a "poor country education".
- deleted 3mo ago[deleted]
- lobsterthief 3mo agoI agree (from semi-relevant experience). Also, any “poor” country that’s inexpensive enough to fit this requirements probably isn’t one you’d voluntarily live in. Side note for the original commenter: It would be kinder and more accurate to state “lower cost of living countries” than “poor countries”. There are numerous lower COL countries that offer a higher quality of life a than that of the US but they aren’t “poor” (I moved to one).
- SXX 3mo agoAnd likely "suitable" countries are not the ones you want to do any investments or even transfer 100,000 to local bank. I understand that side note wasnt for me, but yeah most of cheaper developing South East Asia countries are not "poor". Though there are ones you can call that, but again in a such countries you dont really want anyone to know you have $100,000 somewhere on a bank because its can get unsafe very fast. Its either "live just a little better than locals" or get in trouble. PS: I talking of Myanmar, most of Laos and Cambodia.
- Paradigm2020 3mo agoI've lived in Vietnam on and off for several months at a time. One of the safest countries anywhere ( as long as you don't badmouth the government) Easy to live on sub 700$ a month if you're happy with air conditioned studio, mostly asian food, scooter and not going to high end bars. Get the 1 bedroom apartment, quite often takeaway/delivered western food sub 1500$ a month. Go eat out western food everyday, live in a 3 bedroom in the nicest district go to fancy bars etc and yeah maybe you can reach your 5k a month... People have no clue / are not willing to experience adjustment for 3 weeks... But easily possible to live here for budgets mentioned above...
- SXX 3mo agoIf you okay to live like vietnamese person do yes you can live on $700 just fine. Especily if you single, healthy and love driving on motorbikes through rain and take a bit of risks. Plus health insurance like Cigna for $100-200 unless you want to pay $10,000-20,000 in vinmec if you crash on a motorbike or get other serious sickness. Plus border runs like $200-300 three times a year or often for cheaper depend on your paasport. Problem that I doubt its how average SWE on HN imagine "comfortable" living. Then if you have a partner who is not remote worker and kids there will be other surpeises for you.
- Paradigm2020 3mo agoThe average vietnamese person in Saigon earns <400$ a month. Why would you go to vinmec if you can use google translate / chatgpt to gwt better and cheaper service. Border runs default are 4 times a year but only need to cost 140$ each or cheaper if you're willing to organize / drive yourself. Comfortable is subjective and humans can change. Yay. Well if you wanna move the posts and all... But even then with ai etc a degree becomes less relevant rather than your /their problem solving ability
- Jensson 3mo agoThe person was probably from a poor country already and was used to that.
- SXX 3mo agoI do get that $100,000 in expensive parts of silicon valley likely will buy you a room, some food and commute to work, but math dont make sense here. Person from that kind of country likely had to spend $100,000 just to find job and move to US and survive there for the first time. Legal migration to US is super hard and super expensive. You have to be both very successful in what you do and very dedicated in order to do it. Or very rich. And it take years. People who choose to migrate to US and manage to do it isnt the type to throw it away on small scam. And if they managed to get in easy, fast and illegally then they wont be the ones competing for $100,000+ job.
- decimalenough 3mo agoSure, if you're starting from nothing and expect to live a Western lifestyle. But you can draw down $5000/year from that sum for a very long time, and make twice the average Indian yearly income.
- SXX 3mo agoOkay lets say you are a person who want and able to live on average Indian yearly income in rural India. How the hell you end up in US on $100,000+ job? How much time it took and how much you spent on education / job search / migration to US? If you're from India then likely all your relatives invested into your education and migrarion.
- SXX 3mo agoOne more thing about life in developing countries, ones with seemingly super low GDP per capita. Its that low because a lot of economy in rural areas is simple unaccounted for: communities build their own housing, grow their own food or work in family business usually with no accounting or taxes whatsoever. If you're born there you unlikely to ever end up in US on $100,000+ job unless your whole family or village invest in it. If you're expat you will soon end up finding out that as expat you'll pay completely different prices and starting local business is just impossible unless you become part of a family.
- coccinelle 3mo ago50,000 sounds like a lot. Most people in West European countries don’t make that much.
- ElFitz 3mo agoEU average is ~€39.000, gross, before taxes. And only nine countries have above average average salaries. And that’s not available income. France median pre-tax "net" income is ~€2.100 / month.
- LtWorf 3mo agoWe're talking about an engineer here…
- SXX 3mo agoEU have free healthcare and education. Also not everyone, but alot of people still own their own houses and appartments or they can get relatively cheap mortage. Nothing of it available in cheap country for expat. If you move to developing country you better pay for health insurance like 80-250 EUR / month / person. Also if you have a partner who is not remote worker they might not be able to find well paid job there. If you have kids then giving them good modern education in English is exorbitantly expensive. I wont even start about fact that government of cheap country might change and you lose your residence permit, social circle or even property. And in most of countries that are easy to enter never give permanent residences and passports. You have to pay pay pay all the time or jump countries.
- sdsdssweew213 3mo agoI live in what according to Wikipedia is 18th most expensive country in the world. Average person working full time as a nurse here earns about 30k dollars a year after taxes. If they can survive here, 20k a year in most of South East Asia should be perfectly fine for comfortable life.
- csomar 3mo agoSurviving is different from living. You can survive in the Philippines for $100/month. I do not wish it on anybody.
- Der_Einzige 3mo agoIf "poor country" includes "places US foreigners won't go" than you sure as shit can survive longer than 2 years. For example, Thailand would be 2 years like you say. Neighboring Burma/Myanmar would be EASILY 5 years, possibly 10 depending on how long the civil war goes. That's assuming you don't work and live in the capital Yangon.
- SXX 3mo agoSure man. And for Syria or South Sudan $95,000 is enough to live there for the rest of your life, but I'll pass on this opportunity.
- LPisGood 3mo ago50,000 post tax is enough to live well in most US cities, let alone the rest of the country.
- lstodd 3mo agoWell you can live quite comfortably on $1500/mo in former Yugoslavia on the seafront for example. Those $100K will last what, 5.5 years?
- Danox 3mo agoYou need half a million 500,000 dollars @ 4% interest (major US Bank) savings account = 1666.66 per month $1,000,000 = $3,333.33 per month $1,500,000 = 5,000 per month $2,000,000 = $6,666.66 per month So with half $500,000 US dollars you could survive on 1666.66 per month in Yugoslavia most people, however, will spend beyond that amount however, the temptation is too high. Soccer players and basketball players, well actually most people will simply not have the discipline.
- lstodd 3mo agowe weren't talking about depositing misappropriated cash, yes? So one ends with $100k and out of US. What can be done? Adriatic is one option. $100K will last long enough for something else to come up. Also idk where you get data on "most people". My "most people" consider "(major US Bank) savings account" a losing proposition against even inflation.
- deleted 3mo ago[deleted]