You bring up a great point, possible differences in expenses. I bet you're right, it's not just a normal gig/set-up.

That said, I don't change my main idea or advice: To remove the compensation as a reason to do this.

It's such a unique job (to put it mildly). And the fact that if one is undergoing extreme conditions either way, one can greatly increase their income with other strategies, I still think this should be a non-financial decision, and purely a lifestyle/values/learning/risk one.