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Comment by johndoe42377 | Hacker News Reader

Why do difficult? $500/mo buys you a room, wi-fi and home made food almost everywhere in developing countries.

Working from home is a long sought boost for everyone. Places like Sikkim, or Ladakh, unspoiled parts of Nepal and Sri Lanka are ideal for remote work.

The problem is that there is no demand.

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One thing westerners don't realize when they move to places like SriLanka is that they end up increasing the local prices. This happens in the US too, when Californians move to Texas and start paying more for properties (or rent). It is hard enough for people in developing countries to compete without foreigners moving in - with them, it becomes impossible.

There's also employment generated from the services consumed. USD shortages and other problems are similarly ignored.

This is a zero-sum view. I've recently observed it becoming more popular online. True to form, the simple take misses all of the nuance.

On one hand there are people decrying the horrible conditions for housekeepers sending remittance from the Gulf. On the other there are economically troublesome analyses like the above.

This already happens in a way in my country, you’ve got all these people who have emigrated for better wages and who are using the money they earned in those other countries to buy real estate at home. This is kind of shitty for the people that did not choose to emigrate, because on top of the shitty local wages they have to contend with rising real estate prices, too.

The author wanted to be nearby his children in Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Demand isn't the main problem- it's that if you live in such a place, most employers will want to pay you according to local wages. The idea of taking a job in the US overseas and the exploiting the economic difference sounds good on paper, but I've seen companies attempt to adjust income accordingly.

Just lie.

Use a friends address...

« Why is is nighttime on your cam? It’s 1PM?! »

Use virtual backgrounds

Most companies don't allow fully remote or remote in different time zones. If they did, they could just outsource all the work to nationals of lower cost of living countries.

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