About equity: I don't see anything wrong in wanting a pay check. IMO equity is a plus a company can offer employees as a way to help hold talent - not salary substitute.
i find amazing/terrible that people think that a 2500 usd/mo salary for a senior guy is a lot.
My profile: Sr. Developer/Architect with 8+ years experience in Django. I have received (and turned down) offers in São Paulo for R$12.000/month (CLT), to what some people in my network said it would be "good, but not extraordinary". I've heard people saying they were making less, some saying were making more. One of them mentioned he was making R$20k/month CLT, but admittedly he was way out of the curve.
In the end, I moved to Berlin, a city that is less expensive than São Paulo and where you can get a €6000/month salary without much trouble, and freelance contracts in the €75-80/hour range.
But in short, tell me you are actually paying R$18.000/month and I will send you my CV.
Curiously, the one making R$20k/month got the more "startupy" job. He is working at an advertising agency as the "Director of New Businesses in Digital Media". Basically he is in the EIR of an ad agency, creating new products, websites, generating tools and services with a team of 3-4 people that he needs to manage.
As parent said: But in short, tell me you are actually paying R$18.000/month and I will send you my CV.
Entra em contato comigo, meu endereço é adelgado1313arrobagmailpontocom.