Cost of living is terribly high. How much is because we’re comparing different standards? Not all of it, I think, but some for sure.
We don’t think it’s ok to not have running water, electricity, education, sanitation, etc. we think it’s worth societal costs to provide public benefits like fire control, roads, law enforcement, zoning, etc.
I think it’s interesting to consider what makes it harder to live in the modern world that it takes more money to do it.