I’m pulling in $70k a year, but living like a millionaire overseas – am I missing out on opportunities back home?

If you spend any time reading articles on sites like CNBC, you’ll quickly learn that there are a surprising number of individuals who are living a life of luxury outside the US while making a surprisingly small amount of money. This is the unfortunate truth regarding the cost of living in America, where you must make a lot just to get by. 

This is exactly the case with one Redditor who posted in r/millionaire that they live overseas on $70,000 annually but feel like they are living like a millionaire. While not US residents, they work with US companies, which means they make a comparable American salary but live in a developing country. 

What makes this entire Reddit post so wild and intriguing simultaneously is the Redditor’s claim that in a good month, they make “more than the president of my country of residence.” 

The Lifestyle

From the comment section, we know this individual works in crisis management/strategic communications, and we know they are living in a country (Tunisia) where the minimum monthly wage is $107, while the highest average salary is around $1,300. 

However, what makes things interesting is that this Redditor, doing the work he does, can earn anywhere between $5,000 and $8,000 a month, which is considerably more money than most of their country’s people. 

Because of his income, he doesn’t need to live all that frugally, which means spending $100 for utilities and subscriptions and another $600 monthly on food, as they no longer feel the need to cook. In fact, they claim to be ordering daily from some of the finest restaurants in their city. 

In addition, they claim to save over $3,000 a month and could even save more if they weren’t spending so much time trying to live a high life in their city. Because their business is expanding, they are moving from a $375-month apartment to a “gigantic villa” that offers 6,800 square feet with an interior pool, all for $2,200 a month. 

This is an incredible story, and the Redditor’s moral is that everyone should pick up and go somewhere where they can spend $30 on a four-course meal at a restaurant or have an electric bill of just $40. 

What’s Missing From Their Life? 

At the end of the day, it doesn’t seem much, if anything, is missing from the life of this Redditor. They appear to have all their bases covered and still have plenty of money left over. It’s hard to say if they will ever lose out on this income not being from the US or a more developed country, but they should keep this metaphorical train going as long as it can stay on the tracks. 

In the comment section, the Redditor breaks down some of the benefits of living where they are like the cost of a $3 dollar latte or a Subway equivalent sandwich is just $3. The same goes for a 10-mile taxi ride, which costs $3 locally but would require a far more substantial payment in any big city in the United States. 

It’s hard to argue here for what the Redditor is missing, and they aren’t making any claims that they are. If anything, it appears that there are more people than most people in the United States who miss out on things because of the high cost of living. In some strange way, it appears that the opposite is true and that more Americans would be better served to move somewhere where they can live a better, less stressful life that isn’t keeping them in a corporate job they hate with a lousy boss, all for a small salary. 

Should They Move? 

Unfortunately, no one did, but if anyone had asked if the Redditor should move somewhere else that’s more lively, the answer would have been a resounding no. As in rooftop screaming, “no!” without any second thoughts. They are living a lifestyle most people dream about, and even if they don’t have some of the niceties of America, like getting the iPhone when it’s first released, there are so many great places to see and visit in and around Tunisia, that you can live a happy and fulfilled life.

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