A "pay more get less" country is where I am from and where most of my viewers are from, these are mostly developed nations. Sure, to work in these countries you make more money but it often doesn't go very far; unless you have the opportunity to spend it in "pay less get more" countries. Which is actually a life strategy for millions around the globe. Just the immigrant population working and sending home money from the US is a prime example. Earning a first world income while living in less expensive second and third world countries offers an incredibly high standard of living for very little and is something I've enjoyed for most of my adult life.
I'm from the US where an emergency visit to the hospital can set you back thousands even with insurance. My friend here in Thailand had an emergency visit to the hospital recently, she spent 6 hours there and including medicine it cost her 40 dollars! This was in Bangkok with no insurance. How about vegetables, a bag of organic red onions where I'm from in New York often cost 5 dollars or more. In Ecuador I was buying that for one dollar.
Here in Thailand I get massages for $4.50. In the US this will probably cost 20 times that. Everything from bowling, going to the movies, car maintenance, food, medicine, education, and even a trip to the dentist I find unreasonably expensive in most first world countries. So unreasonable I could easily argue the fact that it is still out of balance compared to the higher income provided. What truly makes a "pay more get less country" is when the salary may be 5-10 times greater then let's say Malaysia yet everyday things cost 10 to 50 times more.
Some of the worst offenders of "pay more get less" countries can be found by doing research on the cost of living to average income from different places around the world, we should also factor in debt burdened populations and taxes. Countries that import heavily while suffering from inflation have it even tougher. Here are a few places where you have to pay more to get less. Canada, USA, UK, Israel, Hong Kong, Australia, and Japan.
I'm sure there are many more, but generally we are talking first world nations. I sometimes call them over developed nations, hence over priced nations. Many retirees find themselves living on a small fixed income living on the poverty line in their home countries. They sometimes flee to a better quality life where their money goes much further in less developed "pay less get more" countries. Popular ones for Americans are Ecuador and Mexico.
Any thoughts my Steemit friends? What are your money spending experiences in different countries? Do you find yourself burning through your income at a scary rate each month in "get less pay more" countries? Going out and having fun going to set you back an uncomfortable amount? These are the questions that cross my mind where ever I go around the world. Each country and each location with-in a country has their own economic situation, something I keep a close eye on.
In several days I'll be posting part two, all about "get more pay less countries". Then in the third part we discuss how to travel through these different places and things to consider. I'll be citing my plans and thought process on how I'll tackle Europe next spring/summer as it has a mix of countries that fall into both categories.
If you enjoyed this article please check out some of my other work and consider following. Thank you -Dan "World Travel Pro!"
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