theKid wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 12:19 pm

atst wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:37 am If your spending over 10,000 a month what the hell you doing living here?

Not all expats are here to live on the cheap. I don’t necessary want to be in PP but my clients demand me to be here and I have responsibilities towards my staff here as well. I probably could live on 3,000 a month but why the F would I want to?

That question you are asking shows the problem with this thread: While I am sure that most expats on this forum came here because it’s a good place to live on the cheap, I would still argue that the majority of expats in Asia came for careers and to make good money.

My confusion isn’t so much how you’re earning that, it’s more the “Brewster’s Millions” question of how do you manage to spend five figures every month (5 years minimum wage) without straight up throwing money at ridiculous things?

At the risk of sounding overly sanctimonious, I can see myself living extravagantly in New York or London, but doing it surrounded by such abject poverty as one sees in Cambodia seems terribly gauche... I’m not sure I’d be able to enjoy myself doing that, I’d feel too much of a cunt. At the very least I’d put it away for retirement.

theKid wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 12:19 pm

atst wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:37 am If your spending over 10,000 a month what the hell you doing living here?

The guy is on a 12,000 SGD housing allowance! Imagine his actual salary.
According to you question this guy, and many others in similar circumstances wouldn’t have a reason to be here.

For sure, anyone on that sort of money would want to be in a developed country. They normally arent and dont need to be looking for cheap beer and whores, money is at their disposal, as are women and drinking habits. Exactly why they are paid silly money, for their sacrifice living in underdeveloped places, but giving them the home comforts they are accustomed to.

newkidontheblock wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:41 pm

timmydownawell wrote:Practical? It implies Cambodia is only good if you're into drink, drugs and hookers. I'm sure the locals would be thrilled. There is so much more to this country than that.

Telling the typical African or Scot (present company on CEO excluded) that one is living and working in Battambang as a computer networking specialist will elicit questions of ‘Where is that?’

All I can say is judging by your posts, my fellow countrymen and my experience of working in Africa I know who I would put my money on for wearing the dunces hat.

nerdlinger wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:57 pm

theKid wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 12:19 pm

atst wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 11:37 am If your spending over 10,000 a month what the hell you doing living here?

Not all expats are here to live on the cheap. I don’t necessary want to be in PP but my clients demand me to be here and I have responsibilities towards my staff here as well. I probably could live on 3,000 a month but why the F would I want to?

That question you are asking shows the problem with this thread: While I am sure that most expats on this forum came here because it’s a good place to live on the cheap, I would still argue that the majority of expats in Asia came for careers and to make good money.

My confusion isn’t so much how you’re earning that, it’s more the “Brewster’s Millions” question of how do you manage to spend five figures every month (5 years minimum wage) without straight up throwing money at ridiculous things?

At the risk of sounding overly sanctimonious, I can see myself living extravagantly in New York or London, but doing it surrounded by such abject poverty as one sees in Cambodia seems terribly gauche... I’m not sure I’d be able to enjoy myself doing that, I’d feel too much of a cunt. At the very least I’d put it away for retirement.

I agree with that. Back in 2010 I was COO with a large restaurant chain in Vietnam, I had housing and transport allowances and an after tax salary of USD 6,000 a month. I struggled to spend more than 1500 a month although I have never been one for an extravagant lifestyle. The rest I used to send home to my wife in NZ. What she didn't spend went straight into savings.

Interesting to see the poll results. Just over 70% on $2000 and under, which sounds about right for the average expat I guess. I know a few people who make 5-6k and a few who make under a grand and live off much less, but the majority seem to fall within the results of this poll.

The guy is on a 12,000 SGD housing allowance! Imagine his actual salary.
According to you question this guy, and many others in similar circumstances wouldn’t have a reason to be here.
[/quote]


[/quote]

Traveling allowance doesn't equate to salary, when I was working and on travel allowance the allowance was more than my salary and tax free, many guys choose to live the lavish lifestyle while others preferred to live cheap and taking more money home making it worthwhile. Note Doc67 no guessing which one I was.
This all stopped when instead of getting the allowance for each to spread we were given a master card, no more cheap hotels but also no extra money to take home.
Reading this thread it could be created into a few separate threads for interesting discussion.

lagrange wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:26 am I had housing and transport allowances and an after tax salary of USD 6,000 a month

but allowances would probably equal 3-4k salary if it includes a maid, etc
add a couple of kids school fees at a top school and you're fast approaching 10k 'just to get by'

Phnom Poon wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:41 am

lagrange wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:26 am I had housing and transport allowances and an after tax salary of USD 6,000 a month

but allowances would probably equal 3-4k salary if it includes a maid, etc
add a couple of kids school fees at a top school and you're fast approaching 10k 'just to get by'

Yep I guess so. In my situation I had a $800 apartment in Hanoi and a taxi card and a motorbike, pretty much living as a single, and if you know Hanoi you would guess it's not the place for 'pleasures of the flesh ', not that I could find anyway. A big night out was Vuvuzela and 17 Cowboys.

atst wrote: ↑Mon Nov 02, 2020 10:39 am The guy is on a 12,000 SGD housing allowance! Imagine his actual salary.
According to you question this guy, and many others in similar circumstances wouldn’t have a reason to be here.

[/quote]

Traveling allowance doesn't equate to salary, when I was working and on travel allowance the allowance was more than my salary and tax free, many guys choose to live the lavish lifestyle while others preferred to live cheap and taking more money home making it worthwhile. Note Doc67 no guessing which one I was.
This all stopped when instead of getting the allowance for each to spread we were given a master card, no more cheap hotels but also no extra money to take home.
Reading this thread it could be created into a few separate threads for interesting discussion.
[/quote]

I would argue that expat packages for middle-managers (rather small potatoes) in Asia are at around 300K per year, otherwise you wouldn’t get anyone good. Upper management is perhaps closer to 500/600K in average but in some cases far higher. When you talk about C-Suite the sky is the limit.
Also, in the financial industry bonuses can be insane although I assume the best times are gone.

Many that have lived here for longer also have invested in assets and get additional income through that.

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 3:45 pm

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:10 am

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:08 am

Kung-fu Hillbilly wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 10:00 am

Kammekor wrote: ↑Sat Oct 31, 2020 9:41 am

So you cycle, buy food, cook food, eat food and check the internet, and call that a comfortable enough life? Serious question.

Billions of people in the world (many Cambodians) believe it to be a comfortable way of life myself included. Should middle class western standards be applied as a universal benchmark as to what is defined as a "quality" or comfortable way of life?

I thought you were an avid traveler pre-Covid ?

Should middle-class western standards be applied as a universal benchmark as to what is defined as a "quality" or comfortable way of life? Serious question.

No, that doesn't define 'quality' or 'comfortable way of life', it just defines what a lot of us were used to before coming to Cambodia.

When coming to Cambodia I had to make huge lifestyle changes. Some for the good, some for the bad. Apparently at the end of the day the result is positive in my case, otherwise I would have gone back. I still have that option and will always try to keep that option open (@AndyKK).

Having said that..... Remigrating when having a family is very different from migrating without (while thinking it'll be only for a limited amount of time). Having a family seriously spices up life at a certain age but also comes with restraints and (financial) responsibilities.

Kammekor I agree with what you are saying about the huge lifestyle changes, I would say most expats whom are here had commitments, considerations and concerns, be that at home or away. Point is that we all made the similar choices to be here, so in theory it was the right choice to make the move.
You asked me the question if I had the means to return to my own country, I have the financial means to return, I would think that anyone would think that it would be important to have that option and safeguard. Would I want to return is another matter, saying that I have commitments here and have no other plans of travel at this time.