I'm Eastern European living in Canada. I have a decent job, but I don't make as much as IT people do. A half of my salary goes towards my - very much reduced! - monthly expenses. At the same time, my best friend lives in Eastern Europe and her monthly expenses can easily be covered by $400 USD. Guess how much she makes? $2,000 per month.

I get that the point of your article is happiness, not money! And I 100% agree. But this reminded me of a genius idea of living in a cheap country and working for an foreign employer. That might be an option, if you find it appealing.

Loved your article!