Moving To A Poor Country To Be An Online Pro

[Pothole]

Move to Pakistan, $1500 a month is gold, don't bother to wash either and you'll be filthy rich.

 

[worditst]

I will never move to a poor country to become an online pro! Why? What's the point in that haha

 

[Theblueduce]

No, I would not consider moving to a different country. I'm with Jodie and her postinigs on this. Good luck....I have been in 3d World countries, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Uzbeckistan, and it ain't fun. There is more to life than poker. It is always greener on the other side until you get there. Good luck if you decide to move and congradulations on the amount of money made playing on-line poker.

 

[Stu_Ungar]

No, I would not consider moving to a different country. I'm with Jodie and her postinigs on this. Good luck....I have been in 3d World countries, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Uzbeckistan, and it ain't fun. There is more to life than poker. It is always greener on the other side until you get there. Good luck if you decide to move and congradulations on the amount of money made playing on-line poker.

Really? is Afghanistan not the land of milk and honey I have been led to believe?

 

[Sean Pilgrim]

It is always greener on the other side until you get there.

That is a very cynical approach to life. Very sheltered opinion.

 

[Stu_Ungar]

That is a very cynical approach to life. Very sheltered opinion.

Afghanistan, Bosnia, Uzbeckistan.. sounds more bunkered than sheltered to me.

 

[slycbnew]

Expanding on Oz's post.

Just cuz cost of living is less does not mean that you can afford to live on the average, or even 50% above average, income level for that nation. I spend less on household/normal expenses than I would in the US, but not so much less that I could afford to live off of $1500/mo (which is above the average income here). Average income earners here do not have DSL connections, land line based telephones, air conditioning, computers, etc. They don't go out to dinner, they don't go out to see a movie, it's too expensive - even though these things are much cheaper here than in the US.

Unless there's a reason to live in the country outside of cost of living (you like the culture, or there's something else about it that you love, I know alot of passionate water sports people here who live here cuz of that), you'll miss things from home. Stable electricity for one (nothing more irritating to me these days than being in a big pot online and having the power cut out).

Oh, and while many things are less expensive than back home, some things are MORE expensive than back home. Electricity, water, telephones, ISP's, books, and electronic products (i.e., computers, cameras, etc.), to name a few, are all more expensive here than in the US.

 

[Pothole]

Really? is Afghanistan not the land of milk and honey I have been led to believe?

Goats, sheep and drugs is more on point.

 

[only_bridge]

...actually, supply and demand dictates that everything is cheap (by our standards) in a country where average earnings are small. Suppliers simply won't be able to move their products if they price them too high - that's how supply and demand works.

Inflation shouldn't be a major issue because inflation is caused by loads of people spending loads of money in a short period of time. Can't happen on a large scale in a market where nobody's got that much money in the first place.

Poor countries will experience normal rises and falls in inflation, which they'll control the same way rich countries do: by adjusting their central bank's interest rates. You'll occasionally hear about hyper-inflation problems in poor countries, almost always it's a result of their government just printing money to pay workers or debts (Zimbabwe, post-WWII Germany) which is as sure a way as any to devalue your currency.

Note that we're talking about ordinary products here - food, accommodation, clothing etc that are considered normal by local standards. Luxuries will be treated differently and likely will be expensive because they're usually incredibly expensive and/or difficult to supply in poor countries. And in some countries, things like internet access fast enough to play online poker without timing out every other hand is considered a luxury.

There endeth my Economics 101 rant for the day. With regard to OP's question sure it might work but are you really willing to live with the downsides, leave your friends and family, probably learn a whole new language and accept a massive drop in living standards just so that you can sit in front of a computer clicking a mouse all day? I'm thinking probably not or if you are you've probably got some other, much more compelling reason to leave your current country of residence.

^^
I disagree with you here.
Good quality internet access is not very expensive, and is very obtainable, in the developing world.

 

[Makwa]

I'd rather just stay poor in my country than impose on some other poor country. I like it here, and got other things to do than sit in a bug infested hut sweating over a laptop to buy rice... and forget medical care, u cant get sick over there...

Wales would be nice tho cos u cant unnerstan anyone or anything. Awfully damp and cold tho, yr skinny little fingers would be shaking over the keys... lol...

 

[Marginal]

Expanding on Oz's post.

Just cuz cost of living is less does not mean that you can afford to live on the average, or even 50% above average, income level for that nation. I spend less on household/normal expenses than I would in the US, but not so much less that I could afford to live off of $1500/mo (which is above the average income here). Average income earners here do not have DSL connections, land line based telephones, air conditioning, computers, etc. They don't go out to dinner, they don't go out to see a movie, it's too expensive - even though these things are much cheaper here than in the US.

Unless there's a reason to live in the country outside of cost of living (you like the culture, or there's something else about it that you love, I know alot of passionate water sports people here who live here cuz of that), you'll miss things from home. Stable electricity for one (nothing more irritating to me these days than being in a big pot online and having the power cut out).

Oh, and while many things are less expensive than back home, some things are MORE expensive than back home. Electricity, water, telephones, ISP's, books, and electronic products (i.e., computers, cameras, etc.), to name a few, are all more expensive here than in the US.

Pretty much the same thing all throughout the C'bean.

 

[OzExorcist]

^^
I disagree with you here.
Good quality internet access is not very expensive, and is very obtainable, in the developing world.

Obviously it'll vary from country to country, but I think you're wrong. Did you actually read sly's post?

 

[Grossberger]

OK op, if the average salary is 3k, that does not mean that everyone is living happily on 3k. Yes everything will be cheaper but you will be buying lower quality products and the products you are accustom to will be a lot higher due to import tariffs. You also get, a corrupt government, a ton of national debt, substandard schooling, bad hospitals (public ones that is), a ton of crime.

Still think it is worth it?

You have just described the United States LOL

 

[Marginal]

You have just described the United States LOL

But 10x worse.

 

[OzExorcist]

[X] Now toasting in an epic bread IMO

 

[only_bridge]

I agree with a lot of the answers in this thread, but it all depends on your expectations.
If you have a good job, a house, family, a certain standard of living already, then that would obviously cost more no matter what country you are in, compared to if you are a poor student, living off student loans.
If you are a poor student with very little money, then you would be able to afford a bigger appartment, and more restaurant visits in a city like Chennai in india, than you would in London.

 

[Sean Pilgrim]

Afghanistan, Bosnia, Uzbeckistan.. sounds more bunkered than sheltered to me.

:laugh: :congrats:

 

[Chiefer]

Move to Ogdensburg NY. The average income here is 15K.

 

[Suited Frenzy]

Don't get too carried away here folks, he only suggested moving "somewhere for a year or two".

I don't think OP means for his entire life, I could be wrong though.

Would you consider moving to a poor country where everything is ridiculously cheap?

At the moment I am making roughly $1500 a month on online poker.
In the UK that doesn't amount to much but if I moved to some countries and earnt that I would be considered rich.

It could be interesting to move somewhere for a year or two.

 

[Sean Pilgrim]

Move to Ogdensburg NY. The average income here is 15K.

What's minimum wage? lol

 

[StormRaven]

I say go visit some countries you are interested in, do some research, then decide.

 

[only_bridge]

Obviously it'll vary from country to country, but I think you're wrong. Did you actually read sly's post?

Yes, I did read it. And I also just arrived home from Guangzhou in China.
Internet or electricity was no problem there, and it is a very international city with all commodities you would expect to find in any developed country.
And as for the prices, well let me give you some price examples:
5 Star hotell room, for two persons, including breakfast, $50 and up.
Chicken burger, with fries and cola in McDonalds, $1.50.
Taxi 1$ for the first 1½ mile, then 50c/mile.
Subway between 30c and 70c depending on how many stops you are going.
Bus 15c
Commuter boat ride on Pearl river: 8c

 

[Chiefer]

What's minimum wage? lol

7.25 an hour. It's pretty pathetic. A person here could live very comfortable off of 30k a year.

 

[luckforsome]

"Afghanistan, Bosnia, Uzbeckistan.. sounds more bunkered than sheltered to me."


cheers stu
this made me laugh alot

 

[Marginal]

7.25 an hour. It's pretty pathetic. A person here could live very comfortable off of 30k a year.

Thats actually a lot, here it is like 1.50$ USD an hour and let me tell you, you can't even buy anything with that (probably a coke and a beef pie but nothing more)