That goes only so far. Macbooks cost the same, and you ain't getting your car cheaper than in the States.

I completely agree with this. Throughout my career people have always spouted the same crap about "cost of living" for an area. Unless you're barely surviving paycheck to paycheck, or your household is poor to lower-middle class (which imo should not be a common case for a professional Software Engineer), the majority of your spending should not location specific. Rent/Mortgage monthly payments are often recommended to be limited to about 28-30% of your gross income. It is almost always in your best interest to go for the higher income number (and location).

I would disagree. I don't really see what people are spending money on? Everyone I know working in technology have pretty much bought everything they ever wanted in terms of electronics, clothes, equipment and vacations long ago. Most people could afford a sports car by 30 if they wanted to. Unless you have very expensive taste these things really aren't that expensive. What is expensive is space (housing, vacation home, workshop), time (education, sabbaticals, hobbies) and fluffy things (security, love, prosperity). Sure, housing might only be some percentage, but it is that percentage for the a large part of your life.

Not everyone needs a Macbook (or a car) :)

Not everyone needs to pay for housing either, but most do.

Point is, cost of living isn't just about groceries on the farmers' market.

It's pretty sensible to assume that housing is one of the most important aspects of cost of living contrary to a Macbook.

Also the parent was stating "for example" which implies there are other factors.

Housing is also a lot more variable than a Macbook. Even within the same country, it can easily differ 3-4x depending on the region. There's a reason it's not counted when calculating consumer price indexes or GDP PPP figures.

For Estonia above, the cost of most everything else than local produce is comparable to the Western Europe or the States. Clothing, petrol, consumer electronics, foreign vacations are not any cheaper.

> Even within the same country, it can easily differ 3-4x depending on the region.

Rent varies 3x between my house to the apartments next door. (Also varies 2-3x within the apartment complex.) I could buy a new Macbook Pro each month, or move next door -- comes out about the same cost.

Cost of Living is weird.