But how is an alternative? It's half the money. Reminds of a Russian joke: daughter asks mom for milk. Mom says sure there's a pale of water underneath the bed

The person you’re replying to has nearly 3x the yoe and significantly lower TC, pretty simple. And like you say, there are always people in these threads saying “good TC doesn’t exist where I am.” Finally, you’re assuming everyone wants to work for FAANG.