It's expensive by Malaysia-- a third world country-- and most third world country's standard.

... and US coders are wondering why companies are so eagerly offshoring their jobs. No tariffs or import duties on foreign-made software. Unlike produce, code doesn't even spoil in transit! (although there is evidence to believe specifications might)

Their GDP (PPP) per capita is between a third and a fourth of the US GDP per capita. That's not a third world country.

I don't know if it's considered a third world country (I don't). But $200 is not expensive in cities there.

"Third world" hasn't been meaningful since the end of the cold war. (Originally it meant the countries that were aligned with neither the Soviet Union or NATO.)

Now the fashionable terms are "developed" and "developing" (which basically mean "rich" and "poor" and so are obviously two ends of a spectrum, not clearly-defined categories).

that website he just described (without knowing details) would be done for between 70k - 500k at my company