[gwright]

> Are you stating that cost of living impacts your skill level?

Not at all. If all things are equal except the cost of living difference then a company can get X units of value at a discount by hiring the person with the lower cost of living at a lower salary. The discount is equal to the cost-of-living difference.

Of course in the real world things are rarely "equal" except for cost-of-living and so the effect is only going to be seen in the aggregate.

[throwawaythekey]

> company can get X units of value at a discount by hiring the person with the lower cost of living at a lower salary.

So the hiring process should favour low salaries rather than cost of living?

If that is the case then you can easily replace cost of living adjustments with candidate salary expectation.

[gwright]

"market rate" is a metric that incorporates candidate salary expectations and geographic cost of living adjustments as well as many other things such as tax considerations?