[nell]

What if we invert this.

Assume the company pays the same irrespective of location.

Should an employee in SF or NY have a lower standard of living compared to an engineer who lives in a low COL area?

[graerg]

I know this is a rhetorical question but the affirmative answer isn't entirely unreasonable. If an engineer can deliver the same value from remote then maybe yes, they should bear the cost burden of living in NY or SF.